Inside Choate Admissions: A Choate Rosemary Hall Former Admissions Officer on Finding the Real Student
As a Choate Rosemary Hall Former Admissions Officer who also spent years in admissions at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Chris has read Choate admissions files from the inside and has an instinct that is hard to teach. He can move through thousands of applications and sense which student has been polished into […]
From Waitlist Anxiety to Tabor Academy Dream: A Parent’s Journey to Boarding School Success
In the grueling marathon of US boarding school applications, a parent’s companionship is often a journey of self-cultivation. Today, we share a personal account from the parent of a student at a top international school in Beijing. From proactively planning for US undergraduate admissions to being caught off guard by the onset of her child’s […]
U.S. Fencing Foundation Fête 2026: Supporting Elite Student-Athletes
On Thursday, May 28, 2026, InGenius Prep joined the fencing community at the New York Athletic Club for the annual U.S. Fencing Foundation Fête. As a proud sponsor of the event, we were honored to stand alongside Olympians, Paralympians, NCAA coaches, and dedicated families to celebrate the rich legacy and bright future of U.S. fencing. […]
Why a Strong Foundation Is the Real Advantage in College Admissions
By the time most families start thinking seriously about college admissions, many of the most consequential decisions have already been made. The course a student chose in ninth grade. The activities they committed to, or drifted through. The academic habits that quietly compounded, semester after semester. None of it feels like “the college process” while […]
Acceptance Spotlight: How an InGenius Prep Student Earned an Offer from The Webb Schools
This year’s US boarding school application season has come to a close, and Daniel, a science-focused student from a traditional Chinese public school, has earned an offer from his top-choice school, The Webb Schools. He reached that result after navigating language barriers, cross-cultural adjustment, and months of work refining his essays. Bright, personable, and quick-witted, […]
The Hidden Curriculum of Mentorship: Why Guidance Now Separates Outcomes
By Lindsey Kundel, Editor in Chief, InGenius Prep Every year, I talk to parents who’ve spent thousands on test prep — SAT tutors, ACT bootcamps, score-guarantee programs — and are still waiting for the needle to move. Not just on scores, but on the application as a whole. The student is smart, the GPA is […]
The Character Skills Snapshot: What It Tells Private and Boarding Schools About Your Child
When families begin the boarding and private high school admissions process, most of their attention goes to the parts they can study for: the SSAT, the transcript, the interview. Then they come across a name they have not seen before, the Character Skills Snapshot, and the questions start. What is it? Does it count? Can […]
Private School Admissions: Navigating the Process
The private and boarding school admissions process is more competitive, more nuanced, and more time-intensive than most families expect going in. It rewards families who start early, who understand what admissions officers are actually evaluating, and who put real effort into the parts of the application most people treat as afterthoughts. This guide covers the […]
The Top Boarding Schools in the US: A Guide for Families
Why These Schools Aren’t Interchangeable There is a common assumption families bring to the boarding school admissions process. The phrase comes up constantly in conversations with parents starting this journey: “the top schools.” Sometimes it is framed as HADES (Hotchkiss, Andover, Deerfield, Exeter, St. Paul’s). Sometimes it is the unofficial top 10. Sometimes it is […]
Andover vs Exeter: A Former Admissions Officer Compares the Best Boarding Schools in the US
For families considering top boarding and private high schools in the United States, the conversation almost always comes back to the same two names: Phillips Academy Andover and Phillips Exeter Academy. They’re America’s oldest boarding schools and sit roughly 90 miles apart in New England. They share a founder’s family, comparable acceptance rates that rival […]