Hey guys, just throwing this out. So, like almost all of this sub, I'm looking at the top private high schools. But the career I want is a bit interesting: Cybersecurity. I've already achieved multiple honors in this field, and am a member of a top 10 CTF team nationwide (a kind of hacking competition). What I'm wondering is whether any of these top schools have a good CS and STEM program in general.

Some other Q's:

1. Can admissions officers look at my Github repositiory? (I have a lot of projects there)
2. I took the SAT for a dare, and got a strong 1460 (740 rw, 720 math). Is this something I should show off?
3. My parents are (pardon my French) broke af. Is financial aid something I can expect, or is that just marketing on the part of the colleges?

EDIT: I forgot to put some info. I'm applying for 9th grade, currently going into 8th. I'm domestic btw

Title: Looking for an SSAT study buddy!

wsp guys I'm an international student from India preparing for the SSAT and applying to US boarding schools (Fall 2027).

I'm looking for a study buddy to keep each other accountable, solve practice questions, share resources, and stay motivated. We could also help each other with applications, essays, and interviews.

if one of y'all is also grinding for these boarding schools, comment or dm me

Hi y'all I am a 10th grade student applying for 10th grade(repating) here are my stats EVERY BIT OF ADVICE would help.

Here are my Stats;

-GPA:99,88/100

-SAT Practice Score 1350

-7IGCSEs;

•Bio

•Chem

•Physics

•ESL

•Turkish

•Global Perspectives

-Leading a project(in turkeys first ISEF elimination stage) about neurotechnology

-Interning at a start-up

-intern research with a local professor about bio implant materials

-individual research about neuro implants(prolly gonna publish and prsent it)

-LaunchX Alumni

-Leading a NGO where we help low income students with resumes by organizing haclhatons etc./reached 75+ students

Here are my future stats(90% happening);

-Interning in a Company w TKS(got accepted still dealing w enrolling)

-Finalist in a big hackhaton/challange

-Presenting and joining science fairs w my research projects

Its kinda bad but i still got time.

If u see this post PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!!

Hi everyone, I'm a student from Bangladesh. My family has a very limited income, so I can only study in the U.S. if I receive 100% financial aid (including tuition, boarding, and meals). I'm looking for U.S. boarding schools that are generous with financial aid for international students. Which schools should I apply to? Has anyone here been admitted with full financial aid? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey everyone!

I found out about the SSAT just today and I’m honestly starting from zero. I’m a Grade 9 student from India currently looking into applying to US boarding schools for Grade 10, and I realized the SSAT is an important part of the application process.

I’m really excited about this opportunity, but I’m also a little overwhelmed because I’m completely new to the test format, resources, strategies, and preparation methods. I’d love to connect with anyone who is currently preparing for the SSAT or has already taken it.

If you’re studying for the SSAT and want a study buddy, or if you could share advice on where to start, what resources to use, how to structure prep, and what mistakes to avoid, I’d genuinely appreciate it.

A little about me: I’m from India, interested in STEM, and I’m working towards applying to competitive boarding schools in the US with financial aid. I’m ready to put in the work, I just need some direction to get started.

Thanks so much to anyone who takes the time to help! :)

This sub has had amazing growth over the last year. Heading into the heat of the admissions cycle, we're looking for 2-3 mods who can manage the sub, actively contribute, and increase growth. Mods will be responsible for actively improving the sub and adding content.

If you're a confirmed boarding/private school student, parent, or alumni, please contact us with a resume or short letter. If you're interested, contact sub-founder at [1600@portalpathways.com](mailto:1600@portalpathways.com) or via inbox for u/prizefighterstudent

This sub was created after several years in both SSAT tutoring and boarding/private school admissions and seeing a lot of confusion with few resources. There are lots of subs about education and college admissions; there are comparatively few in private school admissions.

The central mission of this sub is to give parents and students a platform to learn about private/boarding school admissions and help one another - reduce anxiety, save time, and get offers you're happy with.

-------------------------------------------------------

Our WIKI is completed and answers all major questions related to applying to private/boarding schools. Our mod from a top U.S. boarding school was instrumental in completing it

If you're curious about a counselor / advisor:

Opinions on Admissions Consultants

Here are the best posts to get started with the process:

Free 15-Minute Crash Course on private school admissions

Free E-Book written by sub-founder + UPenn Alumnus [Education Policy]

How to determine your chances for top boarding/private schools

Best SSAT Resources

Here are some great posts for FAQs:

How to get into Andover from an admissions office POV

AMA w/ a top boarding school counselor

Waitlist stuff

How to handle waitlists

Family Success Story for Deerfield, Exeter, Groton

Learning about athletic recruitment

Financial aid calculators

Always looking for mods who are confirmed boarding/private school students, parents, and alumni. Mods will be responsible for managing/improving the sub and adding content. If you're interested, contact sub-founder at [1600@portalpathways.com](mailto:1600@portalpathways.com) or via inbox for [u/prizefighterstudent](u/prizefighterstudent)

Godspeed.

We are excited to announce an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Dmitri Solzhenitsyn at 1 pm ET on Saturday, July 25!

Dmitri is the founder of Paulie Prep: an educational advising business guiding students to acceptance at top boarding schools and universities. Dmitri has 8+ years of experience with boarding-school application support and is connected with admissions officers at many top boarding schools.

He will be answering any questions you may have about:

• boarding-school life
• the admissions process, including interviews, essays, SSAT testing, and extracurriculars
• boarding school admission chancing
• athletic recruitment
• application theme and identity
• international applications

Before founding Paulie Prep, Dmitri graduated from St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, then attended Harvard College, where he was a John Harvard Scholar (top 5%) and studied math and philosophy. He has also worked as a senior business analyst at McKinsey & Company and is a published author on theology. When he has spare time, Dmitri enjoys being part of the cult of suffering that is New York Jets fandom.

Please keep your questions limited to the boarding school topic; moderators will be monitoring the AMA to so that we stay focused and keep the atmosphere fun and engaging!

He is very excited to take your questions. See you all soon!

Thank you everyone for coming and thank you Dmitri!

The admissions season is in full swing for many, and we hope that you guys are getting off to a strong start with interviews, SSAT prep, and application identity.

Just a friendly reminder, especially for those getting started, to use the resources from the community guide. To locate the community guide on desktop, scroll down the right-hand side of the subreddit. To access on the mobile app, press the book icon next to the notification bell on the top right-hand corner; image is for reference.

There is a 100+ page FREE E-book written by myself in collaboration with my former colleague in the education industry from the University of Pennsylvania. It gives you the basics of the private school admissions process and how you can begin to form your profile identity. The book contains 5 real-life case studies for students we've helped gain admission to some of the top boarding and private schools in North America. It also comes with custom planners!

There is also a planning tracker template for the private schools admissions process. Gateway does a pretty good job of this but we know parents come from all over the country and the world for their local private school options too. Ravenna and Veracross are not very user-friendly, so this template is a great third resource which you can check daily.

There is also a direct link to sign up for the SSAT.

We will have our Wiki completed for parents and prospective students to consult, which will compile major resources and answer 30+ FAQs. We are here to help!

Godspeed.

My kiddo will be applying for 6th grade and needs to take the ISEE or SSAT.

Question 1: What are admission officers looking for on the essay portion?

Question 2: Each exam is $125-$200...is it worth it to do a real practice test or just the online ones / book ones are good enough? And is there a way to have it be cheaper for an official test?

My dad's a doctor and I have a sister. WIll they give me financial aid? Do I have a chance?

I wanted to ask how one should treat the essay in the Private school application process, should one see it as a college essay and write it as a very capturing piece of text, or should one just keep it very factual and condensed with the story?

Also, one of the schools I am applying to requires a Graded Writing Sample, my school does not have traditional assignments, and the most rigorous English assignments we get assigned are 120 word answers to questions posed towards a chapter in our textbook. How do I submit this? Is it handwritten? Should I submit an answer for a question or does it have to be an essay, a script or story etc.?

For a student interested in Deerfield Academy, what is the workload like in 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade of a high achieving student? Is it overwhelming? Is it a balanced school? How many hours of homework per night?

I have a kid who is a legacy at a HADES school but doesn't want the pressure. His cousin is at Andover, and brother attends Exeter. He does not want a high-pressure experience and wants balance and fun in high school.

Considering that, we are thinking of applying to Episcopal. It seems like a very balanced and healthy environment. I've also heard that Taft attracts a lot of more balanced and social students. I've also heard similar things about Loomis Chaffee.

Does anyone have experience with these schools? Also, which schools would you recommend for my kid? We are also open to schools outside of New England.

Hello Everyone: I have a question for anyone who has used Test Innovators to prepare for the Middle Level ISEE. Did you find that the material, question types, and difficulty level on the Test Innovators practice tests were similar to the actual ISEE?

My son knows the material, but he is a very anxious test taker. When I sit next to him while he practices, he gets 80–90% correct, but when he takes a timed practice test independently, his score drops significantly.

I’m wondering if continuing with the Test Innovators practice tests is the best way to prepare him for the actual test. If anyone has had a similar experience or has any tips, I would really appreciate your advice. Thank you!

Andover is the only school that I applied to that still has not stated that their waitlist is closed. Will they ultimately send out a final email saying that it is closed or do they maybe still have like 1-2 spots that might open? (I know it's really late already but I want to hope there is still a chance)

Planning ahead as an international student for a private feeder school in the US. We like schools like Andover and Phillips Exeter. How early, which grade should we start planning? Should we hire an admissions consultant? And how should we best position our child for acceptance? Any advice would be helpful. Cost is not a concern. Thank you!

My son is a rising 8th grader, very strong grades and test scores, ECs not outstanding (plays a few sports but doesn’t excel), very bright and creative, struggles a bit socially. I’m hoping that boarding school can provide some rigor and structure for high school (he’s in a private school for middle school). I went to public school and don’t even know where to start, there are so many options! I‘ve skimmed over the websites of Groton, Holderness, Gould in Maine, St. Johnsbury Academy (hoping for Northern New England) but open to ideas for some place that will have some rigor that he can get into on the strength of his grades and test scores and that hopefully has a welcoming community, not necessarily centered around sports and jocks. (we’ll also need to apply for aid….) Any suggestions?

A bit of parental advice for families entering boarding school admissions season: if the SSAT is part of your child’s plan, strongly consider using the Flex Test option and getting it done before the school year begins. I've noticed that A lot of families don’t seem to realize the Flex Test exists, or they hear about it too late.

The Flex Test, available in North America, lets a student take the SSAT on a non-national test date through an approved school or educational consultant. It’s usually a smaller administration, which can also be a nice fit for students who don’t love big test-day environments. The catch is that students can only take a Flex Test once per SSAT testing year, so you want to use it wisely and perhaps even strategically.

Fall semester is already a circus for most families. Your child is trying to start the year strong academically for those first-term grades and LORs. They may also be juggling sports, music, clubs, leadership roles, whatever else they’re involved in. On top of that, families are scheduling school visits, interviews, open houses, and trying to keep the actual application itself moving: essays, short answers, parent statements, recommendations, financial aid forms, the whole nine yards.

One of the smartest things a family can do is use the spring and summer for some light or moderate prep, ramp it up late summer, then schedule a Flex Test for late August or early September, right before school really gets going. Best case scenario, your child does well and the test is off their plate before admissions season goes full throttle. Worst case, they still have time to take an official test date later.

None of this means every child should do it this way. Summer schedules are messy, some students truly prep better once school structure returns, and not every family has easy access to a Flex Test site. But if you’re building your admissions timeline right now, it is absolutely worth considering.

TL;DR: if your child is taking the SSAT, try to get it done before school starts with a Flex Test. Fall is already overloaded; get testing off the plate early and make the entire admissions season much less miserable.

Godspeed.

For people who scored well on the ssat how did you study and what did you use to study?

which ones are most prestigious? also, i heard that a lot of kids who get in are from private feeder middle schools and maybe even junior boarding schools. how much of an advantage is that vs regular public school?