<p>Hi,
Im a rising senior in the class of 09 and am wondering about my chances of attending Wesleyan. If I do apply I will definitely go ED. My only real safety is Hamilton college, because I would be a legacy.
A few things to consider for my admission that are not on my resume. I recently came back from a year abroad in Ecuador as an exchange student. Im from Montana. I have been home schooled for my entire school career (Except in Ecuador.) Here is my High School resume.</p>
<pre><code>High School resume
</code></pre>
<p>TESTING
Sat 2010
Reading 750
Writing 670
Math 590
GPA
3.6 (Note 3.9 in high school classes, I have several college classes and credits and those grades are slightly lower than my high school grades.)</p>
<p>EDUCATION
Home School 2005-2007
Montana Tech 2006-2007<br>
College Hermano Miguel La Salle 2007-2009</p>
<p>SPORTS
Varsity soccer starter Butte Home School 2004-2006
(Offensive MVP Butte Home School 2006)
Member of Tecni Club/ U-18 Champions
(Azuay, Ecuador 2008)</p>
<p>EXPERIENCE
Studied Spanish in Ecuador-- summer 2006
Acted the lead in Pride and Prejudice-- winter 2006.
Journalist for college newspaper-- fall/winter 2006-2007
Big Brother/ Big Sister Mentor-- fall/winter 2006-2007
DJ college radio-- 2006-2008
Exchange student Ecuador-- 2007-2008</p>
<p>Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated.<br>
Thanks,
Simon</p>
<p>You sound like an awfully interesting candidate. ED would be the way to go, if fin/aid is not a consideration. Question: if you’re home schooled, how does that whole, acting in the school play thing work?</p>
<p>Thanks,
whats do you mean when you say if fin/aid is not a consideration? Becuase fin/aid is a BIG factor.
The school play was done by a ton of homeschool students. And was directed by a mom.
Are my scores high enough b/c I will be retaking the SAT?</p>
<p>I’m a novice on the whole subject of home schooling, but, my suspicion is that your standardized test results would come under a great deal more scrutiny than usual. As it stands, your Math score looks pretty weak. What does you ACT score look like?</p>
<p>As far as financial aid is concerned, Wesleyan is pretty generous, but there’s so much variation between schools that it’s usually advisable not to apply ED for the simple reason that you’ll never know, for example, what Hamilton might have offered had you been able to go forward with their application process (you realize, you’d have to rescind all of your other applications once you’re accepted ED, right?)</p>
<p>Having said all of that, I still think there’s something laudable about a candidate from Montana who has even heard of Wesleyan, much less who would want to stray so far out of their comfort zone as to make it their first choice.</p>
<p>So, sit down with your mom and dad and think about it. Wesleyan often uses ED to fill up on sports kids, science kids and legacies. I would contact the soccer coach and see whether they would consider you a possible “tip” candidate – but, you would have to do that fairly soon. The the athletic recruiting season is short and fairly impersonal – end of September at the latest.</p>
<p>I agree with the above: your test scores are low for Wesleyan. It’s a school that attracts Ivy-caliber students – the 3 current Wesleyan students I know all got into an Ivy – with exceptionally high SATs and grades. And don’t underestimate those non-east coast candidates, johnwesley. The 3 current Wesleyan students I know are from Colorado, Texas and Oregon!</p>
<p>Also, OP I don’t want to burst your bubble, but Hamilton may be a reach for you as well. In these days of huge applicant numbers, schools aren’t as loyal to legacies as in days of old. </p>
<p>My suggestion would be to boost those SATs in a major way – and in the meantime look for more ‘safety’ and ‘match’ schools.</p>
<p>I agree. I am definitly trying to raise my math SAT.
One of the things I am realy banking on is my diversity of experience, not only am I from MT but I just got back from a year in Ecuador…ect.
The soccer recruiting thing is realy tough, because I just returned from a camp at Dartmouth, I was realy banking on getting recrueted by the Wesleyan coach while I was there but I had the absolutly worst week of soccer possible and that did not work out.
I still plan on playing college soccer but I think it will probably be as a walk-on.</p>
<p>I agree I am definitly trying to raise that math score.
I just returned from a soccer camp at Dartmouth, the Wesleyan coach was there and I talked to him for a minute. The only problem was that I had the absolutly worst possible week of soccer and he was not impressed. I still plan on playing college soccer but I suspect that it will be as a walk-on.
What safety schools would you recomend?</p>
<p>Take a look at Trinity (CT), Occidental in Los Angeles (often lost in the shuffle with people looking at the Claremont Colleges), Hampshire College (MA), and a funny little place in the middle of New York City (if you can navigate the subway and bus system) – Wagner College – listed among Princeton Review’s Most Beautiful College Campuses. Hope this helps. :)</p>
<p>The reason why you shouldn’t apply ED to a place AND having financial aid a huge concern is because you don’t know how much finaid you’ll get. It’s best to apply to a few colleges and see when each of them is willing to give you and what you and your family is expected to pay and base your college decision on that. Never assume that you’ll get a lot of finaid.</p>
<p>I thought becuase wes is need blind and pledge to meet the demonstrated need of all students ED would not affect that. In my situation without Fin/aid their is literaly NO way I can go to any college in the East.</p>
<p>^You’re not getting the point. If you apply to a school early decision and get accepted, you are OBLIGATED to matriculate and must withdraw all your other applications. What this means is that you don’t have the opportunity to compare financial aid packages from different schools. If you apply to Wesleyan regular decision and get in along with some other schools like Hamilton, it might be the case that the other schools wind up giving you more money than Wesleyan. But if you apply ED, you don’t have the option of choice. Remember, the college decides how much money you really need. You don’t tell the college you need X amount of money and they just hand it over to you. So if you apply ED, get in, and Wesleyan decides you get only a certain amount of money, even if it was less than you were hoping for, then too bad, you’re screwed.
This is why you shouldn’t apply ED if financial aid is a concern.
Oh and you can in some circumstances weasel out of an ED agreement if the financial aid is really much too low, but then you forfeit your seat in the incoming freshman class. So you’d either have to suck it up and deal with the sub par financial aid or look for a different college.</p>
<p>Ya I understand.<br>
So now I quess my next question would be, Looking at my application would ED give signifigantly better chances of getting into Wes?</p>
<p>^^Yes and no. And, it’s complicated mainly for the reasons ppl have been alluding to re Fin/Aid. Yes, the admissions rate for ppl admitted under ED at Wes is nearly twice what it is for ppl admitted under RD. </p>
<p>HOWEVER, since so many ppl who are applying ED do not or will not be applying for Fin/Aid, their numerical stats tend to be off the hook (as studies show that SATs tend to reflect the socio-economic backgrounds of the test-takers fairly significantly), you’d be be competing against a much stronger pool overall.</p>
<p>I hate to say this, but, without a sports tip – or a really bang-up essay --, it may be a wash whether you apply ED or RD.</p>
<p>Ok that does make sense.
I think I will still apply ED especially if I get my Math score up to 650 or so.
Here are a few of the colleges I have also been thinking about.
Wabash
Bates
Colby
Laffetye
Not sure how those rank along side Wesleyan and Hamilton as far as admissions go.<br>
Wow I never realy realised exsactly how competetive admission is to these schools…kinda discouraging.
Thanks</p>
<p>Ya a I understand what your saying.
I probably will still apply to Wesleyan ED but I will definitly put a lot of thought into safty and match schools.
Here are a few schools I came up with . That look like they would be good fits.
Bates
Colby
Lafeyette
Wabash
Not sure how these schools compare admissions wise to Wesleyan and Hamilton. And/or what my chances are at these schools.
The difficulty of admissions at all these schools has realy blown me away…Kinda discouraging but thats life.
Thanks</p>
<p>With the exception of Wabash, none of those colleges should be regarded as safeties. But, you have the right idea. If the midwest appeals to you, also take a look at Kenyon, and Denison.</p>