<p>Hi, I’m sorry if this comes across as obnoxious.
I know very qualified people that were deferred from the EA round. I thought BC was my safety, but that made me think twice.
I know little about the application system, so any thoughts are welcome :)</p>
<p>Bio: </p>
<p>Born in Siena, Italy.
Moved to Aix-en-Provence, France in 2000.
Moved to LA in 2007. (moving for my dad’s work)
Fluent in French, Italian, and English. Proficient in Spanish.
First generation American and college student</p>
<p>Testing/ Schooling:
SAT I superscored: 2310
M: 720
CR:790
W:800
SAT I single sitting: 2260
SAT II:
French- 800
Italian: 790
latin: 740
European History- 730
Math II- 690
APs:
AP French: 5
AP Italian: 5
AP US History: 5
AP European History: 5
AP Art History: 5
AP Bio: 4
AP Latin: 4</p>
<p>Taking: AP Calc, AP Spanish, AP US Gov and Politics, AP English, and Economics
UW GPA: 3.6
Class Rank: 6 out of 219
Have always attended International Schools (curriculum is same as US)</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:</p>
<ul>
<li>In 2009 founded an NPO to help the Eden Orphanage in Haiti. Organization has become increasingly important since the earthquake/ cholera epidemic. Funding to rebuild school/ general aid comes from the Red Cross and UNICEF. The issue is close to me because I have extended relatives in Haiti. </li>
<li>founded Classics Club and French Club at my school</li>
<li>Model United Nations, President; 2 National Awards; 3 State Awards</li>
<li>NHS</li>
<li>Eucharistic Minister at local church</li>
<li>I swim on JV team, but not well</li>
</ul>
<p>Essays: Common App essay is about my experience fouding NPO and my visit to the orphanage in 2008 that inspired me to do something
The activity essay is about Model UN and how my involvement has helped me realize what I want to do in life: work as a diplomat for the UN. </p>
<p>I think the top portion of your application is good (and really interesting for me. I wish I could have your background haha). The only thing that stands out to me that I think you could improve on is awards and ECs, though I got in and mine are somewhat similar to yours.</p>
<p>I’m trying to think through my application and I can’t find anything that I think really makes me different from you. I haven’t read your essays so don’t take this personally, but I think my essays had alot of heart and passion. Maybe it was your essays?
I’m also a National Merit Semi-Finalist and National AP Scholar and it doesn’t seem like you have anything like that. (Your Model UN awards would be more EC awards in my opinion.) And by no means am I criticizing your GPA or rank, but I have a 4.0 UW, 4.78 W (when I sent it in), and 3/~550 rank.</p>
<p>BC is not a safety, even for Harvard hopefuls. A safety school means your chances are greater than 70%. Some students of your caliber plan on a gap year in lieu of choosing the traditional 3 safety schools. Then they apply the following year to a full range of schools.</p>
<p>Agreed. You are certainly academically qualifed to go to BC; however, BC doesn’t just accept the highest GPA’s and highest test scores (if it were that easy, a computer would decide admissions…) Rather, they choose the most qualified students whom they see as a good fit for the school. Whether they will view you as such, I can’t say. That’s why BC is not a safety for you.</p>
<p>what does it mean when you say:
“Some students of your caliber plan on a gap year in lieu of choosing the traditional 3 safety schools. Then they apply the following year to a full range of schools.”</p>
<p>How would a gap year be beneficial? </p>
<p>I would assume the most productive gap year possible would be to have a work experience and maybe some community service, both of which I have. I am president of the non profit organization I founded (which is extremely time consuming). </p>
<p>So how would a gap year add to my application? Are there other positives that I don’t know of?</p>
<p>@ jshain
I would have to disagree with you a little bit…
I think, chachacha, BC is a low match for you. Your academic ability, including your SAT I&II scores and AP scores are outstanding, although your GPA is a bit low compared to those of typical BC admitted students. However, the thing that grabbed me the most was your extraordinary background- and I’m pretty sure that it will grab the adcom’s minds at BC as well. You have also demonstrated your leadership ability and compassionate heart through founding a non-profit org. I believe person like you will be a great addition to the diversity at schools like BC.
I do agree, however, with other people that BC is definitely not a safety school for you. Nobody could really say BC as his/her safety, even if that person is a Harvard hopeful, as Damaris pointed out. After all, this year’s college admission is way too unpredictable to consider schools like BC as safey, as you’ve seen other more-than-qualified students getting deferred from BC.</p>
<p>Dear chachacha : When did schools in the Top 30 of US News and World Reports gain safety school status? Honestly, the definition of safety school has certainly changed over the last 24 hours if that is the case! Clearly from your college board scores you have the numbers that would be competitive during the Boston College regular decision round. Your GPA at a 3.6 is not one that appeals to BC Readers as this is below an A-, but your class rank somewhat counteracts that number and your performance is supported by your AP Scores (although AP scores are used for placement, not pure acceptance).</p>
<p>Your international experience should cause your application to stand out as different, however your profile is not polished to showcase those advantages. Effectively, there seems to be a lack of school involvement and leadership that made a difference to your current student body. Arts/music is not present and sports (swimming) is limited, but present. Not everyone is musically or athletically gifted so you are somewhat excused on those points - although your competition will be well-established in these areas.</p>
<p>Your essays feel like a point-in-time observation (orphanage visit) as opposed to a summary of your High School career and why you add to the Boston College fabric. Perhaps your summary is not doing the topic justice, but it is unclear how your having family in Haiti after traveling the globe should be a hook for a Boston College application reader.</p>
<p>Finally, if your goal is a UN/Diplomatic position, somehow it would seem that other collegiate choices with noted political science leadership might be more fitting. I am not sure that BC would see itself as a hotbed of diplomatic growth (as opposed to say, Georgetown, NYU or even Tufts to name a couple).</p>
<p>Here is my fear : yours is a profile certainly deserving admission - and you believe that it is worthy of a spot in the Class of 2015. The problem for me is whether you have really tied your essays to the BC environment. This might not disqualify your application, but we have seen top flight academics fall by the roadside for similar missteps.</p>
<p>I was accepted to BC with no National Merit Semi Finalist/Finalist award/whatever. I had a decent act score (32) and a good GPA(3.8ish). Not a perfect GPA or score, but I was accepted. They saw something in me. I’ve seen kids who are probably smarter than me get deferred from BC. so u honestly never know. I’d say it’s a good fit, but I’d never say safety for any top thirty school.</p>
<p>Safety is a school that an applicant should have an almost certainty of being offered admission,for some exceptional applicants BC can be a safety school , and so can USC , Michigan,Wake Forest , Carnegie Mellon. Of course these schools are safeties for HYP , </p>
<p>for chachacha the gpa does not qualify as a safety application,in my opinion.Match maybe.</p>
<p>Your defensive tone makes me feel like I’ve offended you. If so, I’m sorrry.
By labeling BC as a possible safety, I was not trying to belittle its academic reputation. </p>
<p>I’m well aware of BC’s rank. This said, I think safety schools should be schools I’d actually go to. So, there’s no point in me applying to a school ranked 70 just because I know I could get in- I wouldn’t go. </p>
<p>Also, thank you for pointing out BC’s focus, as I’ve read multiple times in brochures. I’m already applying to Georgetown and Columbia- well known for their IR programs. So dont worry about that :)</p>
<p>Dear chachacha : No defensive tone was intended, no offense was taken. [This year we seem to have seen more students than ever asking about top flight schools as safeties. The real competition figures remain strong which flags that some fundamental research is missing.]</p>
<p>Also, I now understand your strong commitment to attending a top school at the expense of potentially not attending anywhere. Not many students would take that strong stand, so applause to you for pressing the envelope on the quality of your education and the value for your dollar.</p>
<p>Given the IR focus, have you checked into the Tufts programs?</p>