Can Someone Explain This To Me?

Applying to College
1

<p>My schools so far:
Bard College EA ACCEPTED
Northeastern University RD WAITLISTED
UMASS Amherst ACCEPTED</p>

<p>Now looking at that...you would think that the NEU waitlisting is weird if I got into Bard, right? Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Private Catholic School
GPA: About 3.2 UW
Class Rank: 32/177....but 7th boy?
ACT: 30
SATIIs: 670 LIT 680 MATHI 610 MATH2</p>

<p>Classes:
Spanish I
Algebra II Honors
Human Biology Honors
English I Honors
World History Honors
Religion I
Information Technology Expo (Independant study)</p>

<p>Geometry Honors
Biology Honors
American Civilization Honors (Double class English/History)
Spanish II Honors
Religion II
Band</p>

<p>AP US History
Honors Intergrated Math/Physics Technology (Double class Calc/Physics, hardest class in the school)
English III Honors
Spanish III Honors
Religion III</p>

<p>AP Calc
AP Chem
AP English
Bioethics Honors
Psychology
Sociology</p>

<p>ECs:
2006 MA HS Varsity State Powerlifting Champion 165 lb class....multiple National rankings and other high placing meets
Varsity Football
Drummer in multiple rock bands
LOTS of Community Service
NHS
Physics Team
Amnesty International</p>

<p>Really excellent recommendations...a world-famous physisist/nun who taught HIMPT and AP Calc, my principle who has a PhD from Harvard and teaches my Bioethics Class, and my English III teachers who is a great writer and absolutely loves me. They are all about my passion for philosophy and my unique approach to thought and learning. I sound like Plato for godsake.</p>

<p>I'd have to say my essays are prettty good. My common app essay is a personal reflection on why I chose psychology/philosophy...about a friend who I tried to help but ended up in rehab, and how I want to reconcile myself by helping others.</p>

<p>Now...why did I get into such a selective LAC but then wait-listed as a moderately selective large university? I'm so confused. I feel like I now have no chance at Boston Universtiy...I'm nervous.</p>

2

<p>Schools look at your application differently, putting different weights into different aspects of the application.</p>

<p>Some schools weigh heavily on GPA, as they want you to succeed at their college, and want you to get the high marks. Others want the test scores, to improve US News rankings, make their school more attractive to prospective applicants, etc. Others have so many qualified applicants that once you reach a certain number (ex. 3.8 GPA, 1400 SAT), they look heavily into your ECs.</p>

3

<p>Bard and Northeastern are very different places. You sound like someone who may be an excellent fit for Bard, so you jumped out to their admissions people.</p>

<p>People put way to much weight into plugging GPAs and SATs into websites that make you think they have a magic formula. It's a HUMAN process; you never know what's going to capture one school's -- or even one admissions person's -- eye.</p>

4

<p>You applied EA to Bard. That gave you somewhat of an advantage there.</p>

5

<p>Perhaps they thought you were too good for NEU?</p>

6

<p>Only thing I can think of is that almost every kid in MA must use NEU as their safety, and they get a little sensitive to that. BU may be the same way (I don't know - just speculating) so you might need a way to demonstrate interest.</p>

7

<p>Bard does admissions very differently. Numerical evalutations are very insignificant there. They take a much more holistical approach than a big school like NEU.</p>

8

<p>What I don't get was what was wrong with my stats for NEU...3.6 is my weighted GPA which is the exact average GPA they display...their 25% ACT is 29, which mine surpasses. What do they look at that I don't have? I'm just scared that if I couldn't get into NEU, I won't get into BU or Clark.</p>