What are my chances of getting into Phillips Exeter or Andover?

I’ve looked around here for awhile and see people who are more qualified then me, but I want to see if I have a chance.

Grades:
I have pretty good grades, and I want to get into Exeter next year so I’m going to work as hard as I can to get in. On my EOG this year I got advanced on language arts (the highest level) and college level reading. (I took the test at the end of 7th grade to get into 8th) I got high math in the average category (I also got A-B’s in 7th grade and was homeschooled, had a 3.7 GPA)

Sports:
Horseback Riding, Soccer (Only for a year), softball and travel softball (2-3 years when i was little, took a break, then came back and played for 3 years) , and I am starting ballet this year.

Extracurricular:
I can bake and cook very well, do basic sewing, and am good at drawing. I like fashion design and coding. I can read over 700 words a minute and read for fun. I’m learning French right now.

Notes:
I didn’t know about boarding school in 7th grade since my parents were strictly against it, and it was never mentioned. I know I’m horribly behind but this year I’m planning on working my best. I want to learn ballet, speak French fluently (or the best I can), improve my writing skills (above average but could be better), math, and science. As well as get straight A’s. I’m from Georgia, and would need financial aid.
Do you think I have a chance of getting in? Also what are some tips and things that would look good on a resume?

I was admitted to Exeter last year, but I chose to go to public school instead; if you want to know why, PM me.

Anyways, focus on your SSAT score. Get an SAT (not SSAT) vocab book; I used SAT Power Vocab by the Princeton Review; working through the book for a few months yielded an easy 99th percentile verbal score for me, which is what most people struggle on. You seem to be set with Reading and Math, but make sure you take practice tests.

Your other ECs seem interesting, and I think PEA will like that. PEA offers a generous amount of financial aid, but be aware that the more financial aid you need, as well as being a boarding student makes it harder for you to be accepted. Don’t worry about this, however, as it’s out of your control. One of my best friends attends PEA for only $1k a year.

Try to get meaningful recommendations from your teachers. Keep up the straight As. And when you go for your interview, make sure you present yourself as someone who will add to the PEA community. They like people with personality, not someone who sweats inside their bedroom studying all day (I know you don’t do this).

If you have anymore questions, send me a private message. Good luck!

I was admitted to Exeter and 5 other schools this year, and am currently a rising freshman! I had very similar EC’s to you, and i’m also from an underrepresented southern state! You should take the SSAT as early as possible, to ensure that if you need to take it again you have time. Although grades and scores aren’t everything, really be yourself in you’re interviews! If you have anymore specific questions feel free to PM me!

I agree with what everyone else has said on this thread but I also want to point out the importance of ECs. Since yo don’t seem to be an impact athlete, or have a very clear hook, I suggest you try to gain officer positions in your clubs and try to win awards for writing and other subjects. These types of awards and club positions will make you stand out from the thousands of applications.

I would also like to point out that Exeter’s acceptance rate this year was 15%. 15% means that many, if not the majority, of qualified applicants will not be accepted. Therefore, if you are set on going to boarding school, and would not truly be content with your local educational options, I suggest you broaden your reach of schools and also look at schools with higher acceptance rates. Exeter and Andover are not the only boarding schools worth looking into and there are many great options out there that could be as good if not a better fit for you and other applicants.

Since I don’t have much right now I’m planning to work hard this year. I want to join the Junior Beta Club and the drama club, along with being in track and ballet. I am applying for other schools, it’s just these two are my favorites.

@cmbyn02 just going out on a limb here, but are you by any chance from Georgia?

Anyways, I am a new prep at Exeter, but my best advice for you would be to not but all your eggs in one (or two, in this case) basket. If you are truly set on the path of BS, your best option would be to try and apply to a variety of schools with a variety of locations, acceptance rates, sizes, and rigor levels. Both of the schools you are interested in (PA, PEA) are known for being highly competitive, highly rigorous, and extremely hard to get in. I only applied to those two schools, and I can promise you it was a stressful and nerve-racking wait.
I just realized the format is messed up, but it’s fine. Just one question. What grade are you applying for?
Next, to continue my hopefully helpful response, don’t do things just to look good on your resume. Do what you love. Through the admissions process, I have at least learned one thing: a passion for one activity will trump mindlessly doing many other “resume building activities” any day of the admissions process.
I am by no means qualified to tell you if you are qualified for PA or PEA, but I can tell you that even if you are qualified, at some point of the admissions process, it will essentially become a lottery. You will need your skills and resume to get you through what we could call “the group stages” as the women’s World Cup is currently playing, but when you get to the semi-finals, or finals, UNLIKE the World Cup, it is almost completely based on luck. Maybe they need a soccer goalie over a middie this particular year. In that case, the kiddo who is highly qualified a highly qualified goalie and student will be taken over the (similarly) qualified middie. There gets to be a point where it is completely out of your control. A personal example is that next year, the Exeter BV S&D team will be losing almost a third of the swimmers on the team. That means that beginning this year, they have to stock up the team for the sudden rush of graduating swimmers. I was lucky enough to be caught in the mix, and I was selected over one of my friends who was also highly qualified in academics and athletics with one difference: he was a runner.
Anyways, this was a REALLLY long post, but I’m from GA too and if you have any questions, feel free to PM me because I remember how confused about how confused I was during the admissions process and a few very kind CC parents helped me through the whole thing. I might of missed somethings, and if something seems wrong, let me know because in my opinion, this is how the highly competitive schools handle admissions, and I would be very open to other opinions.

@ImWaisian No, i’m from Kentucky lol! But, I can see how the peach in the profile picture could give people that idea.

@cmbyn02 That’s exactly why I asked lol

@ImWaisian You are not the first to ask/pm me about it. Its actually a reference to my favorite timothee chalamet romance movie lol

@wildflower2019 Incoming lower at Andover here: One thing that’s instrumental for getting into these schools is community service. If these schools accepted everyone with a high GPA and SSAT score, they’d have much higher acceptance rates. They want to see students who not only thrive in their schools and extracurriculars but also help others thrive in the community around them. You should try to find ECs or programs that would highlight your love of reading, as humanities at these schools are central. Honestly, I agree with @ImWaisian, do what you love, and that’s honestly the best way to get into these schools.
@cmbyn02 OH MY GOD YOU DID NOT DO THE PEACH FROM CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

@kafkatamura lol i’m surprised anyone got my reference lol I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED!!!

Why are you only applying to those two schools? Is it because you’d prefer to go to a much larger school?

@kafkatamura I can’t believe I forgot to mention community service! The schools’ mottos are “non sibi” after all.

@CaliMex She told me through PM that she was applying to other schools

What are you looking for in a school?

I think you have a good shot, but remember, admissions can be random at times.

Exonian here!
The one thing I think you might need to work on is ECs. Your ECs don’t seem to be particularly developed, so try to stick with what you’ve got. Definitely try and rack in community service too - but don’t do it unless you want to, they will know if you just do it for your application! On the other hand, your writing is good - which bodes well for essays.

In any case, admissions is very dicey. Thousands of students apply - specifically to Andover and Exeter - yearly, most of whom also have very strong applications, and as I understand it, admission to years beyond 9th grade can be even tougher.

Don’t forget to cast a very wide net and work hard for SSATs! Best of luck to you in whatever you choose to do!