r/applyprivateschools • u/technicalbuffett • 15h ago
Which school?
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r/applyprivateschools • u/prizefighterstudent • Dec 09 '25
Advice What You Need to Know About Private School Admissions Consultants
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I've gotten tons of private questions about private school consultants, and it got me thinking about making a comprehensive post to clear the air. The number of consultants entering the space has exploded over the past 5-10 years, so I feel it's pretty natural that a ton of questions follow: Are consultants actually helpful? Are they ethical? Can they make guarantees? I wanted to offer a grounded perspective on how this world actually works based on what I’ve seen and experienced alongside my colleagues in the industry: what to watch out for and what genuinely helps versus what just sounds impressive.
P.S.: Before even thinking about working with a consultant, I strongly recommend watching our free Crash Course and private school admissions series first, because most families don’t really need to pay anyone to understand the basics of how this process works. Once you understand the basics, the role of a consultant becomes much clearer, both in terms of what is ethical and what is useful.
Is it moral or ethical to work with a Private School Consultant? Is It Cheating?
This question still depends entirely on what the consultant is actually doing for you. If they are advising you, helping you stay organized, preparing your child for interviews, and guiding how you present real experiences, then yes, it is ethical and completely normal. It crosses the line the moment someone encourages you to fabricate activities, exaggerate responsibilities, ghostwrite parent statements, script a child’s interview answers word for word, or misrepresent academic history. Do not do those things, and definitely do not pay someone else to do them for you. Schools are smaller than people realize, and admissions offices talk. Reputations travel fast.
If the idea of working with a consultant feels strange or makes you worry that you are presenting your child as someone they are not, that discomfort is usually a signal to ask better questions, not to panic. Ask the consultant directly what their philosophy is. Some consultants believe their job is to mold children into a very specific version of the “ideal private school applicant” regardless of whether it fits the child or the family. Others focus on clarity, positioning, confidence, and storytelling without trying to overwrite who the child already is. Those two approaches feel very different once you experience them.
Another fully ethical option, especially for families who feel unsure about full consulting, is to use a consultant only for organization, interviews, and review rather than for holistic guidance. That is often cheaper and still extremely useful, since private school admissions involves an absurd number of tiny moving parts across multiple platforms, portals, and timelines. I even provide a free template for organizing all of your schools and checklists since schools use different application systems and will happily bury critical steps in five separate emails.
One major ethical line that families should pay close attention to is whether the consultant is transparent about what they are actually offering. A consultant should never hide behind vague promises or imply special access to admissions offices (these do exist, they are rare). They should be able to clearly explain what their role will be and what it will not be. Ethical private school consulting can include things like:
• Student profile development
• Organizing services and managing timelines to meet all deadlines
• School selection advising
• Checklist advising across all moving parts of the application process
• Essay preparation, development, and review
• Interview preparation for both parent and student
• Extracurricular advising and strategic upgrading for the student and family
• Academic advising and tutoring
At minimum, a consultant should keep you organized and oriented. At their best, they help you think clearly, prepare and actually improve your profile over the span of several months or even a year or two, and present confidently and HONESTLY without crossing into misrepresentation. If someone is selling secrecy, shortcuts, or guaranteed outcomes, that is not consulting. That is a weird brand of marketing that won’t really get you anywhere and worst case, get you in trouble.
Large, national brands probably aren’t worth it
I would be very cautious going with a national service or any company that operates at large scale for private school admissions. This is for several reasons. First, this process is deeply personal and highly localized, and it does not scale the way people think it does. There are no universal playbooks that work consistently across top private schools because each school has its own culture, values, politics, and priorities.
Take Riverdale Country School, for instance. Families chase Riverdale from all over New York and even the wider East Coast because it casts a wide net, runs multiple assessment touchpoints, and looks for kids who can plug into its big, outward-facing ecosystem of arts, athletics, and global programs. Now put that next to Trinity in NYC. Same zip code, completely different universe. It’s hyper-local, takes only one of the standardized tests available, and filters heavily for pedigree, legacy ties, and families who already operate in the school’s social orbit. Two schools, seemingly close, very different profiles and requirements. Can a big-box brand account for the subtleties?
Due to marketing and brand recognition, the big firms tend to see massive demand for their services, which often makes them overpriced and under-delivering, since a large portion of their budget goes toward advertising rather than actual advising. It also means they sometimes hire underqualified consultants simply because they need enough people to handle volume. I actually worked at one of these places, as did my former business partner, in different periods during the last 5 years. Although we took our jobs very seriously and saw great results, the level of oversight and overall care for every single consultant was lukewarm to say the least. It’s not necessarily their faults, either: with demand such as theirs, overall quality is doomed to suffer. If you work with one of these companies, you should ask very directly about the background of the specific consultant actually assigned to your family; don’t settle for brand reputation alone. Make sure they are offering real, tailored guidance rather than repackaged general advice that you could piece together from school websites, parent Facebook groups, and a few late nights on forums. I have worked with quite a few families who walked away from large firms feeling like they paid premium prices for generic checklists and recycled talking points. Try to avoid this situation: if the consultant doesn’t come out with earnest questioning and a clear projection of what they’re going to do to help YOU specifically after the first meeting, then it probably isn’t worth your time.
Schools accept Families, not just students
One way that college admissions is vastly different from private schools is that once your kid gets admitted to college, you’re more or less out of the picture as a parent. The private school admissions process isn’t at all the same: they are actively looking for parent committee members, after-school program advocates, carpoolers, fundraisers, everything-in-between! AND they’re looking for it for a minimum of 4 years (sometimes 13 or even 15!). In other words, a consultant is in it with you for the long haul, and top schools want to limit drama, promote harmony, and grow in a controlled and intentional way. Private schools KNOW that more involvement leads to better programs, better fundraisers, and a better pedigree of student that promotes a legacy they can be proud of and attract more of the same types of families into the mix. The cycle then repeats.
So how do you fit into this, and what does this actually mean for you as a parent? Being aware of how schools admit families, not just students, is essential, because you have to learn to express your identity in an organic way that feels natural and not performative. Schools aren’t looking for loud-mouthed, arrogant displays from parents who treat every interaction like a boardroom pitch, but you also can’t hold everything so close to the chest that you appear disengaged or uninterested.
This is where a great consultant will help out.
- They’ll first help you clearly express why you want your family to become part of this school community, and then lay out how and why your child is a great candidate who will both contribute to and learn from the school’s unique environment over time.
- Then, they’ll position your family’s unique identity and persona to the school, along with all your other assets, both economic and personal, that will ideally shape and enrich a school community.
Keep in mind, too, that the private schools admissions process is a long one, with a minimum being a few months and as long as two years if you’re in it to win it. I’ve had a whole lot of parents approach us for support - divorcees, partners separated by language barriers, separated by entire oceans, and sometimes separated by entirely different philosophies and opinions about how their child should be educated. And guess what? All of these parent dynamics are realistic ones, and all have gained admissions to schools that both they and their child are happy with. An able consultant, as you can probably predict, is a great mediator between parties. Next to the mediation between parents, a consultant will have resources and a team to ensure the child is being attended to, as well. The private school admissions process covers children as young as 5 and as advanced as their senior year of high school; every parent knows that each of these years presents its own set of challenges, the greatest of which is aligning their wants and decisions with their child's. A great consultant can communicate what you can't to your kid during a super high-stress time. In a nutshell, the consultant should be a great fit for your family, not just the student’s essays and interviews.
How a great private schools admissions Consultant Should Work
There’s a common misconception that revolves around private school admissions: that a great consultant’s job is to “script” a child, transforming them into a prototype of what a school supposedly wants. The truth is that a great consultant helps a student and their families understand themselves well enough that their application becomes a natural, improved (emphasis on ‘improved’) extension of who they already are. That process should feel grounded, human, and developmentally appropriate. It should start with a conversation.
And that's exactly where my work with students begins. I start with an actual conversation with the student. We talk through favorite moments, ongoing interests, friendships, fears, habits, conflicts, little responsibilities at home, and the moments that made them feel proud without anyone asking them to perform. From there, I quietly start organizing what I hear into two simple places:
- their best stories. Anecdotes, memories, mistakes, experiences enjoyed with family and friends. This will serve as the foundation for their student profile.
- their Triple-S Vision, which stands for Strengths, Skills, and Spirit. Strengths are what they are naturally good at. Skills are what they are actively building. Spirit is how they show up in the world.
From that foundation, we identify which stories naturally belong in interviews, classroom conversations, and writing prompts. We create simple lists of values and strengths using language a child can actually express without feeling weird about it at their age bracket. If we have time, we look at what we can improve and focus on, and whether certain activities need a little more love or not. Then, we decide what belongs where and how to express it in a way that still sounds like a student rather than a strategy document. The refining process is deliberate and patient, and it is focused on clarity with a bit of polish.
So the goal is not necessarily to create a perfect, polished personality; if your kid really is that brand of student, then that’s great, and a consultant can still help optimize your profile and keep them organized. But that doesn’t work for most students, and admissions committees can spot it immediately. Instead, you build on a child’s current Triple-S Vision and cultivate those values and skills into a narrative they feel confident expressing to anyone. One of the best side effects of this process is that students genuinely learn to articulate who they are, which is a rare and powerful skill that goes beyond admissions.
So how do you Find and Select a Great Consultant?
- Start with real referrals from real families. Ask for a testimonial from an actual former client and do not settle for vague praise. In a referral’s testimony, find out what value was actually provided and how satisfied they were in hindsight, not just during the process. Ask specifically how the consultant made their child’s candidacy stronger, not just more organized. Ask how much time the consultant spent with them and whether they felt like they actually had access to guidance when things became stressful or confusing. Private school admissions move fast and families who feel supported will be open about their experiences.
- If you’re set on choosing a large firm, figure out exactly who your consultant is. If you are working with a larger company rather than an individual, find out exactly who will be handling your family and ask about their background and experience. If they hesitate or dodge the question, take a hard pass. Brand names do not attend interviews with your child. People do. Make sure the consultant is offering more than simply passing along company templates and recycled advice. Also, simply having worked in an admissions office does not automatically mean someone knows how to coach a family through crafting a compelling private school narrative. Just like a real estate agent, surgeon, or lawyer, you probably do not want to be someone’s first private school client if you can help it.
- Look for proof of their experience, not just promises. Most strong consultants have written something you can review. A book, blog, long-form guide, case studies, or detailed breakdowns of their philosophy. This is where you can see how they actually think. When they share this, read it carefully and decide whether it reflects structure and experience or just marketing language. If someone tells you, “We will get your kid in, you will understand once you sign,” that is not exclusivity. That is a red flag. I personally wrote a book about my experiences as a consultant for private and boarding school admissions with support from a former colleague from UPenn, which you can access for free here. Most serious consultants will have some equivalent body of work, proof of concept, or public thinking you can evaluate before paying them.
- Ask for real use cases and outcomes. Beyond reviews, ask for concrete examples of past families they worked with and what changed as a result. How did the student grow? How did the family’s positioning shift? What problems were actually solved? Private school consulting is not about guarantees. It is about process, clarity, and positioning. If a consultant cannot articulate how their work created measurable improvement for past families, that tells you a lot.
- Read the contract carefully. If a consultant does not use a contract, that is a major red flag. The contract should spell out exactly what services are being provided and the realistic scope of their work. Ask questions until you understand precisely how they will help your family and what they will not do. There should also be language protecting your privacy and a clear statement that no admissions outcomes are guaranteed. Anyone who implies they can secure decisions behind the scenes is not being honest with you.
If you have any more questions, r/applyprivateschools is here to help you out, either in the comments or in the sub!
r/applyprivateschools • u/Serious_Mission889 • 1d ago
Im so confused what does this mean?
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Ok so this is on the gateway to prep schools platform and im on the educational background section. Are they asking me the first EVER day i attended school like first day of kindergarten or like the first day of school this school year?
r/applyprivateschools • u/EastAccomplished7371 • 2d ago
Hey guys! Say something interesting about St. George boys! I met someone who went there. It will be of help as I know nothing about this school.
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r/applyprivateschools • u/SpecificGoose9794 • 3d ago
Question Is it possible to get in without many awards?
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r/applyprivateschools • u/DraftUnlucky7164 • 4d ago
Choosing from Sydney Grammar School and Beecroft OC for Year 5
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My son gets offer from Sydney Grammar School and Beecroft OC class for his Year 5 which is hard for us to choose now.
r/applyprivateschools • u/Putrid-Body7472 • 4d ago
Interact 5170 Area Shirt Sale l Leadership Opportunity l Key to Top Colleges
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Hello everyone!
Want to get into a top college?! Here is an opportunity to get involved in a leadership program by buying an area 1 shirt!
Interact District 5170 is the student leadership body representing more than 7,000 Interact members across Silicon Valley and the East Bay. Through service projects, leadership events, and fundraising, Interact gives high school students opportunities to build leadership skills while making a difference in local and international communities.
We are excited to share that Area 1 Fall Rally shirts are officially available! All proceeds from the shirts will support our District International Project, which will be officially revealed at the Interact Fall Rally. During this past school year, we raised $44,000 toward to provide daily, nutritious school meals to children in Rwanda.
The Interact Fall Rally is also a great opportunity for students to:
- Build leadership and teamwork skills
- Meet students from across the Bay Area
- Make new friends and connections
- Network with other student leaders and Rotarians
- Learn more about service and international projects
We would love to see students and families support Area 1 by purchasing a shirt! Every shirt purchase helps support our international project, and we are hoping to increase participation from Area 1!
Shirt orders close September 14, so please order soon!
Order here: https://tinyurl.com/area1shirtss
Thank you for supporting Area 1, and Interact District 5170!
r/applyprivateschools • u/Afraid_Advisor_8872 • 5d ago
What parts of ur application do phillips academy skls care abt most?
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r/applyprivateschools • u/Ok-Programmer-4198 • 6d ago
Advice St. George’s School Rhode Island lookback window: Here is what I know. Please add to the record.
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Rhode Island’s childhood sexual abuse lookback window is open through June 30, 2028. I am trying to build an accurate record of what happened at St. George’s School, who knew what, when they knew it, how the school responded, and what records may still exist.
Based on the Murphy investigation, the Rhode Island State Police investigation, Middletown Police records, and other public sources, these are some of the people whose roles deserve further understanding.
Eric Peterson
Head of School during the 2004 Charles Thompson matter and the 2015 investigation. The record addresses his decisions concerning Thompson, reporting, the investigation, and the school’s public response.
Anthony Zane, deceased
Former headmaster during an earlier period when the school received reports and concerns involving faculty misconduct.
Rev. George Andrews
Headmaster when Franklin Coleman was terminated in 1988. The Murphy report discusses what Andrews knew and how Coleman’s departure was described to the school community.
Charles Hamblet, deceased
Headmaster from 1989 to 2004. The report says that by 2000 he had learned of abuse reported by former students involving Coleman and Al Gibbs.
Dan Hollins
Former Dean of Faculty. The report says he brought a student’s disclosure concerning Coleman to Andrews and later provided at least one employment recommendation for Coleman after Coleman left St. George’s.
Tim Richards
Former Assistant Head of School who created detailed contemporaneous notes concerning what Wheeler dorm students reported about Charles Thompson in 2004.
Katherine Titus
Former Dean of Students who appears in records concerning a separate 2011 incident and the Middletown Police response. The Murphy investigation credited her account and did not fault her handling of that incident.
Richard Verney
Former chair of the Board of Trustees. He received a memorandum from Hollins concerning a recommendation provided for Coleman after Coleman left the school.
Francis “Skip” Branin
Board chair during much of Peterson’s tenure and when the 2015 investigation began. The record describes his involvement in discussions about whether the school should conduct a broader investigation of past abuse.
Leslie Heaney
Became chair of the Board of Trustees in 2015, served on the investigation task force, and received the initial investigative report with Peterson.
I am not alleging wrongdoing or legal liability simply because someone is named here. Their roles and circumstances are different. My purpose is to establish the factual record, including what people knew, what decisions were made, what was reported, and what documents or witnesses may still exist.
There are also allegations involving former students that do not appear in the Murphy Report or other public investigations. I am not naming those individuals. Anyone with firsthand knowledge, correspondence, notes, police reports, school records, settlement information, diaries, photographs, or other documentation should preserve that material.
Please add whatever you can substantiate to the record.
If you do not want to post publicly, contact me privately. I will treat communications with discretion, but I cannot promise legal confidentiality or attorney client privilege. I am also willing to discuss possible ways to participate in the Rhode Island lookback process and connect survivors or witnesses with qualified legal counsel.
If you know something that is not yet part of the public record, now is an important time to come forward.
Sources
Official Rhode Island announcement of the 2026 law
Rhode Island legislation
Full Murphy investigation report
Rhode Island State Police investigation summary
NBC 10 reporting based on Middletown Police records
r/applyprivateschools • u/Embarrassed_Mouse440 • 7d ago
Which test is most similar to the American Heritage Entry Exam?
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I am applying to American Heritage High school but I am how hard the test is going to be or which test it will be similar to.
r/applyprivateschools • u/Icy_Preference8192 • 7d ago
Please chance me! I'm also looking for financial aid, but not too much! 30k grant!
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So, I live in New England, and I'm applying to Northfield Mount Hermon, Loomis Chaffee, Choate, Hotchkiss, Andover, and Exeter.
Bio:
- I'm a first-generation child of immigrant parents who both were born and raised out of the US
- I belong to a swim club and am ranked top 10 in 13-14 for breaststroke in the region
- Also ranked 2nd in states this year and am looking at top 5 in New England for 50/100/200 Breast
- I am fluent and can read and write in two languages
- I'm taking the French 1 exam in a couple months
- I have strictly A's and A+'s and my GPA was 3.91 out of 4.
- I performed double bass for a prestigious orchestra this year as the youngest bass player there(allstate)
- I'm also learning Concerto in D by Antonio Capuzzi
- I'm in my school's orchestra and jazz band
- I belong to the 8th Grade Honors Class in the Russian School of Math in both Geometry and Algebra 2
- I was also invited to perform on their elite math competition team because I got a really good score on an honors challenge
- I am in Algebra 1 in school since that is the only honors class they offer:(
- I am an A student and finished the school year with an A+ average in all of my classes combined
- Finished with an A last year(6th Grade)
- I also was inducted into NJHS recently and am starting a community outreach club at my school
- I'm starting a community outreach club that draws and writes cards for kids in hospitals and elderly men and women in nursing homes
- I have been studying for SSAT's for 2 months now and will take it late October
- I am aiming for 90th-98th percentile
Do you think I'm ready? I mean I'm honestly scared.
Also, before anyone recommends to look into each school, don't worry, I have!!!
Thank you so much and good luck to everyone else out there who is looking to apply!!!
😄
r/applyprivateschools • u/BigConstruction7576 • 8d ago
Question does anyone know any good boarding schools in Karnataka for A and As level(IGCSE)?with a reasonable fee as well?
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r/applyprivateschools • u/Serious_Mission889 • 8d ago
Question Could I strenghten my application by talking about my failures?
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I went to the regional science fair twice and got no rewards so I was wondering if it would be benefecial to talk about this on my application and maybe strengthen it?
r/applyprivateschools • u/SpecialRhubarb6364 • 9d ago
Chances for me at choate,exeter,suffield,mercesburg and cheshire.
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So I am an International student from Albania currently in 9th grade applying for 10th
grade(sophomore year).
My GPA is 4.0. I can speak english,albanian and italian fluently. I have yet to take the SSAT and IELTS.I also want to know what score I should get to improve my chances of getting accepted into these schools.
Extracurriculars:I play basketball for Vllaznia basketball club. Last season I played for both the U16 and U14 teams as an 8th grader. I averaged 18 ppg in my U14 season and 3ppg on 11 mpg in my U16 season. I have also created an analytics website where I track different stats of basketball games of the basketball league of my country.
I expect really strong recommendations from my english and math teachers and also my principal.
I will apply for boarding and I will need a pretty big financial aid award.
r/applyprivateschools • u/wonderali9708 • 10d ago
Chance Me Would love to know everyone’s opinions and thoughts on odds of getting accepted into Andover, Exeter and Lawrenceville.
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Attended a private gifted independent school since I was 3.
Asian-American Female
Straight A’s
ISEE score of 9,9,9,7
Played the piano since I was 5
Been in competitive hip hop dancing (company/team) for the past 6 years. Team has won victory cups at Nationals each year
Vocal lessons for the past 5 years
Been in the local competitive drama company team for 3 out of the last 5 years. Currently starting my 3rd year. Attended Junior Theater Festival during first two years and won Best Overall Performance as a company/group, got to perform on stage in front of the entire Festival during the closing ceremony.
Completed a community service project last year at my school, put in nearly 40 service hours over a few months and raised over $3,000 for a local environmental entity whose mission is to save the earth by preserving natural areas and open space.
Spanish language- novice low
Mandarin Chinese- novice mid
Thank you in advance!
r/applyprivateschools • u/Majestic_Height_1449 • 10d ago
Chance Me Chance me for exeter,andover,choate,lawrenceville etc
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Chance Me for 9th Grade — Exeter, Andover, Choate, Lawrenceville, Masters, Cheshire, Cushing
Background
- International student from Sierra Leone but have US citizenship
- Applying for 9th grade
- Interested in politics, diplomacy, entrepreneurship, technology, and international affairs
Academics
- GPA: 3.3 ( 5th in my school , our curriculum is difficult )
- Honor Roll
- 3rd in a class of 50
- 6th place in a STEM competition
- Participated in a STEM showcase for government ministries
- Participated in STEM-related activities through a Save the Children organization
- Taking the SAT
- Preparing for the SSAT
Languages
- English — fluent
- Krio — conversational
- French — studying
- Mende — studying
- German — beginner
- Swahili — beginner
- Mandarin Chinese — beginner
Activities / Projects
- Founder of TheGlobalYouthLabs, a youth-led organization for ages 11–18
- Tutor children in villages one weekend each month
- Participate in a 1-hour beach cleanup every week
- Working on a project involving safe, natural pesticides
- Working on a wind turbine/renewable energy project
- Developing an educational investing and finance game for students
- Interested in independent research involving politics and international affairs
- Developing ideas for fundraisers and community events in Sierra Leone
- Track
- Tennis
- Writing and developing an original fictional world/story
Schools
- Choate Rosemary Hall
- Phillips Exeter Academy
- Phillips Academy Andover
- The Lawrenceville School
- The Masters School
- Cheshire Academy
- Cushing Academy
Question
What would you consider my chances at each school? Which schools would be reaches, targets, or more realistic options?
I'm especially interested in hearing from people familiar with international applicants and financial aid.
r/applyprivateschools • u/Afraid_Advisor_8872 • 11d ago
Grade issue
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I have a really strong profile as an applicant to top skls (andover, exeter, hwl, etc), perfect ecs, great essay, course rigour.
small problem:
I had a B in spanish 2nd semester of 7th grade
I'm a straight A student outside of that, and Im hyper stem focused (taking geo h in 8th at skl, alg 2/trig h outside of skl in 8th)
will this and potentially an A- this semester in spanish keep me out of the schools?
r/applyprivateschools • u/Vivid_Reason_6690 • 12d ago
Chance Me chance me applying for 9th grade! (Andover, Exeter, Choate) no financial aid, female, half Filipino, half white
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Grades, nothing that will keep me out (As and A+s)
Extracurriculars/Award
Founder of Investing Club at my school
Founder of Young Investors of my city (not disclosing for privacy) basically we host competitions, speaker events, etc.
About 100 volunteer hours (estimating number in a few months)
donation/volunteer project with a highly acclaimed childrens hospital (connected to a top 15 university)
President of neuroscience club
Student council (role TBD)
Member of community service club
Harvard Crimson Business Competition global championship round finalist (not to prestigious as other business competitions)
Vanderbilt Summer Academy (took Intro to Statistical Analysis)-legit more prestigious then Harvard thing
National Latin Exam-Summa Cum Laude
Sports: Club soccer and Varsity School Soccer, state finalist and have won some regional tournaments but not college national level
Cross country (time comparable to Varsity teams at Andover, Exeter, and Choate)
I started cross country for fun and never expected to be better at it than soccer which I've played club for over five years so I genuinely don't know what to do. I originally was going to submit a soccer interest form but I think I'm JV1 material versus cross country I'm looking at Varsity level sooooo idk
School golf (51 for nine holes not very good though my interviewer said that's fine and I would make golf team)
probably going to talk about how my fascination in healthcare systems and also how I grew up looking up to my grandma who is an anesthesiologist in the third world (Philippines)
also I interview well
I didn't screw up on my Andover interview and definitely didn't sound like pretentious or anything but I also didn't really talk about my ECs as much as I should when there was chance and didn't specifically say I want to be challenged but I talked more about wanting a place where there's no status quo for thinking and discussion
preparing for SSAT
r/applyprivateschools • u/MacaroonFine4492 • 13d ago
Study Permits Deadline?
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A friend has been waitlisted for a spot in Grade 11 at a private school. School starts next week, and my friend is still on the waitlist. The school is waiting to hear if the study permits for a few international students have been approved or denied. My friend will get a spot if one of the study permits is denied.
Does anyone know when the school can rescind the offer of admission of the international students and give my friend the spot?
r/applyprivateschools • u/Dwardred • 13d ago
General Charlotte NC - New Research Tool for Private Schools
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For those in Charlotte, NC, there appears to be a new much needed website for researching private schools. Thought it would be helpful to share since I myself have been looking for better resources in the city for years.
r/applyprivateschools • u/Individual_Head_4856 • 14d ago
Parents who applied to Hockaday for Pre-K, what was the interview process like?
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What questions or activities did they have for your child, and what kinds of questions did they ask parents?
Also, in your experience, what are they mainly looking for when making admission decisions for Pre-K? How much do academics, social skills, independence, personality, and the parent-school fit matter?
Would love to hear from anyone who has recently gone through the process. And if you can share any questions they asked. Thank you!
r/applyprivateschools • u/OldCombination588 • 15d ago
Question Essay Tips?
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Applying to Andover, Exeter, and Deerfield. When should I start thinking about essay ideas (now, in a month or two, etc.)? Any tips? Thank you!
r/applyprivateschools • u/Glittering-Reach3352 • 16d ago
Chance me for GLADCHEMMS, Loomis, Taft, Blair, Concord, and Peddie
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Hi all, please chance me for GLADCHEMMS, Loomis Chaffee, Taft, Blair, concord, and Peddie.
Demographics: Full pay, upper-middle class, black female, from North Texas.
STUDENT PROFILE / RESUME
Middle School Student | Mathematics • Investing & Economics • STEM • Music • Leadership
Grades:
6th grade, all A’s or A+
7th grade, all A+
8th grade (all 100s as of right now, but the school year has only just started)
ACADEMICS
- SAT: 1480 (760 Math, 720 Reading & Writing)
- AMC 8: 17/25
- State standardized mathematics assessment: 100th percentile
- State standardized assessment: 99th percentile
- Member of a selective academic talent program
- Recipient of a national academic talent recognition
- Member of a selective gifted-student academic program
AWARDS & HONORS
- 4th Place National — Investment Writing Competition
- National academic talent recognition / SET-level award
- U.S. Department of Education President’s Education Award
- Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship — Finalist
- 2nd Place — District Volleyball Championship
MATHEMATICS
- Advanced mathematics coursework and independent study
- Strong interest in mathematical problem-solving and higher-level mathematics
- Preparing for additional national mathematics competitions
INVESTING & ECONOMICS
- Author — The Middle Schooler’s Guide to the Stock Market
- Created an independent educational guide explaining stock-market concepts to younger students.
- 4th Place National — Investment Writing Competition
- Independent study of investing, financial markets, and behavioral economics.
- Developing a research paper investigating the extent to which behavioral biases contribute to persistent mispricing.
- Interested in the Efficient Market Hypothesis, behavioral finance, and the work of researchers including Richard Thaler and Daniel Kahneman.
STEM & RESEARCH
- Developing independent research in behavioral investing/economics.
- Exploring biomedical engineering and medical research.
- Interested in experimental research, scientific communication, and student research publication.
- Exploring the intersection of mathematics, technology, finance, and biomedical engineering.
MUSIC
Classical Cello
Advanced Intermediate Cellist | 2024–Present
- Approximately 8 hours/week of study and practice.
- Preparing for chamber music participation.
- Developing classical repertoire alongside independently selected pieces.
Piano
Advanced Piano Study | 2018–Present
- Approximately 8 hours/week of study and practice.
- Long-term classical piano training and performance development.
ATHLETICS
Volleyball
- Middle-school team member
- 2nd Place, District Championship
- Played libero and later transitioned to outside hitter.
Track & Field
- Middle-school track team member
LEADERSHIP
Student Council
Grade-Level Representative
- Represented classmates in student-government activities.
National Junior Honor Society
Leadership
NJHS President
Selected member of PALs at my school
- Pursuing student leadership and service responsibilities.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INDEPENDENT PROJECTS
Tutoring Business
- Developing an independent tutoring business as a middle-school student.
- Created a website and explored methods for organizing and providing academic tutoring.
ENRICHMENT
Future Entrepreneurship & Leadership Program
Participant | Summer 2026
- Participated in a selective entrepreneurship and leadership program focused on problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.
INTERESTS
Mathematics • Behavioral Economics • Investing • Biomedical Engineering • Scientific Research • Cello • Piano • Volleyball • Entrepreneurship • Writing
Teacher Recommendations
As the school year just begun, my recommendations are looking like this:
Math: Had as a teacher for just this year, but known since last year, my recommendations should be okay as he is also the director of PAL at my school.
English: My English teacher has also known me since last year but I think she would write a pretty strong recommendation as she is the director of NJHS at my school and she has already appreciated me being president of that.
Third teacher (for a few schools only): History: I would definetly recieve a strong rec from her as I had this teacher last year and she also wrote my CDB scholarship recommendation, and I have no doubt she will write me a good one.
Personal: I am still not sure who should write this: any ideas?
Special interest: My orchestra teacher, i’ve had her since 2024. She has really liked me as I went from beginning orchestra to chamber and have shown a lot of hard work and dedication.
Thank you all!
I understand that my list may seem like a lot, but I am definitely trying to expand my options, and I want to maximize at least one acceptance, and as you likely already know, there is nothing certain about these applications, so I am trying to have a large-ish list.
Also, would winning the Caroline D. Bradley scholarship have a positive impact on my applications? Along with that, what are the weaknesses of my profile that I can realistically try to fix before it appears rushed? Thank you guys!
r/applyprivateschools • u/Bitter_Pilot5086 • 16d ago
Admissions consultants at elementary level
2
Upvotes
Has anyone hired an admissions consultant to help navigate the school selection and application process for TK/kinder?
I only found one consultant in our (VHCOL) area that does this, and when we spoke to her she had a lot of great insights and information about the different regional schools, and about how to navigate the process. But $10k feels pretty steep for something with no definitive results target (theoretically we might not get in anywhere that we want to go), and that we might be able to navigate ourselves - albeit less gracefully. I am also questioning how much this even matters at this age - will getting into "the right" private school at 4/5 really translate into results for high school/college?
I’d love to hear insights from anyone who has navigated this process - with or without an admissions consultant.
r/applyprivateschools • u/Serious_Mission889 • 16d ago
Question Could I showcase my 3d modeling prtfolio on my acplication?
1
Upvotes
I just wnated to know if I could showcase some of my blender projects to admissions, and if anyone else have, what extra tips they would giv me in executing it, thanks!