Williams or Amherst Admission - Realistic Chances

akamom98
Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:16:07 +0000

My son was in the same situation as your son. He is now happily enjoying his sophomore year at Williams, still playing the bassoon. He did have slightly higher scores/ 4.0 and took every AP class his high school offered, including online when he ran out of math courses to take. Can your son take the SAT again to boost the scores a little more?

I would encourage contacting the music departments of each of the schools he wants to apply to this summer. Set up meetings with the music department when you visit. Be prepared to submit recordings with his application. Our son also submitted a music resume. If his high school is highly competitive, the Bs may not hurt him. My son had many wonderful acceptances, but chose Williams. I think playing the bassoon helped him tremendously in his admissions. Be sure to check whether each school your son looks at has an actual bassoon teacher versus an oboist who also teaches bassoon. Amherst did not have a specific bassoon teacher when our son applied, nor did several other top tier schools. The bassoon teacher at Williams is fantastic. We were specifically told that a strong recommendation from the Music Department at Williams can be a tipping point for an application.

My son was not particularly athletic either, but now he is in great shape and enjoys being fit. He has found a nice group of friends who share his interests. WIlliams is an exciting, vibrant place for all types of kids! Good luck!