Chances for a northeast suburban student

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>GPA W - 4.0 (school doesn’t calc. above 4.0)
GPA UW - school doesn’t calc.
Class rank - school doesn’t calc.
Courses - all honors or AP; especially rigorous in foreign language, science, and math</p>

<p>ACT - 33 (essay 8)
SAT I - 700 M / 700 CR / 720 W - will retake if necessary
SAT II - took 2, confident about 700+
AP - took 3, confident about 4-5 on each (almost definitely 3+)</p>

<p>ECs / service

  • Piano, violin, music theory - been playing/taking lessons for 10 years, many different performances, a few awards
  • Academic team (captain Jr. and Sr.) - takes up a lot of time, very successful team
  • Indoor track
  • Newspaper
  • Orchestra
  • Community orchestra (Jr. and Sr.)
  • Music performances at local nursing homes and church - involves school club which I am co-pres. of
  • Holiday food drive volunteer
  • Community center renovation volunteer</p>

<p>Summers

  • Camp counselor ('05-'06)
  • Habitat for Humanity project ('06)
  • Will attend month-long muisc program ('07)</p>

<p>I think I’m a good writer and that I can write some good, quirky/interesting essays. Teacher rec(s) should be fine - I have several options lined up - but I’m not necessarily expecting something amazing. I know I can get great supplementals from certain community members or club faculty sponsors.</p>

<p>Schools

  • Wesleyan
  • Tufts
  • Vassar
  • UChicago
  • Macalester
  • UCLA
  • Amherst
  • Columbia
  • Middlebury</p>
2

<p>Sorry, switch GPA UW and GPA W</p>

<p>(GPA UW is 4.0, school doesn’t give GPA W)</p>

3

<p>Columbia, Middlebury, and Amherst are going to be the reachiest for you. Writing a good app, having great recs, and being lucky would get you in. It’s too late to change/enrich you ECs. On your app emphasize your academic team, it sounds like the most important thing you do. But it’s going to be a crapshoot.</p>

<p>But Wesleyan, UChicago, Macalester, and Tufts sound like the best matches. UChicago and Wesleyan are going to look at your writing the most. So work super hard on writing your application and essays.</p>

<p>UCLA out of state isn’t going to happen. They’re only like 7% out of state, it’s super hard to get in and your SAT isn’t high enough to push you through a huge state school’s admissions (big on numbers).</p>

<p>You’re going to need to add some safeties. You don’t have any. UMich, Syracuse, smaller liberal arts colleges, etc.</p>

4

<ul>
<li>Wesleyan HIGH MATCH</li>
<li>Tufts MATCH</li>
<li>Vassar MATCH</li>
<li>UChicago LOW REACH/HIGH MATCH</li>
<li>Macalester MATCH</li>
<li>UCLA HIGH REACH OOS</li>
<li>Amherst HIGH REACH</li>
<li>Columbia HIGHEST REACH</li>
<li>Middlebury REACH</li>
</ul>

<p>Chance me? :)</p>

5

<p>Thanks… what does high match vs. low match mean? (Which one is a better chance?)</p>

6

<p>high match means it’s more of a reach than a low match.</p>

7

<p>Your location will hurt you, but your stats are really good (especially assuming you do, in fact, write quirky, engaging essays that the admissions officers like). </p>

<p>My take (high match is harder to get into than match is harder than low match, same with reaches):</p>

<p>Wesleyan—High match
Tufts — High match/match (watch out for “Tufts syndrome”—make sure they know you would really like to go there!)
Vassar — High match/match
UChicago — High match
Macalester — Match/low match
UCLA— Not sure (I know nothing about the UC system)
Amherst-- Reach
Columbia— Reach
Middlebury— Low reach </p>

<p>You definitely have a shot at all of them, but obviously some of these schools are really hard to predict and are reaches for everyone. Also, your chances at some schools (Chicago especially, but also Wes and Vassar) will definitely depend a lot on your essay — you have the stats for those places, but they value personality/fit a lot (even more, I think, than the other schools on your list). </p>

<p>I agree with ses — although my guess is you’d get into at least one of these schools, given how competitive things are getting you really need some more low matches and safeties, especially if you want to be sure to have some goos choices come decision time. </p>

<p>A couple suggestions (mainly schools that are often looked at along with Vassar/Wes/Chicago, a well as some others that got good reactions from friends. Public schools would also work). This is just off the top of my head to get you thinking. You’d still have to check the most recent stats too…some of these schools got really competitive in terms of admissions rates this year, but I don’t know where you’d fall in terms of GPA, SATs, etc. (my guess is still on the higher end, which is good for you).</p>

<p>East cost: Skidmore, Goucher, Bates, Connecticut College, Bard, Sarah Lawrence, Dickenson, The New School in NY, American
Midwest: Oberlin, Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan, Kalamazoo, Colorodo College
West Coast: Reed (another one where essay matters a lot, which could be reallyt good for you), Occidential, Pitzer, Lewis+Clark, Evergreen state</p>