<p>Some of the students accepted who are on this board have amazing stats, and I just don’t feel good enough. </p>
<p>GPA-3.55uw/4.0w
top 10% of class at okay public school
10 AP by grad
29 ACT
5 school clubs (officer in 4) (founded one)
volunteer service-200hrs. (1 national award)
Landmark volunteer
Piano for 7 years (not competitive)
2 jobs</p>
<p>Look, they wouldn't have accepted you if they didn't think that you could do the work and do it well.</p>
<p>It's not only the high-stats students that need to get away from a stats-centered approach to deriving absolute merit.</p>
<p>Thank you for the reasurence, but I haven't been accepted. I am a junior in high school. I will apply in the fall though.</p>
<p>Oh.</p>
<p>In that case you're making a mountain out of a molehill. There are extremely few guarantees with respect to admissions at very selective colleges.</p>
<p>Just make sure that your final application list has a couple of Safeties on it. Some have recommended building your list from the Safeties up, though I'm not sure it's necessary to go <em>that</em> far as long as your final list has 2 Safties, 3-4 Matches, and 1-4 Reaches. </p>
<p>It is better to do 8 applications well than to do 15 in a half-assed manner. Start your essays early and read Harry Baud's book on writing the college application essay.</p>
<p>If you can afford it and have not already done so, visit colleges...though the best time to visit them is when they're in session, i.e., high school Spring break is a good time and you're past that window. </p>
<p>If you're interested in Bryn Mawr, then it's probably worth your while to also check out Barnard, Wellesely, Smith, and Mount Holyoke unless you have specific hard criteria that would eliminate one or another. (E.g., my D eliminated MHC because when she visited it just felt too remote, eliminated BMC because it's small (half the size of Smith) and really wanted New England location if at all possible.)</p>
<p>Actually, I think you're fairly smart to notice the quality of your competition...so many applicants look at how great they are without looking at the competition. I think this will keep you from taking anything for granted...which is a good thing. Good luck.</p>
<p>I am one of those who believe in building from the safeties up because: 1. Finding a great safety also forces us to understand ourselves and our needs better and 2. You could apply to a dozen match schools and end up with a dozen rejections, because being qualified is not enough is a market place full of qualified people.</p>
<p>Your safety should be a financially as well as academically safe for you.</p>
<p>TheDad is right about the other sister schools and you might want to look at Haverford which is located close to Bryn Mawr. Work on your essay and on identifying who will write your reccomendations. Has anyone been accepted from your high school recently? If so, what were their stats?</p>
<p>Mr. B, I believe Haverford is considerably more selective than Bryn Mawr. If the OP is worried about not being competitive for Bryn Mawr, she would find herself even less competitive for Haverford.</p>
<p>If she was looking at Bryn Mawr for the location Haverford is so close. As to where she might be accepted....I wouldn't begin to guess. She really didn't reveal much of her stats or writing skills or any special circumstances.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice. I was a bit paniced. I guess I am just the average applicant appling to top teir schools. Above average but not amazing. Def. looking at safety schools, but what can I say, I visited Bryn Mawr and loved it. I guess all you can do is cross your fingers and hope for the best. Thank you all again!!!</p>
<p>It's really important to show that you are interested in the schools.
Visit, talk to admissions officers, demonstrate interest.
One son thought "What ever college I go to will be lucky to have me".
He ended up with Two rejections at his reaches, four wait lists and two acceptances.
All of the Wait lists were "matches" but he hadn't demonstrated interest in the schools to the admissions offices. </p>
<p>IE: Visiting and then refusing to "sign in" at the admissions office. Going to a College night and "refusing to talk to the Admissions Officer". (While we strongly encouraged him to put himself forward, we weren't going to force him, because we believed that would be counter productive. A college applicant need to be self motivated, and willing to advocate for themselves.)</p>
<p>Don't make that mistake. You need to make yourself known.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr's admit rate is around 50%, but you're competing with a self-selected applicant pool that is very high-powered academically and very interested in the school. Even some of us who applied to it as a safety school end up loving it. (I have a friend who turned down two Ivies to come to Bryn Mawr.) My advice to you would to be to demonstrate your interest in the school -- interview personally with an admissions officer, stay overnight, etc. That might help a bit.</p>
<p>Haverford is around 30-40% acceptance rate, but keep in mind that since it's co-ed your chances are even lower, since half the spots are not open to you based on gender alone. Then account for the female minority quota, female geographical quotas, academic interest and extracurricular diversity ... and people wonder why they don't get accepted at these tiny little co-ed schools like Haverford, Swat, and Amherst!</p>