Can someone tell me my chances please?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Whitman College
1

<p>I'm a Washington senior and I would love to attend Whitman. I've only heard excellent things about it and I would certainly enjoy going to a small college. That being said, what do you guys think my chances of getting accepted are given my stats?</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.97 (4.0 student with 2 exceptions about which I am very unhappy).
ACT composite: 29 (a bit low, I would have scored higher but frankly I lost track of time on the math and science sections which brought down my score from a probable 34). Writing sub score of 10.
AP courses: between junior and senior years a total of 8 AP courses and 6 pre-ap courses sophomore year (they weren't offered during freshman year).</p>

<p>Taking a full schedule senior year including 4 AP classes.</p>

<p>Participated in a special (started by my high school) magnet program for science, math, and technology throughout high school which ends in a final culminating science project which is entered into a regional fair.</p>

<p>Participated in an OIP (opportunity internship program) over the summer. Essentially it was an internship program directed towards low-income students hoping to pursue a career in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It was a 90 hour internship that was paid via stipend after completion, I'm not sure if that makes it more or less attractive to an ad com... I worked in a bioanalytical development lab and could definitely get a LoR from my boss.</p>

<p>Have taken Spanish, English, and Math classes all 4 years (including Spanish 5 and Calculus).</p>

<p>150+ hours of volunteering at multiple organizations.</p>

<p>Been in NHS sophomore - senior years as well as Red Cross Club.</p>

<p>I can write essays well and with a lot of deliberation I am confident that I can write a strong admission essay.</p>

<p>I can get quite a few good letters of recommendation from teachers (and have already gotten a few).</p>

<p>Participated in a full-year mentorship program with a physicist during junior year.</p>

<p>I'm sure I'm forgetting a fair amount and probably gave more information than necessary but I wanted to be thorough. I know Whitman is very selective but I'm hoping I have a fair shot. What do you all think? Thanks much in advance.</p>

2

<p>I think you’ve got an excellent shot. That said, I’ve heard of top notch kids being rejected. The one I knew admitted that she didn’t visit or interview and assumed therefore that she didn’t get in for that reason. So be sure to show that you’re really interested and, from what I can tell, you should get in!</p>

3

<p>You should be a strong candidate I think, but you do need to demonstrate your interest by contacting your local rep, going to school or area visits and getting to the campus if you can. You definitely want to interview and let them know how and why you are a good fit.</p>

4

<p>Interesting, you both said that an interview is important to the process. Does a good interview really help with admission at Whitman?</p>

5

<p>Having an interview is a great way to establish a relationship with someone in admissions. You’ll meet your local rep, and that’s the person who goes to bat for you when they’re all sitting around the table deciding who to admit. They’re not required or determinative, but the rule of thumb for applying to selective schools is take any opportunity they offer you to show that you’re interested and that you’d be a great addition to their next freshman class.</p>

6

<p>The school says that interviews are informational not evaluative. I think interviewing shows your level and interest and allows you to express that in person. My son had a very similar profile to yours. In the prior two years a number of students from his school had applied to Whitman but none had been accepted. He wanted to do everything he could to show his interest so we visited campus twice (not and easy trip) and he interviewed when a representative came to our area.</p>

<p>He was accepted. Disappointingly, other than $1,000 for being a NMF, he wasn’t offered any merit aid.</p>

<p>He has been there for about 3 weeks now and feels he definitely made the right choice.</p>

<p>Good luck to you</p>

7

<p>I agree that their attention to the interview is not “evaluative” in the sense of it being a stress interview or something that makes or breaks a decision. Rather, they are very interested in gathering a community of students that really do want to be at Whitman and who would be a good fit with the community there–so seeing the campus, or at least meeting a recruiter in person, helps everyone know more about that “fit.” </p>

<p>I expect that some kids from the NW have Whitman as a “safety” and don’t visit–and then are surprised not to get in. So if you are from the NW and it is a priority, you need to let them know that. ( You would not have to visit necessarily, just show your enthusiasm.)</p>

8

<p>So my stats match up with Whitman requirements decently, the problem is just that they are small enough that they need to be very selective, correct? </p>

<p>(By the way, I in no way think of Whitman as a safety school. I appreciate how incredible the college is and realize it will take work to be accepted.)</p>

9

<p>I suspect that you would have a very good chance. Whitman’s acceptance rate is around 45%, which is not that terribly selective when compared to peer schools, but they manage to find top notch students (measured by SATs) to attend. Given that it is remote and loses qualified students to less remote or more well-known colleges, expressing sincere interest through an interview or attendance at a regional presentation would certainly boost your chances. </p>

<p>My son decided on Whitman as his No. 2 school, was rejected ED1 from his No. 1, and applied to Whitman ED2 and got in. He is a freshman who loves it so far. The main attraction is the other students and the things they do together. He likes the classes too, but the students are what makes him happy there.</p>

<p>Also, my impression is that grades / classes and academic rigor of your high school experience is extremely important, and you seem to have that. The test scores are also important, but your ACTs appear to be in the ballpark.</p>

10

<p>Thank you all for your input. I think I have a pretty good chance to get in considering how great the school really is (45-50% acceptance rate is high compared to some liberal arts schools). Does anyone think that my low ACT score will be an issue? I know standardized test scores are important to Whitman but I’ve done fairly well in all of the other important areas so I don’t know if a low ACT score could be problematic.</p>

11

<p>I think your score is within their “window” and other things can balance it. Not everyone is at “test taker” extraordinaire and they are mainly looking for evidence that you can thrive in a college setting. Other things can support that.</p>