Hardcore4life

Background:
Location: Georgia
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
School Type: Public

Stats:
GPA: 3.48~3.51 (UW); 3.97~4.06 (W); I tried to give the most accurate 4.0 scale I could. My school uses the numerical scale and grants a +7 point curve to AP/honor courses.

SAT: 1350;2000 (Superscore: 780 math, 570 critical reading, 650 writing)***


Courseload: 5 APs; 9 honors courses
~top 15%

Extracurriculars/Volunteer/Work Experience:
- Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honors Society) (11,12), webmaster
- Beta Club (9-12)
- Journalism/Newspaper (11,12) 11: Assistant Layout Editor, 12: Technology Editor
- Cross Country (9-12)
- Track (10-12)
- YMCA camp service (9,10): ~8 weeks of service
- My own lawn business (10-12)
- Lacrosse (9)
- Rowing (12)
- National Honors Society (12)

Additional/misc Info:
-Science fair: 3rd place in the state chem category (10), 1st in school category (11)
-I will also be helping out with the production of a successful local 5k fundraiser run that was set up by some members of the cross country team last year.

Applying: Early Decision 1


***I've taken the SAT 5 times now (omg...)! I took the SAT twice Sophomore year and three times Junior year because my parents thought it would be good practice (sigh). Not knowing the benefits of score choice, my parents took advantage of the free score summaries and had all five scores automatically sent to my top colleges, which included Emory. Although each of the tests shows a upward trend, I'm awfully worried about how Emory will view this. So my big question to you is: are scores automatically superscored at Emory?

(note: I also plan on taking the October test to hopefully get my CR up a bit)

----

Thanks

Colleges00701

Being instate might hurt you for Emory, Emory wants geographic diversity since it is a nationally recognized university.


Your sat scores, even if you were out of state would hurt you, you should try to bring it up to approx 1420(reading and math), and a 2100 (total)....


Gpa could be higher too, especially unweighted, which Emory places a lot of emphasis on. If you were top 10 percent, your class rank would be able to make up for your gpa.


I suggest doing EDI, or EDII....if its one of your top choices.

rodney

. "If you were top 10 percent, your class rank would be able to make up for your gpa."

not sure where you get this info from, but from where I stand, Emory could care less about class rank and everything about UW GPA....they don't even record class rank stats anywhere on their website or CDS.....

If you look back on CC, you will see that those with higher UW GPA and lower ranks were accepted while those with better class ranks but deflated GPA's were waitlisted or rejected.....routinely

Hardcore4life

I see, well thanks for the input. Yes, hopefully i can raise that critical reading score up some. However, if my scores were not to raise would I still stand a chance in gaining acceptance through EDI?

Hardcore4life

hm, I got back my October results and I don't plan on taking the SAT anymore.
My current superscore is now a 1400; 2050
R-620, M-780, W-650

Are my chances looking any better?

Thanks.

Nighthawk17

As I see it, you have about a 3.5 uw GPA, 1400/1600 SAT scores, and probably average or slightly above average ECs. The GPA is below the Emory middle 50%, but it sounds like you undertook a rigorous course load. There are probably a lot of applicants whose stats are similar. I think that you are in the running, especially if you have good essays and recs. You are probably a low reach, but I'm sure that plenty of low reaches get in. You should apply to Oxford as well.

melin720

<If you look back on CC, you will see that those with higher UW GPA and lower ranks were accepted while those with better class ranks but deflated GPA's were waitlisted or rejected.....routinely >

So in other words they take people with higher GPA, easier-to-get-A classes while rejecting students who had to work a lot harder to get a lower GPA and still ended up with better class ranks?

Very fair indeed. I'll recommend an 8th grader to go to Jackass High School, get a 4.8 GPA and go to Harvard by working twice as less as that other guy from a very competitive high school with 4.3.

rodney

not so fast, Melin.....not what I said....you still need the rigor, but they do not consider class rank in any measurable way....they still want the rigor, but in the past few years, it doesn't seem that they considered the context of the schools the applicants were coming from...therefore, if an applicant was top 10%, very strong rigor, but came from a school with grade deflation, they did not have a great chance....yet others were accepted regardless of rank if their GPA's hit the target (that seemed to be 3.8UW)....

Nighthawk17

Admissions committees usually have a fair assessment of each high school's rigor and reputation. Emory, for instance, assigns admissions counselors by region or by state, so that each counselor develops a familiarity with the reputations of the high schools in a particular area. In addition, there is the institutional memory of the committee which has assessed the credentials of applicants from particular high schools over the years. Every high school submits a "school profile" from which the experienced admissions counselor can make some judgments about the school. In addition to this information, each guidance counselor is asked to assess the rigor of an applicant's course load in the context of that particular school.

melin720

All right, thanks, now Emory sounds very fair.

Hardcore4life

._. dang we have a heated debate going on over here

xD

rodney

nighthawk, melin: unless something has changed since 2008, Emory reads applications randomly...therefore, unless the high school is one that Emory knows very well, not every reader will have the knowledge of every high school....

It also means that if you develop a relationship with your regional admissions person, it may be for naught if another admissions person has a bad day when they read your app or if they do not know your high school.....

I'm not randomly making this stuff up.....been there, done that....

and there is only an "institutional memory" of a high school if many, many students have applied there over the years.....

melin720

I see that <Nighthawk> is telling everyone to apply to Oxford.

So I checked on Emory and Oxford and compared.

They are VERY different.

Basically, if you like having a big social life and INTENSE one-on-one attention with professors that pushes you to do your best, and a small campus, go to Oxford College. The professors know all their students and if you don't keep up you're DONE.

Oxford is liberal arts. About 750 undergrads.

If you wanna be more anonymous, do whatever you want, live on a big campus, and still have excellent professor-student attention, go to Emory College. People will leave you alone over here if you desire, but not at Oxford since everybody knows everybody over there.

Emory is still liberal arts, by the way, but with a lot more students. 6000 undergrads

Now I can't see why he's telling everyone to apply to Oxford. Unless it's a big concidence that somehow everyone who posted a chance thread on CC Emory University happens to also be a good fit for Oxford's student body and social life. And I don't believe in concidences.

Nighthawk17

You're overlooking the obvious rationale. Those who attend Oxford for two years do the next two years at Emory, receiving an Emory degree. So it makes sense for some applicants.

melin720

What if that applicant hates the Oxford environment? He needs to go through two years of hell just to get to where he truely belongs?

Besides, those Oxford students don't have to continue at Emory College after first two years. They can transfer to other universities if they want to.

It's like Deep Springs College: you go for two years and the rest is up to you.

So it seems more logical that he attend the first two years at a more desirable college (if he can't get in right away) and then transfer to Emory College. At least that way he will be happy where he is even if he can't get in Emory by transfer.