nceph

I didn't see where anyone had pointed this out on this thread (sorry, if I missed it), but there are significant overlaps among the various categories -- e.g. many legacies are athletes and/or top students and/or gifted musicians and/or talented actors; some of the athletes accepted ED are also highly qualified students (I believe the guy who posted his stats on this or another recent thread is a prime example of this) and have a multitude of talents. You say that the admissions officer said there were only a few spots left over for "legitimate" (and I have a hard time believing that the admissions officer used that word) candidates. I understand what you're saying (and saying the admissions offer said), but please don't think of or refer to those other candidates as not being "legitimate."

brittany2009

you're right, that's my mistake. i guess i just struggled for the right word. i was reaching to say that these leftover choices were the ones that were not at all based on anything like athletics, legacies, donations, etc. i certainly agree that even the athletes who were tipped (or 'protected,' as someone else pointed out) were legitimate candidates -- i myself have two friends who got in ED who were likely tipped athletes, and both are very bright in their own right. this is williams, after all; they're not taking just anybody who can throw a football. i'm sorry, i didn't mean to offend anyone.

brittany2009

on another note, was anyone else disheartened by the deferral letter?

"Generally, between 15 and 20 deferred Early Decision candidates have been admitted in April."

BLEH! i wonder if the statistics on how many were deferred have been released. obviously, with 616 applicants and 225 accepted, there are 391 who were rejected or deferred -- but how many of each? there are some schools who reject very few ED applicants, and i'm not sure if williams is one of them. however, with ~7500 RD applicants alone, i'm not sure it makes all that much difference...

neurolax

As a point of reference, I would note that an "academic index" that was perfectly fine for a recruited athlete at HYP was not high enough for a "protected athlete" (level 2 support) at Williams/Amherst. I think that Williams athletes in this setting are going to have academic credentials that are indistinguishable from the total admitted class. Their "hook" just happens to be athletic talent instead of something else.

buibui

i was told that williams rejected A LOT of eds this year

kwu

That would be a great thing. Shows they're willing to take the risk to create a stronger and more diverse class.

YoMomma

Because it scares me. I LOOOOVED Williams, and would like to make it my ED school, IF I can fit into one of the 'preferred' ED categories--but I'm not sure whether I do.

Stats:

--ACT: 33 (31E, 35M, 34R, 32S, 9E)
--SAT IIs (if sent): 740 USH, 800 WH
--UGPA: 3.45; WGPA 3.9. Extreme upward trend; mostly Bs first two years, almost all As last two. Course load rigorous; 3-4 APs per yr last two yrs, plus majority honors/TAG all 4.
--Rank: Somewhere between top 25% and top 1/3. (YECH!!)
--Other stats: AP scores: E Hist 5, Stats 5, English Comp & Lit 4, US Hist 4. AP Scholar w/Honors, Best Business Plan (Econ.).
--Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc): Nationally ranked athlete (4th in country in one event, 11th in another). On track to represent the U.S. in Nations Cup competition (IF I can figure out how to finance it--LOL). Currently taking gap year (graduated in May) to work for top pros in my sport and to do community service.
–Other ECs: The Innocence Project (Sr. year). Leaving next month to go to Haiti to work for humanitarian org for two months. Going to Europe in the spring to work for Olympian/top industry pro.
--Essays: Excellent, I think. Took some chances.
--Teacher Recs: ???? Who knows? At my HS, they won’t write them unless you waive. Asked my AP Hist. teacher (has known me thru HS) and my AP English Teacher Sr. yr.
--Counselor Rec: ??? I was one of 125 Srs assigned to her; met with her briefly maybe 5 times my Sr. yr. She definitely thinks I’m a maverick, who knows if that’s good or bad. She did say that in ten years of HS counseling, I’m the only one of her kids who’s ever done a gap year.
--Hook (legacy, recruited athlete, etc.): Obviously, athletics. Unfortunately, at Williams, my sport is only a club sport. Real hook is the maverick/determination thing, tho. Most teen athletes who compete and train at my level go to high school at special sports academies or online. For $$$ reasons, the only way my folks could make it work was for me to go to my local public high school in the middle of the country. Since my sport is centered on the East Coast, I had to fly back & forth to compete & to train (my coach lives & trains 2500 miles from my home). I was lucky enuf to have a position as a working student, but to make it all work, I had to withdraw from HS for weeks at a time and self-study, then re-enroll before the end of the semester & take finals. Some teachers were great, but others REALLY didn’t like what I was doing and made it as hard as possible–refused to give me assignments, refused to answer questions, one even refused to let me take my books with me. I missed something like a third of my HS classes, but am proud of the fact that I managed to make it all work somehow.
--Location/Person: Urban
--State or Country: Texas
--School Type: One of best public HS in state. 99% of grads go to college but only a few go to top colleges (e.g., Ivies or top LACs). Don't think anyone from my HS has ever gone to Williams.
--Ethnicity: White (part Blue Ridge Mountains, part German Jew).
--Gender: Female
--Major strength/weakness: Obviously, GPA & class rank. Also, tho I took 3 other AP courses (incl. Calc), didn't take those AP exams because competition sched Jr. year conflicted. Finally, tho my teachers liked me, there was a certain amt of distance, and maybe a touch of resentment (on their part) in those relationships.
--Areas of Interest/other factors:History, Psych, Art/Art History (I'm a dedicated "art" photographer).

Since my sport is not varsity at Williams, do I fit into any kind of special category? Should I bother to send in my photography portfolio? Or should I just give up the dream/go RD because of the GPA?

Welcome advice, chances, etc.

LuckyGus

What are examples of "preferred" ED categories? I know Athlete, Legacy, but what about first generation?