Any chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Reed College
1

<p>Worried about GPA. Um, also, my essays, so for the Why Reed essay I have written a pretty good essay about how being a writer is like being a porn star, do you think that for Reed that kind of essay would be acceptable? So... any chance?</p>

<p>2260 SAT (720 M, 750 W, 790 R) Subject Tests: 750 M, 740 A
3.1 GPA UW
4.3 GPA W
141/500 in class
Family: I am the second oldest in a family of 10 people! It gives some very unique experiences and can be rather hectic at times.
Performance History
• Opera
o Spent three consecutive summers singing at the Santa Fe Opera.
o This was paid work, but the experience was worth more than the pay, as shown in my Common App Essay.
o Sang in the operas Carmen, La Boheme, and Billy Budd.
o Invited to sing at the Metropolitan Opera by their singing director but declined because I had other commitments (school/family).
o Rehearsed/Performed 30 hours a week for 12 weeks each summer. Sang the A capella solo in Billy Budd.
o Sang in the languages of French, English, and Italian
• Musicals/Plays/Talent Shows:
o Recognized as outstanding singer and actor in the city of Los Alamos’ newspaper (2007).
o Played the role of Peter Pan in city production of Peter Pan (2006).
o Played the role of FDR in school production of Annie (2005).
o Played the role of lead boy in city production of How to Eat Like a Child (2007).
o Played the role of Young Scrooge in city production of A Christmas Carol (2007).
o Played
o Recognized as outstanding singer and actor in the city of Los Alamos’ newspaper (2007).
o Sang Eleanor Rigby in school talent show and received “Outstanding Performance). (2008)
o Sang A Whole New World and received “1st Prize” in regional Talent Show (2011).
o Auditioned out for X Factor, but didn’t make it (2011).
• Violin
o Received “Outstanding Violinist” from nationwide Orchestra Committee (2008).
Fiction Writing
• Currently unpublished but haven’t yet looked to publish
• Wrote forty pages of poetry
• Currently writing a science fiction/fantasy novel
o I will get this published when finished because it is something I really care about.
o Plot Synopsis: Jason lives in a world where only the very intelligent can use magic, but the cost of magic is the mind—the loss of sanity. Jason’s mother is locked up in an insane asylum, and his father is assassinated by a young, cynical girl, who seems cunning and sweet, but is a sociopath driven by a compulsion to systematically kill. Jason wishes to save his mother from insanity, and find the girl to exact revenge, but to do so means risking his own life and personal sanity.
• Wrote numerous science fiction and fantasy short stories
• Acted as speech writer for Key Club members who are internationally recognized.</p>

<p>Academic Distinctions
• SAT Subject Test:
o 750 Math
o 740 Physics
• NAQT Quiz Bowl
o Wrote ten pages of study materials on the topics of literature and opera (my personal strong subjects).
o Our team is nationally ranked and one of the best in North Carolina—To help practice, I’ve written multiple question sets that we then read at practice.
o I plan to go on Jeopardy!, as my parents did, when I am in college. Quiz Bowl is primary preparation for Jeopardy!
o Hold practice at my house once every two weeks for around three hours.
o Constantly rag on team to study and practice.
o I study ~30 minutes a day for Quiz Bowl and write questions on what I studied.
• Science Olympiad
o Prepared a 261 page word document on Astronomy that both the JV team and Varsity uses yearly.
o Prepare weekly meetings/practices
o Spoke and prepared discussions on Astronomy.
o Engaged in a DuPont essay discussing the implications of dark matter relating to the evolution and formation of galaxies (2009). (This isn’t pertaining specifically to Science Olympiad, but it definitely was a result of my Astronomy Study in Science Olympiad).
• Science Bowl
o Placed forth during state competition of Science Bowl (2008) and fifth the year before (2007).
• Geo Bee
o Placed second in school GeoBee (2008)
• Magic: the Gathering
o Placed at Nationals as the youngest player (2006).
o Won $500 scholarship in a Juniors competition (2005).
o Qualified and placed (51st / 400) again at nationals and one of the youngest players (2011).
o It may not sound like much, but Magic: the Gathering is a very skill intensive, thought intensive game; I really enjoy it, and it keeps my mind quick. It is like Chess in a sense, another game that I thoroughly enjoy because there are so many different strategies/plays. All in all, it’s thought intensive, and I may sound like a nerd, but I love it.</p>

<p>High school Clubs:
Quiz Bowl/Brain Games/Science Olympiad/Boy Scouts/Leap N Learn Tutor/Academic Decathlon/Key Club/Musical (Fresh Year)/Science Bowl only Senior Year/Opera</p>

<p>Very worried about my GPA.</p>

2

<p>First, with regards to the essay: I can’t say that I in your position would take that risk. Reed, while certainly more lax to things such as that, still holds a professional standard. One of the things I recall them mentioning during an information panel is how students cursing during interviews is a bad idea. Now to me that came as a bit of a surprise, as I had imagined that letting a few $hits slip in here and there would be of no consequence at a school as laid back as Reed. Apparently not. There is a distinction between what flies within the student body, versus the institution as a whole (or at least according to my impression; and if true, it makes sense why such would be so).</p>

<p>Whether one would consider comparisons to a porn-star to be unprofessional in a college essay is a matter of opinion, but again, are you willing to take that risk? especially when the answer seems to lean towards it being unwise? You may be better served by just cutting to the chase and writing a plain and honest “Why Reed?”, or at the very least by writing something interesting that doesn’t involve porn-stars.</p>

<p>With regards to you as a student: That you’ve done very well in your extracurricular pursuits is evident; what is not evident is the difficulty of the course-load you took/take, and how difficult your school is on the whole. GPA, while a moderate factor, does not seem to be an overwhelming decider at Reed. However, a commitment to academic pursuits is played up very much. While your academic extracurriculars will be taken into consideration, the types of courses you took and the intensity with which you devoted your attention will play a large role in determining your willingness to be academically challenged, along with your work ethic. How are you within the classroom? How much passion do you show for knowledge? Those are the things that Reed really wants to find out.</p>

3

<p>Reed is actually a very traditional school. Look at the curriculum. Hardly cutting edge.
I would dump the essay & also dump any awards or accomplishments listed that were from before high school.
Ground laid from middle school activities will be evident in your recent accomplishments.</p>

4

<p>I have taken 13 APs and the rest honors if that matters at all, which is basically the number my school has to offer barring the language APs because I took Latin. The essay is a very “intellectual-satirical” if I were to describe it with a two-word generic phrase. I’d actually like advice if I should use it or not; PM me for the essay if you want to comment…, but I am, as I have said, most concerned about my grades. =/</p>

5

<p>I think it depends on the treatment of your analogy. I mean, I just read a debate between an esteemed professor at Reed an a visiting intellectual in which the professor called his opponents’ arguments “political pornography.” Pornography itself won’t get you excluded, but if you approach it in immaturely and capriciously, it won’t look good.</p>

<p>I can take a look if you PM me the essay. (Current freshman, by the way, so take my interpretations with a grain of salt…)</p>

6

<p>If your essay objectively well-written and clever (like your English teacher loves it), then taking risks is fine. If it is gimmicky or graphic or immature, I’d rethink the essay. Also, does it have anything to do with why you want to go to Reed? </p>

<p>Secondly, you’re going to edit the ECs down a bit, right? I mean, how could you fit that all in? You can just say you’ve acted in 5 productions at la-di-da theatre, right? My understanding is that the common app requires a list of (general) extracurricular activities, how many years you did them and any special awards, not your full acting resume and headshot.</p>

<p>GPA- that might be a negative factor but would hopefully be outweighed by other academic achievements and the rigor of your HS courses.</p>