Helpful hints when applying to schools

Visit/ Tour: What should parents and students look for?

• Ask LOTS of questions during your tour.
• Try to talk with other students, in addition to your tour guide.
• On tour, try to keep asking yourself, can I see myself at this school?
• While looking at a school, try to figure out the essence/vibe of the school. 
  • Do the students seem happy and engaged or stressed and distant?

Interview

• You will be nervous, but you do not have to be.
  • We try to get students excited about themselves and excited about the process during the interview.
• Think of some anecdotes you want to share.
• Be prepared to ask questions, but avoid those you can easily find answers to on the website.
• Don’t be stressed and just be yourself (easy for us to say!).
• Remember, we are not trying to trick you and there is never a wrong answer.

SSAT

• The test matters, but don’t spend so much time on it that you lose focus on your academics.
• Get to the point where you "feel" prepared.
• We look at more than just your overall scores.
  • If they are lower, we will look at right/wrong/omitted ratio to help us understand your performance better.
  • We super-score, which means we combine the best results section scores from multiple tests. 
• Do not forget, we look at the writing portion of the test.

Recommendations

• We all ask for a recommendation from a math and English teacher, as well as a school counselor/principal/head of school.
• You are welcome to submit a fourth recommendation.
  • Remember, choose someone who knows you well.
• Be careful not to submit too many recommendations and they should not be too lengthy.

Application

• You are a 3-D person, but the application is a 2-D paper. Show us as many dimensions as possible.
• Make sure you write the essay yourself; we can tell if it is not authentic.
• Choose answers to questions that are meaningful to you. 
• Do not tell us what you think we want to hear. Be yourself. 

What are schools looking for?

• Admission decisions are made based on best fit.
• You need to be genuine in how you present yourself. 
• The most attractive students are those that are willing to engage in many aspects of school life.
  • Academics
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Clubs/Organizations
  • Dormitory Life
  • Community

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