<p>What are my chances for:
Reed, Cornell, Whitman, Colby, middlebury, swarthmore?</p>
<p>I’m a Florida resident attending a title 1 school with a low graduation rate
Single parent household with low income
First generation college student
My class rank is 33/411 so top 10% (most of top 20 are dual enrollment students)
3.3 uw gpa (my weakest stat)
4.2-4.3 w gpa
8 AP classes throughout high school
SAT 1980. 690 cr 650 m 640 w (I’m retaking)
ACT 30
Beta club for three years (President for 2)
Academic A Team for three years (president for 2)
Debate club 1 year
Classical piano lessons for 10 years (a lot of awards)
Classical guitar lessons for 5 years
70+ hours volunteering at the smithsonian marine station
Participation in a coral reef restoration project
Part time worker since tenth grade. I’ve held three different styles of jobs
Gpa has had an upward trend since freshman year</p>
<p>I’m looking to study environmental science.
Please give me feedback!</p>
<p>Your GPA and SAT are a little weak for Middlebury, Swat, and Cornell, but your interest and EC’s in environmental studies are definitely plusses for Midd. Good luck.</p>
<p>What kind of atmosphere do you want at college? Are you very intellectual and like discussing academics with your friends and working very hard on your studies. OR do you want a slightly less rigorous environment, where academics are great but people are involved in sports, outdoor activities, clubs, and having a social life? These campuses are different from each other. Reed is full of very intellectual students who have fun burying themselves in primary sources and spending free time in the library. Whitman and Colby have serious students who also have a good time.</p>
<p>The atmosphere isn’t too big of a concern for me. All of these schools seem like places I could really enjoy and adapt to. The main thing is whether I can 1. get in to the school 2. get offered enough money to make it affordable. do any of these schools seem reasonable for me to get into?</p>
<p>All we can do is make guesses, but based on all I’ve seen and read, your stats are low for the very competitive Middlebury, Cornell, and Swarthmore. Even though you have many things going for you, especially exceptional ECs, these places like higher GPAs so they know you’re prepared for very rigorous academics. Colby is less selective but not by much. Whitman and Reed accept more students and therefore from the outset you have better odds. Reed acceptances are unpredictable because they look for a very particular type of student but they do look beyond GPA for more signs of potential and commitment. Whitman is holistic in it’s admissions and would love your diversity and musical involvement, it could depend on your letters of recommendation and your essays. By the way, stellar letters of recommendation and exceptional essays can really help admittance anywhere.</p>
<p>I would say, if possible, you should apply to all of them but realize that they are big reaches, as they are for many highly qualified students. But I would strongly advise you to also look for more schools that have great things to offer but are slightly less competitive. Everybody needs safeties and it’s important to pick safeties you’ll be happy to attend.</p>
<p>As far as financial aid, that’s a whole other issue. The highest tier schools meet financial need but not always 100% of it. You are more apt to get merit aid or talent based scholarships at schools that are lower down the selectivity charts. Do you have a guidance counselor at school that might help you?</p>
<p>As far as Financial aid goes, I know Midd and Swat are need blind and will meet 100% of demonstrated need. It does appear that some people have disagreed with the school about the amount of need demonstrated. Nonetheless, those schools will definitely be generous with aid, largely because they have a lot of money. I don’t know enough about the FA at Whitman, Colby, and Reed. I suspect the aid at Cornell is similar to Midd and Swat. The worst thing you can do is not apply. If you don’t apply, you’ll never know.</p>
<p>I don’t think Reed has an environmental science major. I would check their website to be sure but I’m fairly confident the closest thing they offer to that is biology, which is their most popular major. They have a holistic admissions process and do look beyond numbers, although those numbers are still very important. They accept about 40% of applications. They meet one hundred percent of demonstrated need but are also need-aware in the admissions process. Applicant interest is an important factor as well. Reedies do spend a lot of time studying and normally don’t get as much sleep. But they also have a lot of fun. It is an extremely intellectual environment. You have to visit to really know what it’s like.</p>
<p>Reed is need aware, and I believe they just started an environmental science major. So it’s new, but the resources are excellent (Reed has a nature reserve running through the middle of it). </p>
<p>The reactions I’ve seen to visiting Reed have been quite polar: people either seem to really love it (whether they thought they would or not) or really dislike it (whether they thought they would or not). Visiting, if you can, is one of the most accurate ways to see which pole your needle will swing to.</p>
<p>I only know about Cornell. I think it’s a reach with your low standardized test scores but do well on the retake and you’ll bring your chances up to low reach.</p>
more opinions please</p>