My son is currently attending Choate, my daughter graduated from Madeira and my youngest child is waiting for responses now although (MUCH to our surprise) she was sent a letter of acceptance for one of her choices about a week ago. I’m going to shoot straight with you so that you will apply to schools that may be a much better fit for you given your comments. Popular schools are great IF they are a good fit for you, but there’s often 15-20 applicants competing for every seat. There are AMAZING schools out there that may suit you better, offer you larger financial aid packages and provide a much more enjoyable high school experience for you. Here we go…
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First, it’s not impossible to get into one of the top 10 boarding schools. However, to have a chance at getting accepted to one of the schools you named, you’ll need to have top grades. It would be very helpful to also be involved in sports, arts and/or community service activities to be a more attractive candidate. Otherwise, they’d have no reason to think you’ll be active and infuse your special brand of “flavor” into the community.
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You will need a competitive SSAT score and excellent teacher recommendations.
NOTE: Many very qualified students are turned away or waitlisted. My son was waitlisted the first time he applied to Choate (and he’s earned all A’s almost every year in middle school). He was accepted the 2nd time around. Sometimes it about the timing. Even if your chances are slim for the top schools, it’s okay to apply to a few but you MUST include more schools that are a bit less competitive and have higher acceptance rates if you really want to be accepted to a part of a boarding community (this may also be better for you as you settle into the boarding environment and academic expectations).
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If you can, you should visit the school for a tour and overnight stay, if possible. While there, get to know the admissions counselors so they can advocate for you if they think you’ll be a good addition to the school.
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RESEARCH: I would suggest that you do your research now and preliminarily start planning your school visits for next fall. Now through the summer is the perfect time to prepare (research) so that you are ready to move forward (to schedule your school visits and interviews) immediately after school starts in the fall. Spaces book up quickly, especially for popular schools. To research schools, go online to the (1) TABS website (The Association of Boarding Schools), (2) The Boarding School Review website, and google the top 50 (or 100) US Boarding Schools and research the schools listed after the top 25 or 30. There are MANY amazing schools with gorgeous campuses, wonderful resources, competitive college acceptances and exciting programs that are listed, so “don’t sleep” on those great schools. It would be terrible to choose a school that requires more academic rigor than would be appropriate for you, or to be in a school that doesn’t align with your learning style.
In your research, I would suggest that you take a look at single-gender schools. The nurturing that students (both boys and girls) receive in that environment is incredible. Research the advantages and be amazed.
- Plan to take the SSAT no later than November (earlier if you can because applications are time consuming, and you’ll be busy with applications, interviews, school visits and your regular school work - it’s a very busy time) so that if you need to retake it, you can do so in December (January is usually the absolute latest, but check with the individual schools first).
START STUDYING EARLY. You can order either the online or paper materials from the SSAT testing site in advance. The online materials provide more information about what you’re getting right and wrong, and maybe some additional insight on your SSAT practice skills (it’s been awhile since we used it, so I don’t clearly recall). The practice tests are quite helpful. You could dedicate a little study time on the weekends starting spring or during the summer, and be ready for the exam.
Well, that’s all I got kiddo! You will do just fine if you do your research in advance. Know why you want to attend a boarding school and find a school that aligns with your purpose. I happen to believe that boarding school offers THE best educational environments available. You would be hard pressed to find teachers as educated, creative and invested in you and your education - but especially YOU. Much success in your search.