Decision: Accepted MCAS
(Posting for DS)
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t send
ACT (breakdown):C: 35 M:36 E:36 R:35 S: 34
SAT II: Physics 800, Math 2 800
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 (same as weighted - school weight is strange and not at all helpful for students closest to the top)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School does not rank but in top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): Physics 1 (5), APUSH (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, AP CS, AP Chem, Honors Latin 4, Neuroscience and Literature, and an Independent Research project
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NMSF, Yale Book Award, National Latin Exam Gold x2, Silver x1, Cum Laude Society, many school awards and recognition, gold and silver medals in regional and multi-state rowing competitions.
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Soccer since birth (pretty much); Three-sport athlete four years in a row; JV crew 9, Varsity Crew - 10-12 (co-Captain and MVP); club rowing for three years; Student mentoring team leader 11 and 12; Class representative 12; Mock trial 10-12(Captain), Honor Committee 11-12, Independent research, Peer tutoring, double sports in winter, summer, and fall, many more but less significant.
Job/Work Experience: Soccer ref in summers
Volunteer/Community service: Lots of hours due to mentoring and honor committee, also through church. Probably between 300-500 (I would have to ask him his final calculations)
Summer Activities: Rowing, soccer referee, summer soccer
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Common App essay was AMAZING - definitely a 10! Talked about how helping my grandmother with her crossword puzzles as a child taught me about my heritage and helped shape who I am today, without (hopefully) sounding trite or cheesy; supplemental essay - 9, about how mentoring students has made me more aware of those around me and their stories, and about each story and connection has impacted my life, especially as I head into college in hopes of pursuing a career in medical research.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: Didn’t read. I would imagine amazing - Latin teacher, knows me really well and has been a huge influence in my life.
Teacher Rec #2: Didn’t read. Precalc and AP CS teacher - I imagine her letter was rather great as well. She knows my passions for math and science well and has encouraged me to go outside the classroom and curriculum to independently explore more complex problems and projects.
Counselor Rec: Didn’t read. I would say this was the defining letter. My counselor knows me really well as my friends and I spend almost all our free school time hanging out near her office. She also interviewed other teachers and coaches, as well as my parents, to get the whole picture of who I am as a student and as a human being.
Additional Rec: None (Counselor said I didn’t need any more since she interviewed a vast number of people on my behalf and would include their quotes in her letter).
Interview: None
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major and College: Physics
State (if domestic applicant): NH
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Private day school
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: M
Income Bracket: <65,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM
Reflection: I didn’t really think I was going to get in so I didn’t stress too much over the application. I think that allowed my true voice to shine through the essay. I was pretty certain I would get rejected, not even deferred, so I was shocked when I found I had gotten in.
Strengths: Test scores, letters of recommendation (particularly from counselor); long-term, sustained involvement in some pretty significant ECs; substantial and sustained leadership roles; both essays.
Weaknesses: No national or STEM awards, limited research experience, very few APs (school really limits how many one can take per year and when one can start taking them).
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: A combination of factors - strong test scores; strong leadership experience; LOR, essays, and ECs show my character and my passion for connecting with others in all aspects of life; maybe being URM. But at the end of the day, I think the AdCom was able to see me attending BC and being a part of their student community.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: So far, Deferred at MIT, waiting to hear from two others…
General Comments : I still have yet to understand how Admissions work - I’ve known students far stronger than I get rejected, and just one quick look at admitted/deferred/rejected students here on CC will show that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to how students are chosen. I think the old adage of each college looking to “build a class” is true - they are asking themselves, “Can I see this student at our college? Will this student be able to handle the academic rigor? Will this student make significant contributions to our campus community?” and if the answer to all three is a resounding YES, that student will more likely than not be accepted. They truly seem to embody the holistic approach many colleges claim to use in their selection process. But the hardest part is when you can see yourself there, you know you can handle the rigor, you know you will make a significant contribution to the community, and they still say no or maybe… It is never easy, and this whole process is just getting more and more stressful and difficult with each passing year. Good luck to you all this year!
It’s always such a fine line between sharing too little and too much here…