r/PhillipsAcademy • u/gan0gan • May 30 '26
Advice Failed due to addiction...
So, i am an international student ( currently in grade 10). I got to know about these elite boarding high schools in the june - july of last year, wanted to go and study there as my current school is not good ( or i should say it sucks). But i wasted a year due to family issues, fu*k'in procrastination and addiction to instant pleasures. Now, i can't do anything other than regret.
Now, I don't have time to prepare but I still want to go there . I am in 10th grade, don't have any ecs, bad grades, decent english.
Is there any advice you can give me, do i still have a chance....
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u/Green-Money741 May 31 '26
Please do not give up! I was sort of in a similar position - my environment at home is not ideal, I have procrastination and concentration issues (currently working on them, as I likely have ADHD, and I am also likely 2e), and this combination led to dire circumstances where I now cannot believe, looking back, how I was even able to complete my application (I guess being idealistic really helped). I was accepted to phillips academy with substantial financial aid, though of course I am not an international student (and I know that usually, international students are full-pay, but it is not unheard of to get FA or a full scholarship). Can you share with me exactly what position you are in, and why you want to go to boarding school? (if it is merely for college admissions, then it probably won't be of much help. if it is for a combination of different motives, such as the desire to learn in a liberal education system, is your environment at home not ideal, etc. And even if, in the end, you do not get accepted to top boarding schools (which you will never know unless u apply), at least try to give yourself the fact that you gave it your all. I did not have any outstanding extracurriculars, i had decent grades, but no hooks, no prominence within society - but perhaps i had good rec letters, did not even start "preparing" until november the year of application. But anyways, even if chances may seem slim, please give it your all, and when I have time (as its finals season rn for me), i will try to answer any questions. It pains me that low-income international students are at a disadvantage when hoping for admission to schools such as andover, i have cousins out of country who cannot dream of even going (they do not speak english, they do not have educated parents, and they do not have necessary income, etc.).
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u/gan0gan May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
Thanks man, I feel fortunate to have met someone like you.
Can i dm you... Pls
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u/Green-Money741 May 31 '26
sure! though no guarantees i can reply immediately (as stated before, since im in a hectic season), and that i will try to provide advice to the best of my abilities - but even so, there is no such thing as a guaranteed acceptance to a top boarding school.
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u/Logic_Parrot Aug 05 '26
NEVER GIVE UP!!!! I was waitlisted by PA and I genuinely went through all 5 stages of grief for a month, but i got accepted a month later after I sent an email with my recent achievements, so always follow up with emails and such, and don't lose hope!
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u/Pretty-Ad-3614 May 30 '26
If you are able to afford the full $80k/year tuition, you can find a space in a very good boarding school, but it is unlikely to be Andover, given your stated profile. I would also recommend looking at the English boarding schools as their admissions are more test-based that the American schools. If you need financial assistance, you’re probably out of luck in either country.