<p>Who has a better chance of getting into top tier schools? ex. Choate, Hotchkiss, Andover,etc.</p>
<p>Applicant A:
-Decent grades(mostly A and A- some B)
-Low SSAT score(around 60th percentile)
-Some clubs and community service
-Plays an instrument
-Excellent athlete: captain of two sports teams, also plays on club and travel teams
-Good recommendations, essays, and interview</p>
<p>Applicant B:
-Great grades(all A+)
-High SSAT score(above 90th percentile)
-Well rounded; many clubs with a leadership position as well as community service
-Plays on two sports teams
-Plays two instruments
-Great recommendations
-Interview and essays were okay...</p>
<p>Applicant C:
-Decent grades(mostly A one or two B)
-Average SSAT score(around 70th)
-Many clubs( Vice President of one)
-Lots of community service
-Plays an instrument
-No sports
-Great recommendations, essays, and interviews</p>
<p>For the schools that you listed, many of the available spots will be filled quickly by outstandingly impressive kids, combining the best of all applicants you listed into one. They will have the 90th percentile and up SSAT, they will play and excel at certain sports and in music, and will have remarkable grades, recommendations, essays, and leadership roles. Next comes the second tier of admissible candidates, who are still very strong in the aforementioned categories, but aren’t as spectacular. This is where your scenario becomes a reality. It all depends on the school, and the needs of the incoming class. Applicant A’s SSAT score is quite low, and his grades are mediocre. However, he/she can be a great benefactor to the sports program of the school, which cannot be overstated. His/her chance of admission is astronomically boosted if the applicant pool is lacking capable athletes. Applicant B has the lowest chance, in my opinion. Though academically they are qualified, their essays were weak, which reveals that either their writing skills aren’t up to par, or they did not put in the time and effort. Tons of applicants will have the grades, scores, and recs, but also the essays. Also, the big schools have enough genius applicants, they want a little variety. Applicant C has a fighting chance because they are so likable, but the SSAT score and grades will hurt them. The biggest negative is the lack of sport participation. The schools are looking for kids that can help the community in multiple ways, and athletics are a big factor. All in all, Applicant C has the best shot as, most likely, they will have admission officers fiercely fighting for their admission. Good luck on March 10. Which Applicant type are you?</p>
<p>Thank you so much paintballknee. That really helped And to answer your question, applicants a,b,and c were just some of my friends who wanted me to create this thread for them. I’m a combination of applicants b and c with the good academics, sports, many extracurricular clubs and community service, as well as a good interview and essays.</p>
<p>This is an interesting thread. There can be so many scenarios. My child is a D with good grades (all A’s and A+), decent SSAT (85% first and only no prep), few clubs, plays an instrument but not spectacular, excellent athlete in one sport, very little community service, decent essays, great recommendations, excellent interview (Skype)</p>
<p>Applicant A: Lower chance unless he/she is approached by the high school coach as sports recruit
Applicant B: Higher chance unless viewed as lack of character by AOs
Applicant C: Better chance than A if proves to have great character </p>
<p>Based on my pure guess & gut feeling. </p>
<p>Be noted that I mentioned ‘Character’. It sounds like a buzzword but it plays more important role than people may think in the college admission process. Many applicants with the highest SAT & GPA are denied many times when they fail to show their character. And I believe the same is true for the BS admission. If an applicant B proves to have a character, he/she may have the best chance among the three. If B’s interview and recs are not so impressive and C has shown to have great character, C has a good chance and B can also be a question mark. </p>
And to answer your question, applicants a,b,and c were just some of my friends who wanted me to create this thread for them. I’m a combination of applicants b and c with the good academics, sports, many extracurricular clubs and community service, as well as a good interview and essays.</p>