candyman92486

Hey Stephanie!

I saw this post in the other thread, but just could not find the time to respond...I have been quite busy lately!

Let me start out by saying that I like the fact you sent an email to your regional admissions officer...it only takes a few minutes, but it shows great initiative.

Please keep in mind that I have no hand in the admissions decisions here at Lafayette...I only work in the office and see/hear what goes on. My guess as to your chance of admission is simply my opinion based on what you have presented in your post.

With that said...

I can tell that you did well in high school. You worked hard, put in the effort, and it shows. Nice GPA, solid rank. How competitive is your "public high school in PA"??? Do most students strive to do well? I would like to see your GPA/rank in context. Remember, grades matter the most when applying to any college, so you got it where it counts!

I wish I knew how demanding your course schedule was in prior years. Did you take other APs than the ones you are currently taking? How many Honors courses did you take? Having a high GPA is only half the battle...how hard was it for you to achieve that GPA (it depends on the courses you took!). As for your current schedule, I like all those APs...how are you doing with such a demanding schedule? You seem to really be pushing yourself academically...colleges appreciate that!

How did the interview with the college Chaplain go? Why were you not interviewed by an admissions officer? How did it go? Were you asking most of the questions? I am intrigued...

Your SAT is obviously not the best, but I disagree with you that they are "considerably low for Lafayette". The median SAT range for Verbal for the Class of 2009 (my year!) was 610-700 and 640-730 Math. Your Verbal score is respectable at a 620. You are along the median with that one!

The Math score is quite a shame...of all the parts on the application, the Math score is something that can usually be increased if the student puts in some effort. Even after taking a prep course, which usually teaches some good tricks for scoring higher on Math, you just couldn't pull it out. I really feel for you, Steph...some students just don't take standardized tests well, no matter how hard and how many times they try.

VERY IMPT: WHAT GRADES DID YOU GET IN YOUR MATH COURSES? HOW ARE YOU DOING IN CALC AB? IF YOU ARE DOING FINE, THEN THAT MATH SCORE WILL CARRY LESS WEIGHT!

The Critical Reading score of 700 is nice! Don't dwell on that math score when you did so well on this portion of the SAT. I just wish you had put "English" or some other humanity as your prospective major on your application because it would "make more sense" according to your SAT scores. Continuity in an application is important, and the fact that you wish to study a science might cause some confusion when the SAT shows that you should be doing otherwise...

Don't you just hate the SAT???

I like that you have some longer-term extracurriculars. NHS...how many students are admitted? Are you one of ten, or one of one hundred?

I did a bit of research on Club Ophelia...why did you only participate in this activity your senior year? It just seems you might be trying to pad the application last minute with that one!

Your participation in yearbook all thoughout high school shows commitment and perseverance. YOU ARE SENIOR EDITOR! Be proud of that! That is quite an achievement, and your efforts will be noted by the reader of your application.

I hope you clearly explained your role at the hospital on your activity sheet because you seem to have spent a good deal of time there.

I am sorry to tell you this, but that National Student Leadership Conference does not help you IN ANY WAY in college admissions. The same goes for the Summer@Brown Conference...doesn't say much about you except that you've got some spare change to play around with. I guess it is better than doing nothing during the summer, but there are many other (better) ways in which you could have used the summer to strengthen your applications to colleges.

When all is taken into consideration, I honestly am "on the fence" about your chances. I mean, you have a SOLID academic performance (don't get me wrong...), but other areas just don't hit me as anything special. You don't stand out as a "Must Admit", but you definitely are not on the "Throw Away" pile, either. I'd say your chances of admission are around 60%. You have what is takes, but on paper, you could get mixed in a pile of similar applicants.

PLEASE, remember how difficult it is to get into Lafayette. MANY students are turned down simply because there just isn't enough room on campus for more than 2,200 students (total).

BTW, what other schools did you apply to? Was Lafayette one of your top choices? If you had really wanted to go to Lafayette, you should have applied Early Decision (I think you might actually still be able to change your RD application to ED by February 15). Your application, if it had that ED stamp on it, would have given you a much greater chance of admission (around 75-80% I'd say).

Steph, I am so sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear...college admissions is not always a fair process, and students who really care (such as yourself) are sometimes lost in the process.

With that said, I wish you only the best...may everything work out in the end. Just know that I'll be rooting for you all the way!

J