I’m just wondering because super qualified students with great grades, tons of APs, are captains of three sports teams, and play in orchestras are still not getting into good schools. i have never been able to, and probably never will, get either a varsity letter or captain/co-captain status. It isn’t that I haven’t been participating, I have fenced every year for the past 7 years. I just have never been very good, and I could never afford to go to the competitions and tournaments that you need to go to to get a good ranking. I have really good grades (3.85 unweighted), and a lot of college credit I’ve gotten through dual enrollment. My extracurriculars aren’t stellar, I have a bronze metal in a fencing tournament, performed a couple of times at local restaurants. I am entering National History Day this year. I get good test scores, 2200 on the old SAT, and I can take it once more. I’m wondering if my lack of being excellent in fencing has doomed my chances at a good school? And by good school I just mean like good, (Eg, UF, UCF, etc.) What do you guys think? Do I have any chance at these schools? I’m a legacy at UF if that helps.
You will be fine!
You really think so? That’s a relief. I’m saving up a bunch of money to apply to a lot of reach schools, just because I figure the worst that can happen is not getting in. But I understand those are so selective that its basically impossible to tell if you have a shot. I was just a little nervous about getting into UF 'cause it looks like a really good school, and everyone in my family says its great.
No, it’s not.
A lot of mediocre fencers end up attending great colleges.
The most athletic thing my daughter has ever done is walked down the stairs. She goes to an excellent college. You will be fine as long as you apply to an appropriate range of colleges.
Can I suggest you not waste a lot of money on apps to colleges that are simply not in the realm of possibility? The strategy of applying to a lot of tippy top reach schools in the hope that you will win the lottery is not a strategy. Getting into top colleges isn’t a lottery, and it isn’t random.
Read these posts:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1878059-truthful-advice-about-getting-into-top-colleges-for-your-average-excellent-student-p1.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1876770-what-did-i-do-wrong-p1.html
I don’t post these to depress you, but to make you aware of how tough it really is. Do apply to a couple of reaches, by all means. But don’t spend hundreds of dollars on apps that are most likely going to have no return investment.
You will be fine. If you were interested in playing for a D1 sports program then I would say you have no chance at all. If all you want to do is gain entry to the school, then your grades are what matters most and you seem to have that covered.
Good luck
You do not need a varsity letter. Its a non issue.
No worries. Like the others already stated. Your fencing will be looked at as another one of your passionate ECs and will help with your application.
Academics are the most important component of an application. Unless you are an athletic recruit, sports are considered to be a nice EC – getting or not getting a varsity letter isn’t important – what is important is that you have interests, have been active etc.
By reach school I was thinking University of Miami, I know its hard to get into but I figure it is probably at least in the realm of possibilities.
@TheCandyCanes UMiami is a likely for you.
Oh, that’s exciting, thanks! My absolute dream school would be WIlliams or Amherst. I am almost positive they would be a reach.
You’re answering the unasked question “is getting a varsity letter helpful to getting into a good college.” Your comment isn’t an answer to the OP’s actual question.
Williams and Amherst will be reaches for you (as they are for pretty much everyone), but if those are your dream schools you may want to consider some other LACs that are outstanding but a touch less selective.
Yes, Williams and Amherst have acceptance rates in the teens, so they are reaches for everyone. There are a lot of really great LACs that might accept you which are much more realistic for your stats. If the LACs appeal, you should consider Bates, Connecticut College, Trinity, Colgate, Hamilton, Union, Siena, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Kenyon, Oberlin, Gettysburg, Whitman, St…Olaf, Kalamazoo, and Muhlenberg. All of those are very good schools, no doubt I have left some off. I didn’t include the excellent ones with sub-20% acceptance rates because I am trying to give you low-reach and match schools.
Statistically, you’ll find a lot a colleges between Amherst and UF:
If you were to research these ~100 schools carefully, you would enhance both your admissions prospects and your options in general.
If you like Williams and Amherst, consider other NESCACs, or some of the schools that @Lindagaf recommended, such as Kenyon and Union.
I didn’t know about those schools, but thank you! Definitely widening my applications with higher likely schools is a good idea. I’ll just have to check their financial aid policies.
Look into these colleges in particular, then @TheCandyCanes:
Haha, thanks man. You are full of all sorts of good information.