Can I get in?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’m a high school junior. I don’t have the best stats, so I was wondering if you could take a look and see if I can get into any of my top schools.

3.75 GPA UW (my school doesn’t do weighted GPAs)
32 ACT (35 English, 33 science, 32 reading, 26 math)
Planning to take SAT 2s in Biology, English, and US history this year

Not a huge amount of community service but trying to get it up. Some of the places I’ve volunteered have been:
My figure skating club, teaching kids to skate
Food for Lane County
Spend a few weeks in Nicaragua working at a sustainable farm (with Volunteers for peace)
Also some events with the Womanspace in my town

ECs:
Figure skating (10 years)
Debate team (lots of awards at various tournaments in Policy and Parliamentary debate, Impromptu and Extemporaneous speaking, and Original Oratory)
Student Council Secretary
Drama (lot’s of productions in Sophomore and Junior year, will be directing a play next year)
President of the Feminist Union
National Forensics league Academic All-American
Prom committee member
Georgetown summer program in international relations
I’m going to be interning with the democratic party in my town this summer

My school is incredibly competitive. It’s very small, and I think there’s only one person in the entire school who has a 4.0. The counselor writes all that in the recommendation, but the main problem I think is with AP classes. My school only offers about 5 a year, and very few to underclassmen, so I’ve only had 3 AP classes, and I plan on taking 5 next year. I just feel like that doesn’t put me on par with people who have been able to take 12 or so through high school. I also had some pretty bad struggles with depression in my freshman year that led to me not getting very good grades that year, but my GPA has gone up every semester since that.

My top schools are:
Mt Holyoke College
Bard College
Occidental
Georgetown
American
Bates
Scripps

Thank you!

2

I don’t think that the number of APs is going to hinder you much, if at all. 8 APs throughout high school is a good amount regardless of where you go to school, plus, colleges will recognize that your school just doesn’t offer as many. I think most colleges calculate an unweighted GPA themselves so that they can have some basis of comparison because they know that some applicants just had more opportunities to take advanced classes. Colleges really just want to see that you have taken advantage of what resources are available to you and that you push yourself to the greatest extent possible in whatever situation you find yourself–which you seem to have done. Those colleges do not seem to be incredibly unreasonable goals for you, as far as I can tell. Good luck :slight_smile:

3

If Bard is on your list, I highly recommend you do their IDP (Immediate Decision Program). It has a bunch of advantages, including

  1. higher acceptance rate than RD, but the decision is non-binding (like EA)
  2. you find out in the fall, just one week after you complete it! It’s really nice to have an acceptance in your pocket.
  3. It’s fun!

(My D applied to both MHC and Bard, and considered Bates.)

4

You have to be at Bard for the IDP, right? I would love to do it, I just don’t think that I can get over there (I live in the northwest and Bard’s pretty far away)