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Welcome to our blog - a resource of top tips and strategies for ambitious students and families!
At selective boarding schools, the difference between being acceptable and truly accepted often comes down to nuance.
As the summer approaches, students planning to apply to boarding school have a valuable opportunity to strengthen their profiles. This is an exciting and formative time. How you spend these months can meaningfully shape your application and personal growth.
“Students who prepare over the summer are the ones who feel confident from day one.”
The UCAS personal statement has long been one of the most challenging parts of applying to UK universities.
Artificial intelligence tools have quickly changed how many students approach their personal statements and supplemental essays.
Many high school students, especially those aiming for top US universities, set their sights on prestigious pre-college summer programs at places like Cornell and UPenn.
The Hidden Risks of the DIY Boarding School Application
Did you know UChicago quietly launched a special early admission round for alumni of their Pre-College Summer Session? Dubbed “ED0,” this option lets eligible students apply by October 15 and receive a binding decision within two weeks—before all other early deadlines (Nov 1).
US Boarding School Results Released: What to Do When Waitlisted?
What are some options? Is there anything I can do? You are not alone! For 2023, boarding schools continue to report increases in their international applicants, some as high as 10%. With the increasing competitiveness of US boarding schools, more and more students are finding themselves waitlisted. Understanding the timeline and the boarding school decision process works is a starting point for navigating a waitlist and your next steps.
Two main reasons for waitlisting:
- Not enough space – The student is qualified, but the school does not have space. While the student was qualified, other students were more compelling, hence the waitlist.
- To be gracious – Another reason students are waitlisted may be to soften the blow rather than deny an unqualified student. This can happen when a non-admissible student is the child of an alumni, sibling, or friend of the school. Students will not know the reason, so we recommend the same strategy regardless of how you found yourself on a waitlist.
What do I need to do?
- Understand the process requirements: Most schools will ask you to respond electronically to indicate whether you’d like to stay on the waitlist.
- Make your decision: Here’s how you can respond based on common scenarios:
Scenario A: You’ve been admitted to a preferred school
What to do: Students admitted to a preferred school should complete the deposit and enrollment process and decline all waitlists.
Scenario B: You prefer a waitlisted school to the most preferred school you have been admitted to
What to do: Deposit at the most preferred school that you have an offer from and indicate you want to remain on the waitlist ONLY at schools you like more.
Scenario C: You’re unsure of your preferences or how to respond
What to do: First, deposit at the most preferred school you were admitted to and request to remain on all waitlists of all schools you are still considering. Weigh whether or not you will have additional data to help inform your decision of whether you prefer a waitlisted school over the school you deposited at. For example, will you go to a revisit day for the admitted school(s) and then decide if you want to remain on a waitlist(s)? If you are still uncertain, staying on a waitlist is an option. However, keep in mind that you need to know your plan IF offered a spot off the waitlist, as most schools request a quick decision if they make an offer.
I’ve decided to remain on the waitlist. What next?
- Communicate with your admission interviewer.
- Thank them for supporting your application and for the opportunity to be on the waitlist.
- Add any updates since application submission. For example, were you elected to a leadership position in term 2, had a personal best swim time, or your team won the championship? Perhaps you earned a distinction in music or other areas that boarding schools value? Also, since the waitlist school is preferred, express intent to enroll if taken off the waitlist. Then cross your fingers! After this point, there is little else you can do but wait. Don’t forget to keep checking your email.
More about the waitlist process:
Timeline: If a school goes to a waitlist, it is usually not until after April 10th when they have processed the replies from students admitted in the regular decision process. When a school is not fully enrolled, they will likely go to their waitlist. Some schools have a priority waitlist; others look to fill a particular void. It can take weeks, even months, for a school to close its waitlist.
Notification: If you ask to remain on a waitlist, you should be informed when the school is at total enrollment, closing the waitlist.
‘Odds’: Most schools will be fully enrolled for international students from Hong Kong during the regular decision. However, after April 10th, there is usually a list of schools on the SSAT website still open for enrollment. So, hopefully, you have a balanced school list and have options.
Our advice: If you have an offer from a school you like, we suggest you accept that offer, complete the deposit and enrollment process, and start preparations to join and contribute to your new school community.
No offers?: Reapplication must be a thoughtful and strategic process. Seeking professional advice helps navigate the process. Contact ARCH’s counseling team, with 13 years of 100% placement, for professional guidance.
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