chance me please =] ?

alysonnn1 · 10-14-2009, 08:21 PM

i have a 3.91/4.00 gpa unweighted and 4.4/4.5 weighted
My rank is 39 out of 327, its top 11%
i'm applying to the college of arts and sciences as an english major.

freshman year i started in regular level classes but i wasnt challenged so i moved my way up into all honors by sophomore year. by junior year i was in 3 AP's (u.s. history, english lang, psychology) and the rest honors.
senior year my schedule is :
ap lit, ap bio, ap calc, ap euro, ap economics, civic leadership.

was moving from regular level to AP something that colleges would like?
i play field hockey, varsity for 2 years, and track, 3 years varsity.
clubs:
national honors society, french honors society, FBLA ( historian junior year and vice president senior year), peer leaders, junior executive board, bottlecappers.
for FBLA i have been to regional and state competitions every year, i placed 6th on the regional level in intro to business communications.

summer before freshman year i went to spain, france, and italy as a student ambassador with the People to People program for 3 weeks.

SATs: i have a 1290/1940, 630 cr, 660 math, 650 writing, but i retook them in october and am waiting for my scores.

i volunteer at a hospital as a candy striper twice a week and help at a soup kitchen nearby also. i do other random volunteer work as well, i have 216 hours total since freshman year.

also! i took the sat2 in literature and got a 680, and in history got a 580.
i'm taking the ACT in a week as well.

boston college is my dream school. do you think i have any shot? i'm applying early action.

Juliette · 10-14-2009, 09:55 PM

Dude, YES. They love that community service stuff. Your SATs could be higher, but as you said, you're expecting new scores.
BC is my dream school, too. But I don't even BEGIN to meet the standards, so I'll probably go to a second choice for my freshman year and apply as a transfer student.

XX55XX · 10-14-2009, 10:56 PM

Well, about the community service factor... while BC does consider it, generally it is the GPA, class rank, and class rigor that are most important to them. At least that's what they say.

alysonnn1 · 10-15-2009, 06:23 PM

my school lets you choose whether or not you want to report your class rank to colleges. at 39/327, should i send it to BC?

XX55XX · 10-15-2009, 07:19 PM

That looks like a solid class rank. Send it to them. My class rank was 32/251, which was slightly worse than your's.

alysonnn1 · 10-15-2009, 08:02 PM

really? and you got in? thats awesome. i'm really nervous because my sat scores are so borderline and BC is my number one. do you think i'll get in?

collegebound41 · 10-15-2009, 08:24 PM

^^yea top 10% isnt a prerequisite written in stone for BC, only about 80%?(not completely sure) are top 10%. I wouldnt apply EA if i were you due to teh SAT scores because if you get rejected you wont have a shot RD, which is less competitive

XX55XX · 10-15-2009, 09:26 PM

Yes. Apply RD for the highest chance of acceptance. EA is very competitive at BC.

alysonnn1 · 10-15-2009, 10:22 PM

but say i apply early and get deferred to RD, wouldnt i be getting another chance at admission anyways? do you think id get straightup rejected if i applied EA? or deferred?

XX55XX · 10-15-2009, 10:25 PM

There is a chance that you would be straight-up rejected EA. RD is the way to go.

alysonnn1 · 10-15-2009, 10:27 PM

really? i just figured i'd apply early because i love it so much and know that's where i want to be, but thanks for your help!

scottj · 10-15-2009, 10:34 PM

Dear alysonnn1 : Before we start your chance-me review, remember that our goal is NOT intended to change your mind about chasing your BC dream. Instead, we are going to hold up a mirror in order to bring some clarity to your application process.

First, do you know where a 630/660/650 three way SAT score fits within BC's regular decision pool? These are in the third quartile of accepted students in the regular decision pool - an estimate would be in the 35th percentile or so. That represents a real challenge for an early application. After all, why would an early acceptance be offered when these scores are around the bottom third of the pool? Hopefully, your second sitting for the SAT and your upcoming ACT results will neutralize this commentary.

Your average (weighted and unweighted) is solid and despite being outside the Top 10% in your high school ranking, your placement is close enough for our purposes. Your AP course work and grades could be a positive tipping point for you in overcoming your 39th place ranking. How successful were you in your Junior Year AP exams ?

To your questions, Boston College HIGHLY VALUES taking the most aggressive curriculum at your school if you can push yourself - hence, choosing an AP direction over straight honors courses is a positive for your application.

Your volunteerism is a drawing card and exploring how you can translate that into something which BC can draw upon will really help your cause. Hence, your essay theme might consider something to do with these elements. Be sure that your recommendations highlight your academic rigor along with your other activities. Demonstration of school spirit might also aid your application. Good luck!

alysonnn1 · 10-16-2009, 09:12 AM

thank you scottj. my junior year AP exams were alright, i got a 5 on psychology, 3 in english, and 2 in US history. So if i apply early, do you think i'll atleast get deferred to regular decision? I was about to send in my applications but now i am unsure whether applying early will negatively affect my chances.

worried_mom · 10-16-2009, 01:39 PM

From BC's website:

Quote:

Because it is impossible to gauge the size and quality of the applicant pool at this early stage, admission is more selective for Restrictive Early Action than during the Regular Admission period. Competitive candidates who are not admitted to Boston College under Restrictive Early Action will be reconsidered during the Regular Admission evaluation process. Approximately 20% of candidates deferred at Restrictive Early Action are admitted during the Regular Decision process. Decisions will be communicated in early April. Restrictive Early Action candidates whose credentials are not competitive for admission to Boston College will be denied in December and may not
re-apply in January. This allows such candidates to move forward with the application process at colleges where they will be competitive for admission.

My 2-cents worth: BC encourages only very strong candidates to apply EA, so I think doing so might be very risky in your case. As noted by scottj, your test scores are in the bottom third of the applicant pool and those could easily get you rejected rather than deferred in the EA round, depending upon the strength of the other EA applicants. (An EA acceptance would be very unlikely, although not impossible.) I think you would be much more competitive in the RD round -- especially if you can show good grades in your AP classes this fall. I would suggest that you apply RD and work on building up your credentials in the meantime.

Like scottj, I do not want to discourage you from applying to BC. I am only recommending that you wait so as to maximize your chances of acceptance.Good luck!