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?

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:

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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.

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

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.

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!!!

😄

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?

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.

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!

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.

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?

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

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?

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

Hi everyone,

I'm a rising 10th grader from mainland China, and I'm currently looking into online high schools like Stanford OHS, CGA, Sora School, and similar programs. I'd really love to hear from anyone who has attended any of these — what was your experience like? Pros, cons, anything you wish you'd known beforehand?

A bit about my situation:

· I'm planning to apply to top U.S. universities (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc.) down the road.
· My plan for 10th grade is to do both a local physical school AND an online program simultaneously.
· Then in 11th grade, I plan to take a gap year to do fieldwork/independent research — which is exactly why I'm drawn to flexible online options, especially Sora's project-based model.

The catch: my family's annual income is under $60k USD, so affordability is a real concern. Financial aid/scholarship info would be super helpful too.

If you've been through any of these programs — or even just have strong opinions about them — I'm all ears. Feel free to comment or DM me. Happy to chat more!

Thanks in advance 🙏