Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Public
Other special factors: first gen
Cost Constraints / Budget 2,000 or less
Intended Major(s): political science
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.98
Weighted HS GPA: 4.358
Class Rank: Top 2%
ACT/SAT Scores: 1330
List your HS coursework
(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)
English: AP Lang, AP Lit
Math: AP Calc BC, AP Stats
Science: AP Physics
History and social studies: AP World, APUSH, AP Gov
Language other than English: Adv French 4
Visual or performing arts: Creative Writing 1 and 2
Awards
state level award winner for writing 5 times at various levels, for multiple writing forms
school writing award 2 times
county writing award
published in a national writing collection
Extracurriculars President of two school writing publications, lead choir member, serving at school (making lessons, etc.), writing books (have published online with over 25,000 reads!), self-led tutoring of underprivileged students after school tutoring service fell apart, etc., etc.
Essays/LORs/Other I’ve gotten a lot of strong feedback for my main essay, so I think I’m good on that.
LOR extremely strong, teachers who write them often get kids into Ivies and take them extremely seriously.
Schools
Assured (100% chance of admission and affordability): (Omitting for confidentiality, but guaranteed full tuition at two good safeties that I like)
Extremely Likely:
Likely: Hampton-Sydney
Toss-up: UVA, Washington and Lee, Carnegie Mellon, William and Mary
Lower Probability: Wash U, Georgetown
Low Probability: Brown, Harvard, Yale
Is UVA, WashU, and Hampton-Sydney realistic to hope for?
Can you commute? Room and board will be more….like 16-18K.
Great record - but I think these schools are tough with the SAT so I’d go Test Optional at all, except HS.
Can you afford HS? This will tell you. Of course, assuming they are need aware and you do have that need, they could use that against you in admissions. Good luck.
What’s your HS’ average SAT (/is your score significantly higher than what your HS sees?)
If your HS is an urban or rural HS definitely submit to all the VA colleges because it shows your grades are backed by a solid score. .if your HS is in Nova don’t submit because admitted Nova kids will generally have 1400+.
First generation/low income kids will have special consideration at most universities. You may want to check the support they specifically offer.
Did you participate in any fly-in?
Why Hampton-Sydney? It’s considered one of the most conservative private colleges and male-only while you don’t have any other similar colleges (Wabash, Morehouse, Hope, Hillsdale, potentially St John’s if you like their Great Book curriculum..)
Why not Kenyon and Denison, where your writing prizes may matter?
Yes, my SAT is in the top 5% at my school, but I am in NoVA.
I sadly wasn’t able to do fly-in since I couldn’t afford it!
Also, Hampton-Sydney because I have close family who live nearby and have friends who have went and said despite the conservative environment, the school provides a really good experience academically
Thank you! Would you recommend still submitting SAT if it’s high (top 5%) at my school? It’s why I’ve been going back and forth between optional or not.
Hampton Sydney does seem a bit pricey with Net Price, but I know my family there will be willing to provide some support which will cut the cost down to my budget!
I know Va State has a program - not sure if that’s one of yours.
I would apply TO - but you might reach out to each admissions counselor and ask.
Most will say, if you think it adds to your overall story, then yes - vs. give you an answer.
But some will flat out tell you yes or no.
I wouldn’t but we all think differently. There’s another thread debating this right now. A few say no, it can’t help but it can hurt. Others note what you are noting - so even if it’s low, it’s still worthy.
Talk to your counselor.
At WashU for example, in last year’s CDS, 57% submitted a test but the 25th percentile was 1500. So is submitting 170 points below wise? Well if 1500 is the 25th percentile, someone submitted below 1500 but how far below? And it’s likely athletes, first gen, people of color or some other hook.
But it’s hard to know. But you can look at the CDS for each school to decide and again, talk to your counselor.
I’m in the no boat - but there are others in the yes boat so….
Fly-ins are programs you apply to between
May jr year and August senior year and in September or October the college fly you to their campus, you have an interview, meet students and professors, sit in on classes, sometimes you have something to read and are expected to participate in a class based on that reading… Students who do well then have a better chance of admission at these selective universities.
Giving you the info in case there are strong low income/first gen sophomores and juniors at your school, who may benefit from it.
OP is first gen, very low income. That score is among the best at their HS. As a result it provides information about their grades by ranking them compared to peers. Of course the score may not be sufficient (especially atcolleges that want 1400+ from first gens) but it’s a case of risking the college assuming less preparation and less validity to the grades. Finally, VA publics have a public service mission so at least there it’s sure to help.
Being lower income from a lower income school is a hook for OP, but being from NOVA is the antihook.
That being said, @yonar, I would add a few other colleges where the bottom 25% is 1380-1400 or so, rather than 1450-1500.
The reasoning for Hampden Sydney makes sense.
Don’t forget to apply to the Honors program or college (if it’s by application) at your safeties. It’ll make for a better experience with more opportunities and may unlock extra scholarships.
I will reiterate looking into Denison (Lugar program) and Kenyon.
Totally understand and on various threads, there are differences of opinion. I know schools likely differ too - perhaps Bowdoin (another thread) sees it different than WashU.
This is all opinion but the data shows only 2% of Wash U enrolled students were in the 1200 to 1399 range. At the same time, only 57% submit a test.
So would I want to try and be one of that 2% - and I’m not close to 1400? Or know 43% didn’t submit at all and that might signal better odds for someone who didn’t test as high?
The data tells me I have better odds TO. Doesn’t mean I’m right but I can build a narrative, through the data, that I can support.
Others might think otherwise, like you noted, the comparison vs the school average.
I’m not dismissing that. I’ve said on this and the Bowdoin thread - I don’t know. I’m guessing no one truly knows. Whether this student gets in or not, we’ll have no idea if the testing submission decision played any part.
The HS average would especially matter for the Virginia public universities since they try to admit from the best at each instate HS.
For the private universities on the list it’s a gamble indeed. That’s why adding some (still highly selective) meet need colleges with 1380-1400 bottom 25% threshold would make sense for OP.
I agree in your context you have enough of a case to apply to your Reaches, but it becomes very unpredictable so I also agree it makes sense to apply to at least a couple colleges that are great fits and where your SAT is at least above their 25th.
You’d have to check NPCs, but there are a LOT of colleges with excellent Poli Sci programs you could consider. Like personally, I would recommend checking out Gettysburg. It is really in the greater DC orbit, and the Eisenhower Institute in particular has some great programs:
Their median enrolled SAT is a 1370, and while they didn’t report a 25th, I am confident your 1330 would be competitive there even without context.
We could suggest more to consider if you like.
I’m also a little confused about CMU being on your list. It isn’t much like your other colleges and it is not necessarily known for Poli Sci. In fact according to the last NCES College Navigator data, they had 0 graduating primary majors in Poli Sci.
