I wanted to create this thread to make it easy for future applicants to get an idea of how tough admissions are.
Demographics (location, residency, HS type, legacy, US or Int’l, gender, etc)
- NYC suburbs
- High performing (small) public school
- Female, no legacy, not first gen
- Middle Eastern, immigrant parent
** Intended Major(s)**
- Physics +Astronomy/Astrophysics
- Philosophy
UW GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
- 3.79 (Weird grading scale, school does not rank but top 10%)
- 35 ACT superscore (2 tests) 34 Highest Composite (35S, 33E, 35R, 35M)
Coursework
AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Psych, APUSH, APGovt, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Physics C, AP Physics E&M, Multivariable Calculus (dual enrollment)
Awards
- AP Scholar with Distinction
- Seal of Civic Readiness
Extracurriculars
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XCTF: 3x All Conference, Coaches Award, 1 school record, team captain (promoted after application was due), Team runner up at Conference (2x) and County
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Chorale (Tenor, Alto, Soprano) promoted to section leader after app submitted, performed solo on the local level for about 150 people.
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Girl Scouts: Silver Award, Bronze Award, senior level
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National History Day: Competed at the regional level
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Summer work at a factory
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Backpacking summer trip
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Hobbies: Piano + Art
I achieved many more accomplishments during senior year after app was submitted. Updates were not sent.
Essays/LORs/Other
English Teacher Rec: 10/10 I’ve known her for around 4 years now. She’s one of my favorite teachers, I vent to her sometimes lol.
Science Teacher Rec: 9/10 I’ve also known him for 4 years, I didn’t do the greatest in his class but we have a good relationship. He’s also one of my coaches.
Essays: My common app essay wasn’t bad but certainly not fantastic. My supplements for the schools that had them were very well written. I also had interviews with both Hamilton and Dartmouth, both went well.
GC Rec: 10/10 I’ve known her for a very long time. She knows me well and her and I have similar personalities. She said my rec was very good.
Cost Constraints / Budget
None
Schools including Safety, Match, Reach
Reaches
- Amherst College (denied)
- Bates College (waitlisted)
- Bowdoin College (waitlisted)
- Colby College (waitlisted)
- Colgate University (accepted)
- Dartmouth College (denied)
- Hamilton College (accepted, likely attending)
- Haverford College (waitlisted)
- Middlebury College (denied)
- Swarthmore College (denied)
- Vassar College (waitlisted)
- Wesleyan University (denied)
- Williams College (ED) (denied)
Safeties
- Connecticut College (accepted + 32k/year merit)
- Franklin & Marshall College (accepted +20k/year merit)
- Union College (accepted + scholars program + 30k/year merit)
- Stony Brook U (accepted + scholars + 3k/year merit)
Why I didn’t/did get in:
We will truly never know. I can only guess. For the reaches where I didn’t get in, it was likely because there’s so many applicants. I’m an unhooked applicant and probably not super unique on paper. For the waitlists, it was the same deal, just that the school probably took a little bit more of a liking towards my profile (it’s bucket filling). For my acceptances, they were because of a few reasons. At my safety schools, I was well above their averages. For Colgate, my GC expected me to get in based off past Naviance data. For Hamilton, my interview was fantastic and I received multiple letters from admission in the mail. I also believed I was a good fit for the school and accurately portrayed that in my supplements.