I’m applying for 2017-2018.
Thanks!
Start researching online (boarding school review, niche, CC) as soon as possible and construct a rough list of schools you are even remotely interested in. This summer try to arrange an informal visit to each school’s campus. Make sure to schedule the SSAT’s early so you have a chance to retake. Also, by planning your interview dates and request for recs early it will be much less stressful later on when you are trying to focus on school work and on essays.
Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to direct message me.
If I remember correctly, you cannot start the application part before Sept. 1 or so, at least for the schools my daughter applied to.
@katrina571 apply after formally visiting. this will narrow down the process and also get you networking contacts for free. exeter, though, requires a fee before scheduling the interview on campus or with an alum offsite.
@LaxPrep @GoatMama @onthewestfence - Thank you all so much for your help. I’m looking forward to appluing in the future. 
I’m applying this year for 9th grade, but I started the “process” as a 7th grader so I think it depends on what your goals are. At the beginning I researched any possible schools and started to narrow it down with informal tours as well. At the end of last year (right before summer) I took the SSAT for the first time to just get an idea of what I would soon have to take to get in to the schools I wanted (I would really recommend that). Also with the SSATs, try to spend a lot of the summer studying and don’t wait for the month before you actually take them to start hard core studying; that’s probably my biggest regret. But really, I would start as early as you can because it will save you a lot of stress later on. Best of luck!
Oh, and also, where are you applying?
@lostinstereo Thank you so much for your input! I am looking towards Deerfield, Milton, Choate, Exeter, Andover, Loomis, and maybe Hotchkiss. I still have a lot more research to do though. Good luck to you on M10!
A propôs GoatMama’s post #2: I made the mistake of giving 7D1 all of Choate’s essay prompts prematurely, only to find out they had changed for the current app cycle, causing a bit of a scramble in that final week before apps were due.
Definitely try to take SSATs early on, to get an idea of how your scores compare to the average at each school you’re considering. For example @katrina571 your list is very competitive, so you will probably need to add some other schools if you have your heart set on BS. Another thing to think about early is scheduling tours/interviews. Many schools reserve a block of Saturday spots for candidates coming from long distances. So if you really can only visit on a weekend, you need to reserve early. Columbus Day is also a busy day. It’s a fun and interesting process if you plan ahead. Good luck!
I decided to apply in December
I’m a bit late to the party but as I’m anxiously waiting on decisions I’ll chime in. I applied for 11th as i only started realizing that i wanted to go to a BS (in the States, which is not where I live) at the end of grade 9 when I realized my LPS was wayyy too easy. I looked into tons and tons and tons of schools over the summer, make a clear list of the requirements, gave myself a clear view on what was going to be expected in the 6 months ahead. I did SSAT prep (yeah i took the ssat which i actually regret now because I could have prepped for the sat, but if youre applying to grade 9 that doesnt reallly matter lol) all August and continued throughout the school year. However, I actually only started applying, as in starting essays, asking teachers for recs and paying for app fees at the end of November, BUT DEFINITELY START EARLIER IF YOU CAN. I ended up taking my SSAT’s in December and retook in January. I submitted all of my apps very last minute (like 11:59 Jan. 15) which was very stressful and NOT recommended.
Since you know that you want to apply so much earlier I would say look into which schools you want to apply to immediately. Trust me, things change. My list went from a few of the “top” schools to about 10 assorted, then I finally settled with 7. Also what you can do at this point is do your testing prep, and check out what the schools will require in the apps later on. In september/october, start your essays and stuff early on.
Good luck!!
I know it’s better to start earlier, but I started in January (deadline Feb 15)… 
I started my essays the night before… Submitted at 11:59 pm. Oops
October. The sooner the better
@onthewestfence I don’t know how to put in quotes but this is from Exeter’s website: “We encourage you to schedule your interview appointment well before the January 15 deadline. It is not necessary to submit an application before scheduling your on-campus interview.”
I could be wrong, but I don’t think they require a fee for an interview.
At most schools you can visit and interview before submitting an application - which is when the fee is paid. Many kids interview at a few more schools than they end up applying to. It is a good way to get a feel for the school.
@2020person Funny that Andover didn’t charge for the off campus interview or AIF. Congrats on your acceptance. Hope to see you there;-)