Was rejected from Windows on Williams, but received the offer of a phone call and fee waivers for CSS profile and application. I am pretty happy about that.
Currently at Dartmouth Bound, and I think I am falling in love with it. But, still unsure. I will post a full update tomorrow.
Thanks for checking in.
Fantastic that you are enjoying Dartmouth! It takes your mind off Window on Wliiams – but note that the offer of a phone call was significant. This is good practice for admissions, where you win some / lose some (many? most?) and you realize that what doesn’t happen for you is NOT NEARLY as important as what DOES. In other words, disappointment is a normal and even expected part of the process – don’t let it deter you! Go with what does work!!
I do hope that you get accepted to at least one other fly-in, so that you can then compare big versus small campus, rural versus urban, LAC versus research university, etc.
“realize that what doesn’t happen for you is NOT NEARLY as important as what DOES”
Love this, @momcinco ! It may become my new motto.
Thanks for letting us know and hope you have a fantastic time at Dartmouth!
Heard back from Wellesley today and was waitlisted. I feel disappointed in myself, as Wellesley is one of my top choices. But, I know the program is incredibly competitive, so I am glad that I still have a chance. At this point, I am leaning towards the philosophy of loving a college that loves you back…
I loved Dartmouth. The thing that most blew me away was the incredible passion each and every student had. My residential advisor loves music and neuroscience, which was amazing to see how he combined those two fields to create an interdisciplinary field. The admissions committee was kind and genuine to each and every one of us. Instead of focusing solely on Dartmouth, they encouraged us to carefully consider colleges we might not have looked into before and emphasized the holistic admissions process. They demonstrated that admissions was an incredibly human process.
I wonder if they put you on the waitlist if you live very far away and they think there is only a low chance of your attending as an undergraduate. Perhaps email them and let them know you are looking forward to visiting because you are very interested in (fill in with 2 things that are special for you about wellesley) and hope to get selected from the waitlist for the program. I love your philosophy- love the college that loves you back!
Coming from suburban Los Angeles, I was skeptical about the ruralness of Dartmouth and about the 3 hour bus ride from Logan Airport to Hanover. But, I realized that the nature created a soothing and peaceful environment; the pine trees and lush grass were beautiful to see. I thought the buildings combined charm and practicality. The Rauner Library was amazing; we were able to see Shakespeare’s First Folio, cuneiform tablets from Babylon, the entire Quran penned onto animal skin (the Arabic characters were so tiny), a manuscript from Medieval times that was handwritten by monks, etc. Being a world history geek, I felt so astonished and stunned at the vast array of resources Dartmouth students have at their fingertips.
As I want to major in chemistry and economics, the Plan B aspect in Dartmouth’s chem plan appealed to me. I liked that Plan B enabled to have flexibility and still explore subjects that I love.
@aquapt @momcinco @MYOS1634 I feel like I could be happy at Dartmouth. The thing that concerns me is the what if aspect. What if there is a better school that fits me better? What if I find myself totally wrong and end up hating Dartmouth? Those are questions that I do not have a solid answer to, and I feel I should trust myself. However, there is still a long road ahead, so upward and onward.
Did you apply to more flyins than Wellesley, Williams and Dartmouth?
Yes, I applied to Smith, Barnard, Swarthmore, and Amherst. I will apply to Rice, Emory, Tufts, Bowdoin, Bates, UPenn, Colby, and maybe Wesleyan. @OHMomof2
Glad the fly-in went well! Yes, there are schools that are closer to a major airport than Dartmouth is, but as you experienced, the Dartmouth Coach from Logan is really very easy. (Comfy seats, Wifi, and pretty cheap!) I have family in New London, so I’ve taken that bus a bunch of times. All told, a nonstop to Logan plus the Dartmouth Coach is no more difficult than a closer-to-airport school that requires a connecting flight. That said, don’t completely discount the possibility of getting snowed in at times when you’d hoped for a smooth and uneventful trip back to SoCal!
It’s tricky to hold these two ways of thinking in your head at the same time, but I think it’s important to find a balance, because they’re both true, and you’ll get the best outcome by letting both influence your process:
- There are many legitimate reasons why one school may truly be a better fit for you than another, and the more you can sort that out, the better off you’ll be. (And yet…)
- There are MANY places where you could be happy. You should be able to find “your tribe” at any reasonably-well-chosen college, even if that tribe isn’t the majority demographic there.
I guess the trick, when it comes to QB Match, is figuring out where to draw the line in terms of including schools on your Match list, vs. just applying through the regular/non-binding application.
Sorry about the Wellesley response - I agree that it wouldn’t hurt to send a follow-up expression of interest in hopes of getting off the waitlist. But even if you don’t get that fly-in, it sounds like you’re getting some good visit experiences; and it also sounds like you don’t need that pre-application visit to Wellesley in order to decide about applying, so… onward!
Congrats on the great test scores! (Don’t worry at all about the 3 in Bio - your AP’s overall were great, especially with that many at once, so if one is a little lower, it reflects more on the quality of your bio class than on you - and there’s no shame in a 3 anyway!) It’s true that the 720 on Math II won’t really help you, but it shouldn’t do any harm either. Personally, I wouldn’t invest the time in prepping/retaking unless you’re applying to some program that specifically requires that particular test (unlikely since you’re not looking to be an engineering or math major) - otherwise, just take a different SATII that you’re more likely to ace on the first pass.
Thanks for keeping us updated - it’s exciting to watch your process unfold!
I think I may have gotten waitlisted by Wellesley was that I explicitly expressed that it was my first choice to the admissions officer, who was in charge of the fly in, during my conference at Pomona. As a result, Wellesley knew that they didn’t need to woo me as much as the people who were unsure if Wellesley was one of their top choices
I may be overthinking, though.
Re the “what if” question…you have to manage the variables that are most important to you. There can be an overwhelming number of things to consider, and frankly, some of them don’t mean diddly in the big picture, where other things are significant. Try to make a list of the biggies and the not so big factors. I think school size is very important. A healthy program in your field of choice is another. Location - urban v. rural is important to some, others disregard it because they focus primarily on the school. Some want big time athletics and rah rah, others nah nah. There is no wrong answer, just the ones you come to through your own research and preferences.
You are giving this great thought - I think you are opening a lot of doors that you didn’t know were there 6 months ago. As time goes on and you see more schools and the potential for you to attend (being admitted and getting the right aid) you will be able to close some of the doors and your search will naturally narrow. You will end up with a good fit - you are doing all you can to assure that.
But in life, “what if” is an everyday question. You buy a car, a house, a pet - and all the while wonder what if this is the wrong one? The way you avoid regret is by doing research, which you are doing! But sometimes regret happens, tis life. College is an opportunity and an experience to savor whether you make the perfect choice or not. Four years seems forever now, but it will go soooo fast. You aren’t locked into something forever, just make sure you put yourself in 100% while there.
Re your post about getting waitlisted by Wellesley – when you got the response, did they offer a fee waiver, or a phone call, or any other admissions support?
By all means, contact your rep (is there a QB rep whom you talked with? or a geographical rep?) and find out They may simply say it was more competitive than ever or somethng like that. But they might offer to give you a follow up phone call where they tell you what in your profile / potential application could improve.
It’s also a way to express more interest, in case they do open the waitlist.
@momcinco Wellesley just gave me a letter without any other support. Good idea on contacting the QB rep!
Hmmm. Well, let us know what happens with Wellesley.
In the meantime, maybe you could narrow down your fly-in list? You have applied to seven, but you have in mind many more (post #71) Could you do some research and focus on the ones that seem to stand out?
Not that I want to discourage you…it just might get overwhelming.
And be sure to write down dates as you get accepted – so you don’t unknowingly apply to programs being held on same days!
Hello! I just had my phone conversation with a Williams admissions officer.
Essentially, I have to retake my SAT and raise my EBRW score. Also, heavy emphasis will be placed on my senior grades, especially my 1st quarter grades if I decide to do Questbridge Match or Early Decision.
The admissions officer emphasized the collaborative aspect of Williams students and their intellectual curiosity.
Additionally, I have heard that some schools prefer applicants to do ED rather than Questbridge Match. So now, I’m not sure if I should even do the Match process, especially since the percentage of people who match is so low. Any thoughts?