boarding school application essay examples

10 Tips for Writing a Boarding School Application Essay

• 10 years ago
• Write with passion and honesty. Make sure the subject you choose to write about is one you are truly interested in or passionate about. Make sure it is something you believe in.  
• Before writing your essay think about what you are going to write, outline it and organize it so that it flows correctly and make a strong statement.   
• Use your writing style and let the reader really get to know your personality from the essay.  
• Spend time to construct a well-written essay. Make sure that you are using good grammar and proper punctuation. Don’t forget to use spell check, but also proof your essay to make sure the words you want are the words written. For example, did spell check give you “sense” when you meant “since?”  
• Get into some detail. You really want the reader to feel your descriptions.  
• At the same time, don’t go overboard on the descriptions! Be concise and stick to the requested word limit, if one is provided.  
• If you are writing about the school to which you are applying you should probably get the name correct . That might sound funny, but if you’re using a similar essay for multiple schools, it can be easy to miss changing the name!  
• If you write the essay after your tour and/or interview, write about something specific that happened during your visit to the boarding school.  
• Make sure it is typed with good spacing (1.5 or double).   
• Proof, proof, proof. Proofread your boarding school application essay yourself, then have someone else proofread it.

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NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS Randolph-Macon Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Boarding School Essays: Example Admission Questions

by Joanna | Nov 16, 2020 | Boarding School , Education | 0 comments

Boarding school applications require the student to complete short and long answer essays. It is crucial that the student follow the instructions for completing the essays, including adhering to the required word count criteria. It is also very important that the student write the essays, and not an adult or other student. The student must electronically sign a waiver signifying that he or she wrote the essays to the best of his or her ability. 

Additionally, admissions committees can easily determine when an essay has been written by an adult or educational professional. Submitting an application that includes plagiarized content or text written by someone other than the applicant results in immediate exclusion of the student’s application. 

Students are not expected to write on an adult level, nor are they expected to write an essay that is void of punctuation and grammatical errors. Students are still learning the components of effective writing, expanding their vocabularies, and finding their unique voice and writing style. Admissions professionals are very aware of these aspects and take these into consideration when evaluating an applicant’s essays.

Students type the essays directly into the online application template. Once the pupil selects the “Submit” button on the application platform, the essays may not be revised or rescinded. Therefore, it is very important that the student read, re-read, and read again his or her submission to ensure that it is written exactly as intended.

Following are examples of essay questions the student is asked to answer:

• What is your favorite activity, and why?
• How has your community played a role in shaping the person you are today?
• What is the most interesting information you have learned recently?
• What have you learned from a challenge that you have experienced? How did you overcome this challenge?
• Providing one or two examples from your life, tell us what empathy means to you.
• What plans do you have for your future? What steps do you plan to take to make your life more meaningful?
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept that you find so captivating that you would happily teach a course on it at our school.
• Describe the items you would bring when traveling to a new place that would enable others to understand your values and background.
• Share a moment or experience that sparked personal growth or a new perspective, and how this has influenced who you are today.
• Describe a personal story that is essential to who you are. How will this characteristic strengthen our boarding school community?
• Please share with us one of your fondest memories, and how it impacted you.
• What reading have you enjoyed in the past year and why?
• Why are you applying to our school, and what do you hope to gain from your experience here?
• Imagine you are a student at our school and you invite a fellow classmate who is from a different part of the world to your hometown. What do you feel would be important to share with him or her, and why?
• What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given? How has this advice changed the way you see yourself, others, and the world?
• How do you define success? Name someone who best lives up to your definition of success.
• You have $100,000 to give away; you cannot spend it on yourself. What would you do with the money?

For assistance with the boarding school application process, please contact www.globalacademics.us .

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College admissions

Course: college admissions   >   unit 4.

• Writing a strong college admissions essay
• Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes
• Brainstorming tips for your college essay
• How formal should the tone of your college essay be?
• Taking your college essay to the next level
• Sample essay 1 with admissions feedback

Sample essay 2 with admissions feedback

• Student story: Admissions essay about a formative experience
• Student story: Admissions essay about personal identity
• Student story: Admissions essay about community impact
• Student story: Admissions essay about a past mistake
• Student story: Admissions essay about a meaningful poem
• Writing tips and techniques for your college essay

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Sample essay 2, feedback from admissions.

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Personal Statements

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A personal statement is an essay that an applicant has to write when applying for private schools. There are prompts or questions that have to be answered within the specified word count. This is an opportunity for students to let admissions officers know more about them and demonstrate how they could be a good fit for the school. However, many students fail to achieve this goal because they are not able to write a good narrative that makes them stand out from the other applicants. 

Along with good grades, impressive test scores, and letters of recommendation, a well-written personal statement can make a big difference in private school admissions. Our educational consultants understand how the admissions process works for top-tier schools and what admissions officers are looking for. This guide will help keep your child from making common mistakes when writing personal statements and admissions essays.

• Be authentic and honest. Let your answers give admissions officers a glimpse into your personality and how you can be an asset to the school.
• Avoid generalizations. Be definite with your answers. Tell them why you are applying to a particular program and why you think you will be a good fit.
• Use specific examples to support your statements. Your personal experiences will be the best stories you can share that will prove how compatible you are.
• Avoid using cliches. Be creative in your narrative. Your goal is to engage the admissions officer to keep on reading until the end of your essay or personal statement. 

At Cardinal Education, our holistic approach to admissions lets us unravel your child’s potential and highlight their uniqueness to get the differentiation they need. Over the years, we have developed our own formula and strategies for writing admissions essays and personal statements that have helped numerous families get into the best schools.

For students who are not strong writers, we advise them to enroll in our Program in Writing and Reading . This program aims to make them active and curious readers to develop comprehension and widen their vocabulary and ultimately, unlock their writing ability. We teach them the fundamentals of writing so they can organize their thoughts and ideas and express them in writing.   

What should I include in a personal statement?

A personal statement should demonstrate a student’s passions and interests which are unique. Remember that what we are aiming for is differentiation so think about your child’s activities that are not common among other students. If your child is into painting, consider what makes the artwork unique and how it is being used to drive change in the community or inspire others.  

How long should a personal statement be?

Each school will have its own requirements but typically, student statements are 1000 to 3000 characters long or approximately 250 to 500 words. Admissions officers go through hundreds of personal statement essays so it is important to keep to the maximum requirement and make sure that the first statement piques their curiosity to continue reading until the last sentence. 

How do I write a personal statement?

When writing a personal statement, focus on the question and only write relevant responses. It is very easy to get carried away and veer off course but with the limited word count, your child might not be able to express the most ideas important ideas that admissions officers are interested in.  

Do I need personal statement help?

Yes, especially if you and your child are not very strong writers. Among all the other application requirements, the personal statement is one of the biggest factors that affect admission decisions so it must be written well enough that it creates impact and sticks to the minds of the admissions officers.  Contact us to learn more about our writing program. 

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Private School Application Essay Tips

8 Things You Need to Know

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Applying to private school means completing an application, a process with many components. There are short answer questions, forms to fill out, teacher recommendations to collect, standardized tests to take, interviews that need to be scheduled, and an application essay that needs to be written. The essay, for some applicants, can be one of the most stressful parts of the application process. These eight private school application essay tips just might help you produce the best essay you've ever written, which could increase your chances of getting accepted at your dream school. 

1. Read the directions.

This seems obvious, but hear me out. Reading the directions carefully can help ensure that you accomplish the task at hand. While most directions will be straightforward, you never know if the school is going to ask you to address specific questions on the given topic. Some schools also require that you write more than one essay, and if you just assume you get to pick from the three options when you were actually supposed to write three short essays, well that is certainly a problem. Pay attention to word counts that might be given, too.

2. Be thoughtful in your writing sample.

Leading off from that last sentence of bullet one, pay attention to the requested word count, you need to be thoughtful in how you approach the assignment. Word counts are there for a reason. One, to make sure that you give enough detail to actually say something meaningful. Don't cram in a bunch of unnecessary words just to make it longer. 

Consider this essay prompt: Who is someone you admire and why?  If you simply say, "I admire my mom because she is great," what does that tell your reader? Nothing useful! Sure, you answered the question, but what thought went into the response? A minimum word count is going to make you actually put some more effort into the details. Make sure that as you write to reach the word count that you aren't just putting random words down that don't add to your essay. You need to actually put some effort into writing a good story - yes, you're telling a story in your essay. It should be interesting to read. 

Also, remember that writing to a specific word count doesn't mean that you should just stop when you hit the required 250 words either. Few schools will penalize you for going over or under a word count slightly  but don't obliterate the word count. Schools provide these as guidelines to get you to put in some effort to your work, but also prevent you from going overboard. No admission officer wants to read your 30-page memoir as part of your application, no matter how interesting it may be; honestly, they don't have the time. But, they do want a brief story that helps them get to know you as an applicant. 

3.  Write about something that matters to you.

Most private schools give you an option of essay writing prompts. Don't choose the one that you think you should choose; instead, opt for the writing prompt that most interests you. If you're invested in the topic, passionate about it even, then that will show through in your writing sample. This is your chance to show who you are as a person, share a meaningful experience, memory, dream or hobby, which can set you apart from the other applicants , and that's important. 

Admission committee members are going to read hundreds, if not thousands, of essays from prospective students. Put yourself in their shoes. Would you want to read the same type of essay over and over? Or would you hope to find an essay from a student that's a little different and tells a great story? The more interested you are in the topic, the more interesting your final product will be for the admission committee to read.  

4. Write Well.

This should be obvious, but it must be stated that this essay should be written well, using proper grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Know the difference between your and you're; its and it's; and there, their, and they're. Don't use slang, acronyms, or text-speak. 

5. Write. Edit/Revise. Read it Out Loud. Repeat. 

Don't settle on the first words you put down on paper (or type on your screen). Read your admission essay carefully, review it, think about it. Is it interesting? Does it flow well? Does it address the writing prompt and answer any questions that were asked? If you need to, make a checklist of things you need to accomplish with your essay and make sure when you review it that you're actually meeting each requirement. To ensure that your essay flows well, a great trick is to read it out loud, even to yourself. If you stumble while reading it out loud or struggle with what you're trying to get across, that's a sign that you need to revise. When you recite the essay, you should easily move from word to word, sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph. 

6. Get a Second Opinion.

Ask a friend, parent or teacher to read your essay and give an opinion. Ask them if it reflects you as a person accurately and if you truly completed the requirements on your checklist. Did you address the writing prompt and answer any questions that were asked? 

Also get a second opinion on the writing style and tone. Does it sound like you? The essay is your chance to showcase your own unique writing style, tone of voice, personality, and interests. If you write a stock essay that feels cookie cutter and overly formal in nature, the admission committee isn't going to get a clear idea of who you are as an applicant. Make sure the essay you write is genuine. 

7. Make sure the work is truly yours. 

Taking the lead from the last bullet, make sure your essay is genuine. This is extremely important. Teachers, parents, admission consultants, secondary school counselors, and friends can all weigh in on it, but the writing needs to be 100% yours. Advice, editing, and proofreading are all fine, but if someone else is crafting your sentences and thoughts for you, you're misleading the admission committee.

Believe it or not, if your application doesn't accurately reflect you as an individual, you can jeopardize your future at the school. If you apply using an essay you didn't write (and makes your writing skills look better than they actually are), the school will eventually find out. How? Because it's school, and you're eventually going to have to write an essay for your classes. Your teachers will quickly assess your writing abilities and if they don't line up with what you presented in your application, there will be an issue. The private school you've been accepted to may even dismiss you as a student if you're deemed to be dishonest and not capable of managing the academic expectations. 

Basically, applying under false pretenses and passing off someone else's work as yours is a major problem. Using someone else's writing is not only misleading but can also be considered plagiarism. Don't google sample admission essays and copy what someone else has done. Schools take plagiarism seriously, and starting off your application like this isn't going to help. 

8. Proofread.

Last but not least, proofread, proofread, proofread. Then have someone else proofread. The last thing you want to do is spend all this time and effort to create an awesome private school application essay and then discover that you misspelled a bunch of words or left out a word somewhere and ruin what could have been an awesome essay with some accidental mistakes. Don't just rely on spellcheck either. The computer recognizes both "that" and "than" as properly spelled words, but they certainly aren't interchangeable. 

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Admissions Matters: Common Questions

We parents are always full of questions about boarding schools. We are aware of residential schools, but we are not familiar with how they operate. We also want to find out how to apply to boarding school and whether we are eligible for financial aid. Here then are my thoughts about some of the more common questions I receive.

Should I read my child's admissions essay? Like a good attorney would answer, "It depends." I am a firm believer in not writing your child's admissions essay. Reading it is another matter. By the way, the admissions essay is the exercise that appears as part of the application. Typically you will see an instruction requiring the candidate to write answers in her hand. The essay must also be her original work. Madeira's essay form gives you a good idea of what is required.

Take time to explain to your child that what she writes and how she presents her ideas add up to a very powerful impression on the school's admissions staff. Unlike a test or examination, there are no time limits when she writes her essay. She can even do a rough draft if she likes and then make a fair copy, as the English say. That way the content not only represents her best effort but the presentation shows her at her best. She wouldn't turn up for the interview wearing grungy clothes, would she? Therefore, she shouldn't submit an essay on a formal application that looks untidy. That to me makes no sense.

Can I find a school at the last minute? In a perfect world, you will allow yourself ample time to find the best private school for your child. Identifying schools is time-consuming unless you already have children in private school, or they are legacies. Beginning the process approximately eighteen months out will give you plenty of time to get everything done. In other words, you need to start your school search more than a full academic year before the first day of classes. What do you do when circumstances conspire to disrupt that well-organized, ideal schedule? I am thinking of last-minute situations where you get a new job or a posting overseas, for example. You won't get much notice for those events. If you are lucky, you might get ninety days' notice.

Don't panic. Identify a couple of boarding schools if the move is here in the United States or Canada. Why should you look at boarding schools? Boarding schools make great sense if you anticipate more career moves over a span of three to five years. Ensconcing your child in a stable, caring boarding school community avoids much of the upheaval and stress which teenagers go through when they have to move. Moving is tough enough on us adults. It can be rough on children who become very attached to friends and their familiar surroundings and routines. The admissions professionals at most boarding schools are accustomed to dealing with last-minute applications for good reasons such as yours. While there are never any guarantees, it never hurts to ask. What about accepting an overseas job posting? That happened to us years ago. Overall, it was a worthwhile experience. Most international corporations have an expatriate benefits package which will include schooling for your child while you are abroad. Most major cities will have schools that cater to the ex-pat community. Your human resources professional will have a list of schools and contacts. You will have to complete the customary application and testing requirements. However, that all can be done in a matter of weeks, not months. Questions? Contact us on Facebook. @boardingschoolreview

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Free Essay On Boarding School Admissions

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Education , Teenagers , Sports , Students , Life , Sociology , Youth , Swimming

Published: 02/28/2020

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I Eri, ready to join boarding school. My life experience in academic life and social life will enable me balance a perfect 4.0 GPA. I will maintain active social life with my fellow students besides being active in community service works. My dream is to become a lawyer to fight for human rights. I started my schooling early age. I attended a private lesson in swimming. I later joined horse riding lessons. Moreover, from the time I was four years old, I got training in tennis. At the age of four, I was admitted in linguistic school where I was taught foreign languages like Mandarin and Spanish. I attended Kindergarten for grade six curriculums. My extra curriculum activities include horse riding, swimming, music, art, and gymnastics. I also engaged in non-curriculum activities while at the linguistic school. For instance, in tennis game, I was once invited to tennis academy. I was expected to enroll into tennis academy to advance my skills in tennis. I am sociable girl. I spend my holiday with our families and this enables me to socialize with the relatives and friends. I had spent my free days performing volunteer works like taking care of pets. I have attended various youth rally where I socialized with new friends at different university. I also attended different camps seminars for youth where I learned r activities like swimming, museums, and tennis. I heard good advices from various motivational guest speakers. I hope to apply my social life experience and education from childhood to teenager further my education. I promise to be respectful student. I will work hard in academic to achieve my dream of becoming a lawyer. I will also maintain good social relationship with my fellow students while abiding by the rules of boarding school.

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Summer Boarding Courses

How to Write a Personal Statement for Summer School or University

Are you wondering how to write a personal statement for Summer School or University? Summer Boarding Courses HQ asked our fellow friends over at Dukes Education company,  Oxbridge Applications  for some personal statement advice!

How to write a personal statement for Summer School or University

So you want to know what things to write in a personal statement. Excellent! Oxbridge Applications have some brilliant advice on how you can get started if you want to  study in the UK  or elsewhere. They can certainly help with writing a personal statement.

We will show you how to start a personal statement about yourself, what the best personal statements include, what to avoid and how to leave that lasting impression on the tutor. As a result, you will have a really good personal statement in no time!

What is a personal statement?

You can create a personal statement to be an application to a University, college course or Summer School. It showcases your interests, passions and achievements, so that you can convince the establishment reading it to accept you onto their course.

When it comes to writing a personal statement, this is your chance to the reader a chance to meet the real you! You may be a little nervous about how to write a personal statement. Do not worry; we are going to guide you step by step.

How to start a personal statement, before you even start typing!

If you’re thinking about how to begin a personal statement, and are a little nervous about it, ask yourself this:

Why do I want to be a part of this course?

What are my strengths and passions?

Why should I be accepted?

Your personal statement application should demonstrate your interest in the course, showcase what you can bring to the University, college or Summer School, and convince the admissions tutors to offer you a place.

Express yourself with the limited words you have

You have limited space to express yourself, so every sentence in your personal statement counts. Bear in mind that you can only write one personal statement for all your choices if you are applying to University, so make sure that you are tailoring your statement as much as possible to each of the courses you are applying for.

Without this thoughtful approach, the reader might doubt your commitment to their course.

One thing’s for certain: you won’t come up with a polished personal statement overnight. It will take many drafts, a lot of editing and a few late-night flashes of inspiration. Yet, it will all be worth it when those Summer School or University offers start rolling in! To help you get started, we’ve got a few useful tips to point you in the right direction.

How do you start, once you’re ready to type?

Wondering how to write personal statements from the start? There are about a million ways to start a personal statement, and there is no one correct way to begin!

Some people start with a quote which encapsulates their interest. Others start with an anecdote that explains where their curiosity for their subject stems from.

Your opening should set the tone for the rest of the personal statement, show your enthusiasm and interest in your subject and introduce the admissions tutor to your personality. Don’t feel like you need to pretend to be someone else in your personal statement; just make sure you are your academic self!

Speak as you would to your headteacher; clearly, maturely, but retaining a sense of who you are.

What should you include in a personal statement?

What is in a personal statement? Although it’s called a personal statement, the idea is not just to give the school a short history of your life to date. You need to be expressing your academic self, your interest in the subject that you are applying for and your achievements in that area. Brainstorm your ideas below with the following pointers, so you can begin to see what to write in a personal statement:

Subject-related work experience

What have you done so far that is connected to the subject and course you are applying for? Maybe you have studied something particular in school, or have worked hard on a project in your spare time. Have you volunteered somewhere to add to your experience? Have you worked with and along someone who has experience and expertise in the subject you are applying for?

Courses or lectures you attended which have advanced your knowledge

What courses or lectures have you attended which have advanced your understanding and skills in the subject you are applying for? What did you study particularly? Is there anything that you have learned, which has improved your knowledge and understanding?

Relevant books or articles that you have read

What have you been reading that has made you even more enthusiastic and eager to learn more about the subject you are applying for? What did you learn by reading these books and articles? Are there particular authors you have enjoyed reading lately, that are making an impact on you?

Take your English to the next level!

Academic awards.

If you have won an academic award, and been recognised for your skills and achievements, make sure to mention them! Have you received any certificates or recognition? If so, what was the award?

Extra-curricular activities

You should mention your extra-curricular achievements as well, but the amount of space that you dedicate to this section should depend on the university or summer course to which you are applying. If you are applying to Oxford or Cambridge , you should keep your extra-curricular activities to a minimum, as these universities are focused primarily on your academic achievements.

How do you finish a personal statement?

Do you need help writing a personal statement closing paragraph? Almost as hard as starting is finishing your University or Summer Program personal statement!

Your final paragraph doesn’t have to be long – just enough to round off your statement and reiterate your interest and dedication to your subject.

Be careful that you don’t come across as too arrogant or self-assured here; it can be easy after almost 4000 characters of blowing your own trumpet, to get a little carried away!

What not to include in a personal statement

Your personal statement is your space to sell your own subject interest. You haven’t got much room, so make sure that you’re not repeating anything that the admissions tutors could find out somewhere else on your application form. This can include listing your qualifications or grades: these go on the form in a different section.

Be positive in your personal statement!

How do you write your personal statement positively?

This is not the place to attempt to explain a lower predicted grade due to a disagreement with a teacher or the fact that you needed to miss school for an extended period due to illness.  If there is something in this vein that you feel the admissions tutors should know, ask the teacher writing your reference, whether he or she could include this in the reference section of your application form.

It’s more appropriate for your teacher to bring this to the admissions tutor’s attention. It means that you will not be wasting space trying to explain yourself. Instead you can just dazzle the course with your interests and achievements!

Our final advice on how to write a personal statement!

It’s a challenge but it’s worth it.

Writing the best personal statement may not be the most exciting activity for you. After days, weeks and even months of drafting and summoning up the motivation to proofread your statement, it can be a challenge. Yet it is absolutely essential!

Proof read again and again

You know that feeling you get when you spot a typo in an article? No matter how insignificant, it lowers your opinion of the content of the piece and the author. Admissions tutors are likely to be sticklers for accuracy, so make sure you get your teachers, friends and parents to proof-read it a couple of times. One tip is to begin with the last sentence and work your way through your personal statement backwards; it keeps you focused on individual sentences and not the full statement.

Good luck with writing the personal statement!

By now you should be very confident with how to write a good personal statement. You now know how to start your personal statement, what to include in it and how to finish it all on a high note! Look on it as a challenge, but also a very important opportunity to talk about a fascinating subject – you!

Do you need more help on writing a personal statement?

For more assistance with writing subject-specific personal statements, and to find out how Oxbridge Applications can help with personal statements, please click  here .

3 Tips for Writing Your Child's Private School Application Essay

How to harness the power of storytelling.

By Soojung Smith

Published on: october 30, 2017.

It’s that time of year again: the busy admissions season for private and independent K–12 schools. Keeping track of each school's open houses, campus tours, parent and student interview dates and test requirements can feel like a full-time job. 

Each year, more families are considering private schools for their children and competition for top private schools in the greater Seattle area has become increasingly fierce. Some elite private schools admit fewer than 10 percent of their applicants from a highly qualified candidate pool. High standardized test (SSAT and ISEE) scores and GPAs alone, unfortunately, don’t guarantee a spot at these coveted schools. They're interested in forming a diverse and well-rounded student body that delves beyond students’ test scores and grades.

Some elite private schools admit fewer than 10 percent of their applicants.

One of the biggest mistakes I've seen families make in preparing their child’s applications for admission is to treat the information they submit as separate data points. Rather than painting a complete picture of their student, parent and student essays often read like a student activity form.

To give your child the best chance of success, it's important to be intentional and thoughtful about your child’s application. Remember that admission committees are interested in learning about your child and what your family can offer, and how you will contribute to their schools and school communities.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your child's private school application.

Know what it is you want to say about your child and your family: What are the key messages you want to convey?  

• Think about how you and others see your child. You as parents? Grandparents? Their siblings? How would their friends describe them? Teachers? Neighbors?
• What keywords begin to emerge? Kind? Mature? Creative? Curious? Inventive? A maker? A leader?
• Choose three to five themes that best capture core identities of your child.
• Use your child’s essential qualities, be it their achievements, unique experiences, activities or interests to make the connection to these themes.
• Once themes emerge, look broadly and creatively at parent and student essays, activity profile, teacher recommendations, and other application elements for opportunities to weave these ideas together for differentiation.

Start working on essays and other application elements

• Typically, families apply for three to five schools and, depending upon schools under consideration, you may end up with writing not only a common set of essays but also other unique ones they require from applicants and their families.
• These requirements all add up, expecting a significant amount of time and efforts on your and your child’s end. Good writing is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight. Be prepared to go through three rounds of drafts of parent and student essays to get to final “quality” ones you and your student feel proud of. Try to have solid first drafts by the end of October, the second one by the end of November and the final draft by the end of December.   
• Make sure you write parent essays while your child writes their student essays. You can lend help to your child, but they need to provide original and thoughtful answers in their portion of the applications as well as during interviews. Schools can tell if a parent writes student essays and even go so far as to collect writing samples.

Use essays and other application elements for effective storytelling

• Use a parent statement, student essays and an extracurricular activity profile to let the reader in: Who is your child? What do they care most? Who is their hero? Why? How do these insights connect with other information you are submitting about your child and your family? Is there a particular story(ies) that helps to describe your child and your family best?
• Distill the story that defines your child and your family in the space provided in online applications before the deadline for completed applications. Each essay question has a specific word count you can’t exceed, so be mindful of how you will use precious real estate to convey main messages for differentiation.

Effective storytelling alone won’t necessarily put your child over the top if they aren't already a competitive candidate. But it goes hand-in-hand with solid standardized test scores and GPAs for robust applications. Let schools know how unique your child and your family are. Let them know how your child and family will contribute to a diverse student body. Good luck!

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About the author.

Soojung Smith is a family education coach, author, CEO and board advisor, and former Microsoft marketing executive. Her children attend two private schools on the Eastside. Soojung supports parents with challenging issues such as private school vs. public school, private school admissions, and students’ executive functioning skills and their public speaking competencies. Email Soojung at  [email protected] .

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Parent Statements For Private High School Admissions

Christopher Coleman

December 2, 2020

When writing Parent Statements for private high school admissions, you must remember : you’re not writing your child’s resumé. For the purposes of this article, pretend that you are no longer a parent of a boarding school applicant. Instead, you are a boarding school admissions officer. Your job is to review applications and identify the applicants that are the best fit for your school from a large applicant pool. As a boarding school admission officer, you will read each page of every single admission application, which is standard operating procedure. 

In reviewing admission applications, you will read Parent Statements for private high school admissions . They will, hopefully, provide you with further information about the applicant. See, teacher recommendations primarily describe an applicant from an academic perspective. Transcripts will paint the picture of how much care the applicant puts into his or her studies. An activity list will explain how the applicant spends time outside of the classroom. What completes the applicant’s profile is information about them from the parents’ perspective, a unique vantage point that can provide very important information…or not.

As an admissions officer, Parent Statements can influence you in one of three ways: excite you, frustrate or bore you, or make little impression on you at all. 

What Should Entail Parent Statements for Private High School Admissions?

For whatever it’s worth, I am the parent of a child who is both a boarding school graduate and a college graduate. I have experienced both sides of the admission process, so I know the position in which you are in currently. 

Now, you might be thinking, “How can Parent Statements be anything but helpful and wonderful as they are written by kind, caring, and loving parents who only seek to support their children’s candidacies, Christopher?” In composing Parent Statements for private high school admissions , the writers  are only being, well, parents. More often than not, though, a parent’s point of view might come off as too promotional or lacking in objective insights. Translation: parents embody the statement made famous by Malcom X in that they wish to help their children gain admission to a school “by any means necessary,” touting their child as the second coming of Marie Curie, Serena Williams, or Stephen King. In reality, even though they are written with good intentions, these types of Parent Statements hurt their child’s application the most.

Let’s be honest. Parent Statements rarely make or break the success or failure of an admission application. Only in very rare cases has an applicant been accepted or denied admission solely based on the weight of a Parent Statement. So, it is best for parents to provide honest and objective information that will determine what kind of impact your child could make if he or she were to join that school’s community. 

Examples of Parent Statements

With that said, we’ll use the prompt and Parent Statement copied below as a sample for what ingredients should go into successful Parent Statements for private high school admissions .

Prompt: Please share with us the values you've instilled in your child and how our community might benefit from those values/lessons.

Response: We’ve taught our son Jimmy the value of volunteering and that not only does it benefit others, but that volunteering can also be a benefit to himself. Following our suggestion, Jimmy chose to volunteer on Saturdays at our neighborhood’s community center. He tutors younger kids in math and science. While the community center director has explained to my husband and me that Jimmy seems to be in a “happy place” whenever he tutors. The director also pointed out that Jimmy has a lot of fun interacting with the other children. My husband and I also noticed an increase in Jimmy’s grades since he started volunteering. You know what they say, the best way to learn is to teach.

Even more, Jimmy has also found that helping others is a practical way to further his own interests. During summer break, Jimmy loves to go fishing, but knows that he cannot go to the lake behind our house without being accompanied by an adult. My husband and I work during the day Monday through Friday and have lots of chores and errands on the weekends. So in previous summers, we have not had much time to take Jimmy fishing. To solve this issue, Jimmy taught his grandmother how to fish and goes fishing with her almost every day!

Experiencing firsthand the benefits of helping out others has made a positive impact on Jimmy’s life. My husband and I believe that as a student at your school, Jimmy would be likely to join or supervise a community service project or choose to become a peer tutor.  

Assessing the Example

Using the above example, here is how you, as an admission officer, should assess it:

• Clean writing. There are no spelling or grammar errors and the sentences should flow together. You should expect to compose several drafts for each of your Parent Statements. Take the time in between each draft so that you read each draft with a fresh perspective. 
• Answer the prompt. In directly answering the prompt, the Parent Statement provided a load of information about Jimmy. It pays for parents to brainstorm their child’s positive personality traits prior to responding to each prompt. These descriptors can act as a guide and give direction to the answer.
• No GPAs or academic accolades were found in this response.   I understand being proud of a child’s academic performance as a parent. However, the admissions officer will gain an understanding of that through academic transcripts and recommendations. Your job is to give further perspective on your child. Jimmy’s grades improved as a result of his behavior, but the grades themselves were not included.
• Tell a story…but not a novel. First and foremost, everyone likes a good story. Why do you think we watch movies and read books? The above example provides insight into Jimmy’s personality and his character. His academics have improved since becoming a tutor. He derives joy from helping and interacting with other children. He likes to fish. His family has set rules that Jimmy follows. One also learns that Jimmy is a problem-solver and has a positive relationship with family members from older generations. Lastly, by teaching his grandmother to fish, he now can participate in an activity he enjoys. The implication in all of this is that, if accepted, these are the qualities that Jimmy has to offer any school.
• Parent Statements do not have to be as dry as legal documents or tax forms or be as tedious to read as assembly directions for an Ikea dresser. Adding interesting details or humor to a Parent Statement will benefit its readability.
• Imagine a stack of Parent Statements stretching from your living room’s floor to its ceiling. As you are still reading this article, you are still an admissions officer. If your school requires each applicant’s parents to write five Parent Statements and during the course of an admission cycle you need to read 853 or more admission applications, you might just end up reading thousands of Parent Statements. From that perspective, you become quite eager to read Parent Statements that neither bore you, are majorly hyperbolic nor leave you with little to no insights into the applicant.

I hope that this blog has provided you with the basics towards building great Parents Statements for private high school admissions . When writing them, remember to think like an admission officer and not as a parent. If you were reviewing an admission application, what kind of Parent Statements would you find enjoyable to read and most insightful into an applicant’s personality? Did the Parent Statement you wrote meet those two criteria?

My best advice to you: Parent Statements are only meant to tell the parents’ side of a child’s story, not all of it. Put the care and attention into telling your side of your child’s story and do it well, leaving a positive impression.

Tags : Parent Statements for private high school admissions , boarding school admissions , private high school admissions , parent essays , how to write parent essays

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Graded Writing Samples for Private School Admissions

The admissions process is constantly evolving, keeping parents on their toes! Graded writing samples are one of the latest admissions trends. For middle school and high school applicants, many schools now require a writing sample from your child’s current school year that has been graded by a teacher and/or includes teacher comments. 

Why do schools ask for graded writing samples? They’re another data point that admissions committees can use to assess your child. Your child’s writing is also on display in student essays, but those pieces of writing are constructed over a long period of time (throughout the fall application process). Schools are interested in seeing a piece of writing that more authentically reflects the student’s in-school writing abilities. Admissions committees will take all of the help they can get in painting a holistic picture of your student, assessing how they would contribute to a new classroom environment next year. 

Of course, schools also leverage standardized test scores (including the ISEE on-demand essay) to assess your child’s language and writing proficiency. Between all three writing samples (the graded writing sample, student essays, and ISEE on-demand essay), the key is consistency. A school should get a holistic sense of your student’s voice and writing capabilities between long-form, multi-draft essays and short-form, on-demand pieces. 

For your child’s graded writing sample, you should be looking for a recent, graded piece of analytical writing from an English or history class. Book reports, research essays, or reading responses are great options. Science lab reports can sometimes work, as long as they include a significant written portion. Creative writing pieces aren’t a great fit for graded writing samples, because schools are typically trying to get a sense of a student’s conventional academic writing abilities. However, creative writing samples might be a great addition to a supplemental arts portfolio if your student is submitting one. 

To locate a good writing sample, first review assignments that your child has completed thus far this term. Have they received top marks on any analytical essays? If not, don’t worry: there’s still plenty of time. Have your child ask their current English and history teachers about any upcoming writing assignments for this term. Are there any major essays coming down the pipeline? Will it fit what schools are looking for? If so, you’ve found the perfect writing sample. Encourage your student to show their best work on this assignment (as they always should). Ideally, they’ll receive a top mark on this essay, with glowing comments from their teacher. 

If a writing assignment is a good fit for the writing sample requirements, but your student’s teacher didn’t leave extensive feedback, feel free to ask the teacher if they’d be open to re-grading the essay with additional commentary. Most teachers will be more than happy to oblige! It’s also a good idea to include any supplementary rubrics that the teacher used in grading the essay; again, most teachers will be happy to provide these upon request. 

Logistically, it’s simple enough to submit a graded writing sample. You can scan a physical essay printout (with grade/comments in the margins) and submit the PDF along with your child’s application. If the essay is in Google Docs and the teacher’s comments are digitally embedded in the document, download it to a Microsoft Word version so the comments transfer, then download as a PDF. Include any supplemental grading rubrics if applicable, also converted to PDF form.  

Remember, graded writing samples don’t need to be submitted until December. You and your student have plenty of time to strategize an appropriate writing sample, work with teachers to get comments, and handle the logistics. Admissions committees will look forward to reviewing your child’s work! 

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Apply To Private Schools With the Standard Application Online

The Standard Application Online (SAO) is the most efficient way to apply to 400 private schools. Take comfort in knowing that  schools give SAO applications equal priority . Save yourself the time and frustration of poring over multiple application forms and essays by applying with the most-used common private school application today!

SAO by the numbers

How does the sao work.

The SAO is your best option for submitting private school applications for students entering prekindergarten through grade 12 and post graduate. It works by standardizing all necessary forms and documentation from teacher recommendations to student essays into one simple online application. Schools that accept the SAO do so because they genuinely care about your experience applying to their school.

Account Creation

Get started today by creating an account in our family portal. You can also use your account to access the SSAT and the Character Skills Snapshot .

Family Profile

The SAO easily handles multi-household families, letting schools know whom to contact and where to send their materials.

Interests and Achievements

Help schools get to know your child by submitting interests and academic or personal achievements. Even upload multimedia links such as YouTube channels or blog pages to highlight athletic, art, or writing abilities.

Required Documentation

Add parent statements, student essays, recommendations, and transcripts once and seamlessly submit them to all schools to which you apply. School-specific instructions and supplemental forms are clearly indicated.

Recommendation & Transcript Requests

Make recommendation requests and track submissions through the SAO. Likewise, request transcripts from school administrators by officially signing release forms through the system.

Standardized Test Results

Track individual school requirements for the SSAT and the Character Skills Snapshot, and individually release scores and results to each school.

Financial Aid

Financial aid applications are managed separately through each school; however, you indicate whether your family intends to apply for tuition assistance on the SAO.

All-in-One Dashboard

Track individual school deadlines and the completion of all SAO applications through one convenient dashboard!

Family Support

Have a question or hit a snag? No problem! Quickly access FAQ answers in our Help Center, or contact our friendly Support team for more detailed questions.

School Participation

Participating schools give SAO submissions equal consideration as those submitted through the school’s website. In many cases, schools have integrated the SAO with their website's application.

Application Fees

All school application fees are charged through the SAO, and the SAO processing fee is only $10 per application. Families that receive an application fee waiver from the school won’t incur either charge.

Let's Talk About Interviewing

Want the inside scoop on admissions interviews for private schools? Listen to Kila McCann from The Bolles School and Lisa Pelrine from Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall discuss what they look for from students along with their advice for families going through the interview process.

#admissionchat

What our schools are saying.

"We know that many families find the school application process complex and daunting...The SAO is a rich application platform that is both family friendly and provides admission officers with ample information on each applicant.”

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"At a time when we are trying to reduce barriers, create access, and alleviate unnecessary stress on families, the value of the SAO has never been more evident."

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Admission Essay

Admission essay generator.

It is always a student’s lucky day when they have been given admission to their favorite school, favorite college or university. Even those who may apply for a scholarship and have been granted admission would be without a doubt amazing. To many, this may sound like an easy task and not something to be proud of, but for those who have gone through a lot of effort in attaining the place they want, it is nothing short of a feat. To be admitted to your dream college or university, or even to be admitted to a scholarship grant, any student can tell you that it is never easy. That you need to adhere to the requirements, and one of which is an admission essay . For you to be able to get a complete picture of what an admission essay is, check out 10+ admission essay examples below. 

10+ Admission Essay Examples

1. college admission essay.

Size: 105 KB

2. Graduate Admission Essay

Size: 188 KB

3. Admission Application Essay

Size: 261 KB

4. Scholarship Admission Essay

Size: 183 KB

5. Student Admission Essay

Size: 149 KB

6. University Admission Essay

7. Draft Admission Essay

Size: 52 KB

8. Standard Admission Essay

Size: 33 KB

9. Education Admission Essay

Size: 53 KB

10. Application for Admission Essay

Size: 559 KB

11. MBA Admission Essay

Size: 27 KB

Definition of Admission Essay

An admission essay also called an application essay is an essay written by a potential student applying for college or for a scholarship. It is also an essay that gives out a personal statement about the student and the reason why they should be accepted. These types of essays usually give out some information about the potential applicant, their strengths and weaknesses, their dreams and aspirations. These essays are often asked to be written so that the people assigned for admission to students can evaluate if these students are the ones they are looking for. Admission essays often depend on how long or short potential students may write it.

Importance of Admission Essay

The importance of an admission essay is it gives out information about you as a person to the admission committees. It also shows them your writing abilities and understands you on a personal and academic level. Admission essays play an important role when you are applying for college or a scholarship. As this is what they often base who they admit to their schools or to the said scholarship. It is not easy to write an admission essay especially when you are limited to how you want people to see you and how you want people to know about you both personally and academically.

Tools Used for Admission Essay

• Fill out Form
• Questionnaire

Tips for Writing an Admission Essay

As you begin writing your admission essay, there are some things you may want to consider. These tips below will help you out before writing the essay. Think of these tips as a guide throughout your essay. A roadmap to writing your admissions essay. With these tips and with your ideas, it would be a breeze.

• Read the instructions – This may sound cliché but some students do not bother reading the instructions. They are there for a reason. To know what you are going to write, read what they are asking you to do. Not only is this an important thing to remember, the people in charge would also know that you are not the type of person who may act on impulse. Read what is asked first.
• Organize your thoughts – Before you begin writing your essay , start by making a list of your ideas in a separate piece of paper. Better yet, start by making a draft of the ideas you may want to write about. The best way of having to write an essay is by making a draft of the ideas you have and being able to organize your thoughts. This is also a better way for you to be able to write smoothly from then on.
• Stick to your topic – Learn more about your topic, by doing this, you are able to concentrate on what you want to write about. Choose a topic that you are familiar with and have something to talk about. Avoid choosing topics that may be too difficult for you or would cause a lot of misunderstandings. Also, avoid moving back and forth between two topics. Stick to the topic you choose to write about.
• Avoid misspelled words, fragments and runny sentences – Check your spelling , fragments and runny sentences. Avoid these as much as possible as this can also affect your score. When you write your final output, these must not be a part as much as possible. In addition to that, always recheck just in case.
• Review your work – Writing the final output should be enough for some. But it is also best if you check your work for anything that you may have missed. It is best to review all you have written, to see if you have followed the instructions and given what is being asked. Once you have done so, you may now hand it over and wait for the results.

Is there a word limit to writing an admission essay?

You are expected to write around two hundred to six hundred and fifty words in your admission essay. This includes who you are as a person, your skills, talent and the reason why you want to be admitted to the university of your choice or to the scholarship of your choice.

What should be avoided when writing an admission essay?

Avoid writing things that are not being asked of you. Also, do not use flowery language or difficult jargon. Rather, use words that are easy to understand or words and phrases that are appropriate for your age range. In addition to that, avoid writing things that may not be true to you just to make your admission sound better.

How can I make my admission essay better?

Make a draft before you write your final output. That way you are able to adjust your thoughts and write what is true to you. In addition to that, it also helps you rearrange your ideas and be able to write a better admission essay that is true to you.

Who is the audience for my admission essay?

The school you are applying for or the scholarship you are applying for would be the audience to your essay. Be careful how you write or word your essay.

Writing an admission essay to get to a school or college or a scholarship is never easy. You must be very careful how you write and should only write what is true to you. There may be times you might get tempted to write something to make it sound better, but this is not the case. It is better to be honest with how you write about yourself than to make it sound fancier and more unreal.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write an admission essay about a challenge you've overcome and what you learned from it.

Describe in an admission essay a project or activity that sparked a passion for your chosen field.

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Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTW = Overtime/Shootout Wins, OTL = Overtime/Shootout Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

• ↑ (in Russian). Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. http://www.aaum.ru/works/atlas/4/ . Retrieved 3 August 2010 .  

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