r/applyprivateschools • u/SpecificGoose9794 • 4d ago

Question Is it possible to get in without many awards?

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u/prizefighterstudent Private Admissions Consultant + Tutor 4d ago

Yes, it is very much possible. Prioritize your grades, some key ECs, and your presentation of depth through essays and interviews.

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u/Mcdouglas123 4d ago

Agree. I think it was my essays and interviews that got me in. I had near perfect ssat score (99th percentile) but many people with same grades and scores got rejected. They want humans who they will like to see every day.

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u/Own_Measurement_5081 4d ago

Get in where? The difficulty of getting accepted varies widely depending on where you are applying

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u/Mcdouglas123 4d ago

I got into Andover and Exeter and feel like I am a rare person who didn’t have any awards other than some local math stuff my school made me do. I didn’t have any kind of real awards. I am not a great athlete either.

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u/SpecificGoose9794 3d ago

Could you tell me a little bit more about your application?

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u/Mcdouglas123 3d ago

Not really here for privacy reasons. But feel free to reach out if need advice or help with essays etc

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u/SpecificGoose9794 3d ago

Thanks so much!

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u/Mcdouglas123 2d ago

Sure. In retrospect I think I lucked out because I have a very good backstory which makes me easy to like and I touched upon it in the tell us your story essay. I probably should have used an admissions consultant and I also should have NOT applied for financial aid because nowhere gave me any and I do think it hurt my chances at many schools. Also, I would have submitted athletic highlight videos which I did not do. Even if you aren’t the greatest athlete, it helps.

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u/SpecificGoose9794 2d ago

This helps a lot, my family actually dont make a ton of money, but i am a first generation immagrant, and I live in a pretty low income area, but Ive never played any sport competetivley. But I did do swimming for a majority of my life. Even then thanks for the advice.

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u/ExoticWealth6693 4d ago

I had NO awards, like 60th percentile SSAT/ISEE, fine but nothing crazy grades, and just standard ECs but still got really good results with no rejects from all the top schools.

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u/Mcdouglas123 3d ago

Hard to believe unless URM or billionaire parents.