The Coalition Application and the Coalition Portfolio tool are separate. There is no guarantee that a college will look at the portfolio part even if they accept the application.
Some Common App schools accept a portfolio using the ZeeMee.com website.
I personally hate the idea of 9th graders starting to build college application portfolios, but given all your unusual activities it might work in your favor.
The essay topics are a bit different, too.
OP, you have a problem and no one is doing you any favors over-promising that certain respected colleges will be interested in you just because of some raw, native intelligence. They care very much about performance in academics and high school is where you show them how you dig into the responsibilities assigned, not just those that interest you.
The shame is you are intelligent and knowledgeable, but, in this case, charted your own path. Unfortunately, there’s a big measure of conformity needed. With rare exceptions, these colleges want to know you will play by their rules, meet their expectations. That’s how they succeed, thrive, and continue to. They don’t need to pick kids who may or may not be interested. Or whose record shows they’re distractible.
I see 2 choices. Find a college that values kids who specifically go against the grain, as part of their mission. (And offers aid.) Or start at a local school, conform, get the grades, then look at transfer opps. Get focused. I mean that in the best way.
I guess an update might be in order? I ended up applying regular decision to Oberlin, GWU, Macalester, Reed, Grinnell, Swarthmore, Pomona, University of Rochester, University of Michigan, and the two instate schools in Nevada, UNLV and UNR.
I will be very content with UNR should everything else fall through. I know it’ll take a miracle to get into any of the out of state ones, but I’m still holding out for Oberlin and GWU as my top two choices. I’m taking a trip in mid April to DC to apply for a Library of Congress card, a dream of mine since I was 8, so that will either be a super awesome trip or a sad, what could have been trip. I have two close friends at GWU, both going there because it gave them the best financial aid, so I hope I luck out with that as well.
I interviewed with Grinnell, Oberlin, and Macalester, the two former with admissions officers and the latter with an alum. All went well. Grinnell especially loved the atlatl thing due to its connection to John Whittaker. Her face dropped a bit when, after a great interview and seeing all my test scores, she looked at my transcript. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ We’ll see what happens. Oberlin never asked about grades which deprived me the opportunity to explain myself but I didn’t feel like opening that can of worms anyway and spoiling a good interview. Macalester on the other hand asked for my GPA and rank on the first question haha. It was an uphill battle after that but he was an ex debater and history buff so debate and atlatl won him over in the end hopefully. I’m still trying to do an interview with URoc, but their application for an interview involves a series of essay questions and between finals week this week, a big debate tournament next week, and scholarship applications to do, I’m not sure if I’ll get the time to complete it.
My grades are decent this semester. Not maintaining a 4.0, but definitely better than previous years. 9 classes definitely caught up to me though. It’s a lot. Too much. And that AP Research class I wanted to drop? Didn’t end up dropping and now I’m not allowed to drop, even at the semester. And the class is awful. Though now that I’m writing my research paper I’m actually having fun. It’s just a ton of the tiny assignments again. My research is on the application of an adapted trolley problem to the programming of autonomous vehicles. I’m going to design an administer my own trolley problem variation that questions self sacrifice. Heavily philosophy based, which I love.
Atlatl definitely became an amazing interview topic. Reed had an amazing essay question asking what you would teach if you could teach one class on any subject. I of course answered with atlatls. We’ll see how it goes. Their lack of a grade system appeals to me a lot.
Thank you everyone for the reality checks and suggestions. Fingers crossed for April 1st.
Thank you so much for the update!
@idigit1st Your story sounds like my youngest son. He just won’t do homework, so As become Cs…
With your total package, my money is on Oberlin! Let us know what happens! Good luck!
Oh forgot to mention, I decided to only send ACT. When it came down to it I just felt it was stronger than the SAT (plus I can’t really afford to send both tests to every school).
Good luck. Your list is quite “reachy,” but it sounds like you worked the application and interview process well.
Probably too late, but Beloit might be a fit, and has a well regarded Anthropology dept… My wife did her undergrad there and has nothing but good things to say about it.