Can strong LOR's offset lack of course rigor?

Applying to College
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A 1460 is an excellent score. Your application would be stronger by including that as that could confirm that while you don’t have the most rigor you do have the capability. I would take a real SAT as that kind of score will help your case.

This was on one occasion, and only on a practice test. The next week, as I mentioned, I had a 1320. The week after that, a 1400 or so. I was scoring too inconsistently to be have known I would score well on test day. Plus, as I mentioned, testing centers were all closed in my area.

Most schools are test-optional now, which I think means that if you don’t have a test score they won’t hold it against you, but if you do, it will be considered.

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So you likely have a dedicated college counselor that will know way more than anyone on this site about your prospects. What are they saying?

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Nvm

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Many testing centers are open now and there are several fall dates. Why not sit for 1 or 2 tests and see how you do? Will most of the kids in your school have test scores to submit?

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They’ve been very inattentive, to be honest. They simply looked at my sheet of paper without knowing the context behind it.

Plus, some of the things they’ve said have just been untrue. They claimed that Marist was a reach for me, but Skidmore and Kenyon were probables/safeties. They also looked no farther than my transcript in chancing me for schools. They don’t know the underlying story and context behind it, or anything about me, for that matter.

I haven’t been impressed and have actually tried to dissociate with them. They might not be wrong, but I have serious doubts. My brother’s experience with a counselor at a similar school also made me think less of GC’s. They told him he had no chance at his dream school and not to even apply, and he got in RD.

I have many targets/safeties outlined already. Skidmore is probably the main one, but also some state schools. This post and others only concern reaches that I may have a good shot at, and right now I’m thinking Wesleyan and Emory at the lower reach end, Williams in the middle reach end, and Princeton and Stanford at the highest reach end. I may apply to low-mid reach ED.

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Williams is a reach for even the top students. The ED accept rate looks high there, but a big portion of that is athlete, legacy, diversity candidates. Room for others of course, but that may be a waste of an ED.

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Many testing centers are open now and there are several fall dates. Why not sit for 1 or 2 tests and see how you do? Will most of the kids in your school have test scores to submit?

I don’t know that most kids at my school will have scores to submit, but I already know of a few who have perfect and near-perfect ACT scores.

As for me, I think it is too late. I’m looking to dedicate my time to enhancing my EC’s and GPA. I’d have to restudy the material for months, and again, the 1460 was only on one occasion. I highly doubt I’d score that on test day, if I’m being honest.

If centers were open during COVID, I would’ve absolutely taken it. It’s just that, where I was they weren’t open, and the ones that were operating were completely booked.

A good test score would definitely help me, but at least with a test-optional policy, other, stronger parts of my app will be considered.

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Yes, I’d agree. I’m really leaning toward Wesleyan or Emory ED. I definitely want to use ED for a reach, since my safeties are likely to admit me and I’m quite content with them.

Emory doesn’t look at freshman year, which is also favorable for me.

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What kind of ECs do you have? If it’s just basic school stuff, I still think a good score is going to mean more to your application than dedicating yourself to ECs. And if you aren’t able to juggle school and test prep at the same time, how do you think you would be able to juggle demands at Princeton? I mean no disrespect here, just trying to be realistic.

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I get what you’re saying. The fact is that I did juggle school and test prep, but I was scoring much too inconsistently. After the 1460 I got, I was confident I’d score well or even better on the next practice test, but ended up getting a 1320. On the next one, a 1410 (just checked).

On top of it, even if I wanted to take the test, I couldn’t, since my family moved us to the boondocks during Covid and every center was either closed or fully booked. Then, since I was in junior year, I began to focus heavily on GPA instead of test scores and EC’s (I ended with a 4.0 UW, 4.2 W last year).

I think it’s now too late to take a test of that kind. I have many EC obligations between now and November, which is the time of ED app submission. Since you asked about my EC’s, they’re certainly not all school clubs (though I started the Debate group at my school and write for the newsletter). I’m on the review committee for an award-winning literary magazine that’s affiliated with my school, I’ve spent 8 months writing a book that already has prospective publishers, and now it looks like some of my other works are getting published in both local and national publications. I’ve also been a senior contributor to a student journalism newsletter that garners thousands of views daily.

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Ok- those ECs sound very good. Make sure you highlight the writing as much as possible. Could play well at Wes. What kind of math do you have. I ask because at a Wesleyan info session they made a point that a very high % of those they accept have taken Calculus.

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I’m on track for precalc next year, which may impact my chances. There was an option to take a precalc summer course to be in calc for senior year, but it was thousands of dollars that my parents didn’t want to spend, especially because of my intended lit major.

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Two things: First, the fact that you can handle the homework that your cousins at UChic & Duke are doing is not the whole story. For example, UChic is on the quarter system, which means that you are pushing through a lot of material very quicky. A problem set in isolation is one thing; in the context of multiple classes at the same time it can be quite another. Second, and more importantly, you are quite probably right- and it is beside the point. When Collegedad was lecturing at Harvard and the Collegekids were in HS, he came home saying that they and virtually all of their friends would be well able for the work. There are lots more kids who can handle the work than there are spaces for them. As somebody upthread pointed out, most of the kids who get into tippy tops are AND kids- they have demonstrated that they can do college level work AND do something (or several somethings) at the same time.

It’s too late for that. You need to keep your grades up, yes, but the only thing you can really change now is your essays (and test scores if you went that route).

Nonetheless, they will be writing an LoR for you whether you like it or not, and it will carry weight. We have had both good & bad experiences with CCs at fancy prep schools, so I get that yours might not be great- but they are what you have to work with.

Whatever else you do, this is a good time to hone your self-advocacy skills. You have a class of 70 kids and at least 2 CCs, so perhaps as many as 35 students each. They will be focused on the two ends of your class plus the random squeaky wheels: the 10+ students who are top of the class that the school wants to see get into top name colleges*; the 10+ students at the bottom of the class who need to get into an actual 4 year college*; and the random squeaky wheels (super pushy parents / family are multi-generation alums / ones who give lots of money) need to get into a college that the parents will be happy enough with.

From their point of view, you are a relative late comer, are in the middle of the pack, and will definitely get into a credible school that will be a good place for you (they are right about this last point, btw). The regional reps for the mid-tier colleges where they see you landing will know the CCs & the school well enough.

Self-advocacy in this case means you putting yourself forward- ie, being a squeaky wheel. It’s hard, because you have to continuously calibrate how hard you push (not so much that you are annoying, not so little that it doesn’t have an impact), and it might not end up making any difference at all. But: it might make all the difference.

So, back up and look at the schools on your list. Figure out what schools you actually, seriously think are the best fit for you. Be able to articulate why college X instead of college Y. Be able to identify 3 tiers of schools that have similar elements, so that you can say "I love X b/c of Y…, but of course it’s a reach, so I also like Z, b/c I would get a lot of Y, and it’s more of a match. Of course, Uni A has some elements of Y, and I could make them work, so it’s a good safety. If you have already been given your prep sheet (sometimes called a ‘brag sheet’ or similar), go over it carefully. Then go make an appointment with your CC, and talk them through it. Don’t over-lean on the ‘it’s not fair b/c…’- simply note that it’s frustrating that starting late limited your options. Ask about how to demonstrate that you have maximized what you have done within the parameters that you had work with. etc. Have at least 2 specific, narrow questions ready to ask during the appointment. Demonstrating that you are serious about this, show that you are approaching this in a mature and disciplined manner, gives them direct experience of you, which can only help in writing your LoR.

*these are super important to the school from a reputational pov

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This is very good advice, and I actually intended to do much of this, particularly the CC consultation part. Having it written out is a big help.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, I have a lot of targets and safeties lined up that are likely to admit me. I’d also be very content at these schools, I tend to believe.

The issue for me isn’t identifying those schools. The issue is identifying the reaches and maximizing the collegiate quality I can get while I’m best able to. This means I need to take many factors into consideration, especially in my circumstances. Does a school look at freshman year grades? Are they test-blind? Do they review class rank? Do they feature holistic admissions processes? I have to somehow tailor a school for me while still knowing I’d likely enjoy my experience there. Early decision is a difficult quandary as well. I could apply ED to have the best shot at a really selective school, or I could do it at a lower reach that features an even higher acceptance rate. The question is difficult.

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Just be careful with regard to banking on what you consider a safety/match. Applying to those RD changes odds dramatically. I don’t think Kenyon can be considered a safety and lately Skidmore gets so many apps, that isn’t one either with your profile. Kenyon is an excellent choice for a strong writer. You may want to consider that for ED2 if ED1 doesn’t work out

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FYI : UC’s only use 10-11th grades for their GPA calculation but 9-11th course grades are reviewed for a-g course completion and are required to be reported on the UC application.

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Strong LoRs can help accentuate a strong application but aren’t going to offset weaknesses in other parts of an application for the highly selective colleges.

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Kenyon is a probable/match, I’ve been told. Skidmore, I’ve also been told, is a high probable/safety, especially considering I’m full pay.

Could you explain ED1 vs. ED2? To my understanding, ED1 is the first school you apply to ED. If you’re rejected in that round, you apply to another school ED2. Is this correct?

I suppose if this were true, I could apply to a T20 for ED1, likely get rejected, and then apply to a match/slight reach for ED2.

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Yes, that’s the way ED2 works.
I’m certainly not an expert as my kids applied when scores were expected to be submitted, but with medium rigor and no test scores to offset that, I’m not sure I agree that Kenyon and Skidmore are safeties in the RD round. Anyone else here want to weigh in on that?

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I don’t think they’re safeties, for the record. It was my CC who said they were, but that Marist, American, and GWU were somehow reaches.

I’ve heard elsewhere that they are probables/matches, but that since I don’t need aid, Skidmore is rather safe.