I’ve been lurking around these boards for a while and thought I would contribute-
D accepted EA with $25k University Scholarship
Intended major: political science/international studies
Minor: Judaic studies
ACT 33 single sitting (36 R, 33 E, 32 S, 30 M)
SAT II: 780 World History, 710 US History
GPA: 3.9 (uw)
AP Scholar
National Honor Society
National Spanish Honor Society
Two Regional Gold Keys in Scholastic writing, several Silver Keys
Beautiful creative writing essay, great recommendations
Other local awards
Student Teacher at synagogue religious school
Counselor in after school program at JCC
student Teacher at community wide Hebrew School
Regional Board member, wrote and presented multiple programs for several years for religious youth group (USY)
Visited once, interviewed on campus, met with a professor in the Judaic Studies Department. It is a very small cohort.
In her acceptance, the PS said “we hope you will pair your faith with service at our Hillel”.
I personally think the reason D was accepted is because the school had a need for someone with her background- CWRU has a brand new Hillel building and it must be on administration’s radar to be sure it is utilized. She just happened to bring something to the table that was a bit unusual which appealed to them.
So when I read about all the amazing, stellar kids who were deferred from Case, I really do think it is a matter of fitting what they are looking for in terms of diversity, needs, and pet projects even more than stats. If you have something in your background that fits their internal priorities, then acceptance may be easier.
I truly hope that all the incredible kids who were deferred get accepted down the road!