<p>My Junior S is putting together a list of colleges he wants to visit. Wesleyan is on it from what he has researched about it on paper. I’m just not sure if it is too high a reach for him</p>
<p>Right now through sophomore year he only has a 3.3 UW GPA, but so far this year he as almost all A’s and in more rigorous classes. Hopefully when he applies next year he will get it up to 3.6 or so. His first SAT was 2100 and he will retake the end of this year. </p>
<p>He is an Eagle Scout, First Responder, beach lifeguard, certified rescue diver, volunteers with a local search and rescue team, and has over 750 hrs. volunteering his summers to conservation efforts in the back country all over the US. He has a prestigious national leadership position in scouting that takes an enormous amount of time and organization… the position is usually held by an adult. He is leaving in a few weeks to go across country to live and go to a prestigious school for a semester on an organic working farm in rural Vermont. It’s so hard to judge admissions with this sort of lop-sided kid. Any suggestions would be most helpful. So far he already has a few sure bets that he really likes but we are trying to narrow down the reaches.</p>
<p>Your DS sounds like an interesting guy. He seems well-traveled and independent for his age. His boards would put him right in the middle of the pack for male matriculants. Wesleyan would still be a reach, but, it’s that way for just about everyone. I know it’s a little early to be talking about ED choices but that, and a good essay could make a big difference.</p>
<p>Thanks JW… As far as ED, I do agree that it would be great if my S does end up with one favorite college, as I did see some great results this year from kids with similar stats as my S. He has so far visited a few schools but still has quite a few to see. The only thing about Wes is that he isn’t too sure of their outdoor club activity and as you can see from his EC’s he is VERY outdoorsy and lives to be out in it. He is an excellent rock climber and mountaineer,
so he is drawn to more of the outdoorsy colleges like Whitman, Colorado College, and the Maine schools. He is interested in Wes, because of their academics, their fostering of independence and their passionate but collaborative student body. He is VERY independent and unpretentious so I think he would fit in there in every other way.</p>
<p>As you may know from the Parents Forum, my S was accepted ED this year with similar stats (he had a 3.6ish UW with a strong 2nd Semester Junior year, in a very vigorous curriculum. Also great ECs. SATs and SAT IIs were very strong. </p>
<p>I think ED your S has a very good chance. I think the outdoor opptys are pretty decent (I know there is an outdoor club and a ski team, for instance) plus Wes is the sort of place that your S could create any sort of outdoor club he was interested in if it didn’t already exist!</p>
<p>Hi again GKM!!! Yes, I did see that your S got in ED… I’m so happy for him and also for you, I’m sure it is such a relief to be done so early in the game. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to see the outcomes of the other schools that he applied to… I know they were very similar to the schools my S is looking at. LOL JK… I’m truly more happy for you guys about the ED to Wes…</p>
<p>I was happy to see that Wes was possible for a kid in this GPA range. It makes some of my S’s reaches more of a possibility. He is leaving the end of the month to go to a school in Vermont for 2nd semester. He will have a total of almost 6 weeks off because the school he attends now was out on the 15th of December. His brother went back to school today… DS and I went to see True Grit… don’t know quite how he will occupy his time the re</p>
<p>Just curious, but is the Vermont school he’s going to Putney? A friend went there And for what it’s worth, I think he’ll be competitive at a lot of top schools.</p>
<p>@santeria… The school he is going to is called The Mountain School and it is in Vershire Vermont… it is for Juniors in HS only and they only admit 45 kids each semester. You live, work and go to school on the farm. Everyone works 3 hrs a day on the farm and then also attends classes. The teachers all live on the farm too. It is well known by colleges and is an amazing experience…</p>
And for what it’s worth, I think he’ll be competitive at a lot of top schools.</p>