<p>Hi everyone! I recently went through the boarding school applications and found that I would be much better off applying at several schools that aren't in most people's top 10 lists. There are so many fantastic prep schools out there and with each visit I found each school unique and a ton to offer a serious student. I love school and I work hard however my grades are very average. A few A's, mostly B's and even a C in history for one semester. The schools I applied to are competitive and being just a little above average student coupled with applying for financial aid, I knew it would be a tough road to travel in getting accepted. Much to my surprise, I was accepted at 5 of the 7 I applied to and one offered financial aid.</p>
<p>I asked to be put on a "waitlist" for financial aid to the ones who could not offer it and everything worked out perfectly for my family. If any 7th or 8th graders have the opportunity to take the SAT (through Johns Hopkins University CTU) I would strongly recommend taking the test. I took the SAT in 7th and 8th grade and I think it was those scores that gained me acceptances. My SSAT scores (took it two times in 2005) were not that great at all but my math SAT scores were very high. I forwarded them to the schools I applied to and each acceptance letter recognized the score in the letter they sent me. I believe that definitely increased my chances. Take advantage of the testing if you can. It can't hurt you because if you don't score well you don't have to forward the results, but if you score well I think it will work to your advantage.</p>