phanatic

I love the way Smith looks, and I'm visiting and interviewing in April. What do you think my chances are of being admitted? I'm a junior.

Ethnicity: White
State: Michigan
School: Selective, competitive public magnet; highly ranked in the state and recipient of a USNWR bronze medal for the past few years
Potential Majors: History, biology, statistics, computer science

Unweighted GPA: 3.97; school does not weight
Rank: School doesn't rank, but I'm pretty sure that I'm in the top 10%

Classes: I've taken a fairly demanding schedule that will probably be considered "most rigorous." I took three years of an English class for students in the county who had the top SAT verbal scores in the county (sixteen selected out of hundreds who took the test); it's being audited right now as AP Lang. This year, I have three APs; next year, I'll be taking two more and dual-enrolling at a local college that's well-respected across the country. I'm also planning on taking calculus, and I've had two years of honors science classes.

My school doesn’t designate many classes as “honors,” but almost all classes that aren't APs are generally held to be honors.

Test Scores:
--SAT (January 2009): CR 750, M 640, W 720, Essay 10 (total: 2110)--will re-take
--ACT (December 2008): E 36, M 28, R 34, S 29, Essay 10 (composite: 32)--retaking in March due to state laws
--AP (May 2008): AP Lit 5, AP Lang 5
Planned: APUSH, AP Euro, AP Bio, AP Gov
--SAT IIs: Haven't taken yet, but I'm intending to do Biology-M, French, and US History.

Extracurriculars--The Weak Part:
--Choir (9, 10, 11, 12*)
--Almost 100 hours (3 summers) volunteering with an opera outreach education program for elementary school children; I'll have about 140 hours by the time I apply.
--Student Congress (10, 11, 12*)--top tens at several competitions, presiding officer award, one of the co-captains
--Quiz Bowl (10, 11 [varsity], 12* [varsity])--going to state this year! My JV team was second-place in the JV league of the city last year.
--NHS and NJHS
--Work each summer for my father's business, but it's not major--like ~5 hours/week
--Interning at local cancer center (11)*

*planned

Awards:
--Several writing awards--second-place in fiction contest of regional youth writing festival; third-place overall in same writing festival in freshman year; first place in state literature competition—piece represented Michigan at PTSA national competiton sophomore year. I had a poem professionally published in a selected international children's writing magazine in freshman year, as well.

--School-wide awards for excellence in algebra II, geometry, French, English, creative writing

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Thanks for chancing.

artsy_smithie

I think you have all the material to put together an excellent application. Your test scores are definitely good enough to send (Smith is SAT-optional now) and your class schedule looks very rigorous.

Remember that it's all about quality, not quantity, so don't worry about the number of extra-curriculars as much as your level of commitment and involvement in a few key groups.

Use the interview as your chance to shine, and the essay, too -- they'll be expecting a great one from someone with so many writing awards.

phanatic

Thank you, artsy_smithie! I really appreciate your opinion and it makes me feel much more confident now. I can't wait for my interview!

SmithieandProud

Yeah, the most important thing is not doing a huge slate of extra-currics, but getting really involved in things that you are truly passionate about. Colleges don't want a bunch of burnt-out extra-curricular automatons, they want students who have cultivated their genuine interests and taken leadership roles in their activities. There's nothing worse than a prospective student who's in a bunch of clubs for no reason or shows no passion for what they participate in.

phanatic

I've tried to keep that in mind... I do the things that I like, and I give them as much energy as possible. For example, choir takes up a huge amount of my time, but I'm really passionate about it. That's one of the reasons that I volunteer in the summer with a music outreach program, because I know how rewarding music has been for me and I want young kids to realize that it might be the same way for them.

I haven't had a whole lot of opportunity for leadership, unfortunately. :/

romanigypsyeyes

Sorry, kind of off topic, but where is there a magnet school in MI? I just have never heard of any.

phanatic

It's essentially considered a magnet school in that it has high academic standards and it tries to draw on some of the best students from the area... I'll PM you with the location so I don't give it away here.

phanatic

I thought I'd revive this thread and ask again, if anyone else is willing to offer their opinions. I'm quite excited to apply. My visit in April helped me fall in love with Smith, and my interview went very well, I believe. The interviewer and I hit it off, and she enjoyed the stories I had to tell about things I had done.

So, here we go with a re-post and update.

---------------------------------------------

Ethnicity: White
State: Michigan
School: Selective, competitive public magnet; second-best in the state
Potential Majors: History, biology, statistics, computer science

Unweighted GPA: 3.98; school does not weight
Rank: School doesn't release ranks to us (turns out we rank after all. Who knew?), but I'm pretty sure that, assuming I can stave off senioritis, I will be a salutatorian.

Classes: I've taken a fairly demanding schedule that will probably be considered "most rigorous." I took three years of an English class for students in the county who had the top SAT verbal scores in the county (sixteen selected out of hundreds who took the test); it's being audited right now as AP Lang. This year, I have three APs; next year, I'll be taking two or three more. No dual enrollment due to logistical issues (*sigh*). I'm also taking calculus, and I've had two years of honors science classes.

My school doesn’t designate many classes as “honors,” but almost all classes that aren't APs are generally held to be honors.

Test Scores
I know that Smith is test-optional, but since I've been told these test scores may help my application, I intend to submit some or all of them.

SAT: 2110
--January 2009: CR 750, M 640, W 720, Essay 10 --will re-take in October

ACT: Two tries, with 32 composites both times. I'm re-taking on Saturday.
--March 2009: E 26, M 29, R 34, S 30, Essay 11
--December 2008: E 36, M 28, R 34, S 29, Essay 10

AP tests:
--Sophomore year: English Literature and English Language (both 5s)
--Junior year: US History (5)
--Planned for senior year: European history, biology, maybe calc AB

Extracurriculars:
--Choir (9, 10, 11, 12). We spend an average of five hours per week rehearsing or performing.
--I volunteer for a week each summer with an opera outreach education program for elementary school children; I'll have about 140 hours by the time I apply.
--Quiz Bowl (10, 11 [varsity], 12 [varsity]).
--Student Council (12). I am the secretary and also serve on the prom committee, among other committees.
--Internship with local hospital. I worked this summer in the cancer center and neuroscience hospital.
--Student Congress (10, 11, 12). I have won speaker awards at several competitions, presiding officer award, one of the co-captains.
--I work each summer for my father's business, but it's not major--like ~5 hours/week
--If I can get my act together as far as time management goes, I will finally be able to join the local FIRST robotics team this year. I've been waiting to do this for the past two years.


Awards:
--Will be National Merit Commended. I got the first letter, but I doubt I'll make it any farther.

--Several writing awards--second-place in fiction contest of regional youth writing festival; third-place overall in same writing festival in freshman year; first place in state literature competition—piece represented Michigan at PTSA national competition sophomore year. I had a poem professionally published in a selected international children's writing magazine in freshman year, as well.

--NHS and NJHS

--School-wide awards for excellence in algebra II, geometry, pre-calculus, French, English, creative writing, biology.

Thanks.

randomcoolzip

I've just been through the whole college application sweepstakes with twins (my daughter just started at Smith and is a STRIDE scholar). You look like you could be a very strong applicant to me. You obviously have the academic prowess to do a top LAC like Smith. If you write a compelling essay and convince them that your ECs are deep, not just wide, I think you'll be in good shape to get in.

MeredithBelle

I think it's a good match for you. Just keep doing what you're doing and don't slack off senior year.

TheDad

I think you're almost certainly in if you don't crash-and-burn senior year. Get the test scores up to somewhere in the 2200-2250 range and I think you get into merit aid range. A lot of Smithies have lower than spectacular math scores but math is the easiest to improve with test prep, imho, so aim for 700+.

SmithieandProud

Yeah, you have excellent prospects for sure. Don't stress over the extracurrics, I mean, if you can do a leadership position that's great, but with your academic profile it won't make much of an impact if you don't and I think your choices look very focused, you obviously do things you enjoy.

phanatic

Thanks to everyone for chancing me, especially S&P and TD. Your optimism has given me so much hope. I can't stop thinking about how exciting it would be go to Smith! How am I ever going to express that excitement in 150 words on my application?

SmithieandProud

Best of luck to you! When I was going through the grueling wait for a letter, and the actually more gruelling post-acceptance pre-attendance wait, I pinned some photos of Smith to the wall by my bedroom door. Seeing the campus every day kept me excited and motivated right up until move-in day.