Case Studies for Admissions to Boarding Schools
Applicant’s Name: M.J. Kang
Scores: TOEFL 100
SSAT 1890– 89%
GPA 3.5
Challenge: M.J. had lower SSAT and TOEFL test scores compared to other applicants. Moreover, she was not involved in any extracurricular activities, which would help her stand out amongst her peers. She had to prove herself to be a well-rounded student, which prestigious boarding schools value highly in applicants.
School Choices: St. George’s, Phillips (Andover), St. Mark’s, Emma Willard and Northfield Mount Hermon.
How Intelbridge Helped: Intelbridge supported M.J. in her efforts to find relevant and enjoyable extracurricular interests, which she could use to differentiate herself from her peers. M.J has always been interested in music, after noticing she had previously been a part of the Korean Traditional Musical Team. Intelbridge helped M.J. organize the Korean Traditional Folklore Dancing Team with students who shared an interest in dance. Through organizing her performance in the theater, she also tried to fuse Korean traditional folklore with modern music to showcase her creativity. Most of all, Intelbridge encouraged her to develop her enthusiasm for music, which in turn, also encouraged her to become a leader through her involvement in the dance team.
High School Placement: M.J. was accepted to Phillips (Andover), Emma Willard and Northfield Mount Hermon.
Applicant’s Name: Toni Lee
Scores: TOEFL 116
SSAT 2280– 95%
Challenge: Toni had good test scores compared to other applicants, but his GPA was slightly lower. Additionally, prestigious boarding schools desire to have students who have been studying in America for some time. Because of this reason, Toni, who is a Chinese native, had little chance compared to the applicants who attended schools in America since a very young age.
School Choices: Middlesex Academy, Milton Academy, Phillips Exeter, St. Paul and St. George’s.
How Intelbridge Helped: Along with his outstanding test scores, Toni is a great athlete. He participated in several local sports tournaments, prior to applying for boarding schools. Intelbridge augmented his enthusiasm for sports, which was displayed in his admissions portfolio. Also, Intelbridge illuminated Toni’s goal-oriented nature and his future dream of becoming an international sports lawyer or journalist within his portfolio. By including his sports related news articles, which he had written while playing sports in school, Toni had developed a more intriguing and multifaceted image of himself, which he presented well in his applications.
School Placement: Toni was accepted to Milton Academy, St. Paul, Middlesex, Peddie, and Fountain Valley School of Colorado (with an annual scholarship award of $12,800).