Can you see me at Hanover? Please Chance Me!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>Thanks in advance for looking at this!</p>

<p>I visited Dartmouth a few weeks ago and thought it was absolutely wonderful!!!
I am not sure if I will apply there early (indecision alone points to probably not) but would like to know my chances to Dartmouth!</p>

<p>I am an asian-american female rising senior and attend a large failing urban public high school in New England. Every year, my school sends about about ~3 grads to Ivies, which is surprising given its status as a school that focuses more on preventing bomb threats than encouraging academic success.</p>

<hr>

<p>Academics:
Rank: 1/550
WGPA: 6.89/7.00 (phys ed kills our gpa every time)
UWGPA: 4.00/4.00</p>

<p>SAT:
2370 superscore breakdown- w-800 cr-770 m-800
2290 best sitting breakdown- w-730 cr-760 m-800</p>

<p>PSAT: 232 (National Merit Semifinalist at least)</p>

<p>SAT II:
Math II: 800
Biology M: 780
US History: 780</p>

<p>AP:
(10) Calc BC/AB subscore: 5/5
(10) Human Geography: 4 (mehh)
(11) AP Biology 5
(11) Statistics 5
(11) US History 5
(11) US Government and Politics 4 (mehh)</p>

<p>Senior Year course load:
AP Chem
Debate (honors)
AP Comp Lit
AP Environmental Science
AP Psychology
(nothing else fits because of lab periods)</p>

<h2>Diff Equations or Linear Algebra class at Yale (independent study)</h2>

<p>EC:
Debate Team- 10th, 11th, 12th (captain)
-3rd place team (twice), 2nd place individual speaker (regional)
-qualified for states 11th</p>

<p>Math Team-9th, 10th, 11th (captain), 12th (captain)
-team top scorer
-qualified for states 9th-11th</p>

<p>AMC 10/12
-school top scorer
-qualified for AIME</p>

<p>Varsity Badminton-10th</p>

<p>Spanish National Honor Society-11th, 12th</p>

<p>National Honor Society-12th</p>

<p>SAT MATH PREP-11th, 12th
-co-founder and teacher
-teach students SAT Math as community service</p>

<p>Violin-
School Orchestra-9th, 10th (concertmaster), 11th (concertmaster)
Pit Orchestra concertmaster for student produced musicals
Regionals-9th (concertmaster), 10th, 11th
All States-9th, 10th, 11th
local orchestra-9th, 10th, 11th, 12th</p>

<h2>winner and top prize winner of various competitions</h2>

<p>Community Service:
YMCA child care-60 hours
play violin at local senior center-20 hours
volunteer at hospital-150+ hours</p>

<h2>SAT MATH PREP-30 hours</h2>

<p>Summer:
9th-CTY
10th-music camp
11th-volunteer at hospital
12th-Yale summer multivariable calculus class, research intern at Yale Med</p>

2

<p>Looks like you have a great shot at Dartmouth (and anywhere else). Don’t forget to get some matches and safeties though…nothing is guaranteed! Good luck, and hope to see you up in Hanover next year!</p>

3

<p>Those 4s aren’t “mehh”-worthy. Forgive yourself.</p>

<p>Make sure you have your guidance counselor note the scheduling conflicts affecting your senior year courseload.</p>

<p>I was also superscored800800770CR/CT public school/violin/math team captain, and I got in RD… but this was several years ago, and the admissions rate was higher. For ED, you’d have a pretty good shot; for RD, all bets are off, but you’ll probably get into at least one great school.</p>

<p>If you know you want Dartmouth, don’t be afraid to apply ED. It’s really a great school, with excellent professors, opportunities, and resources and a tight-knit student body. Plus, if you’re accepted ED, you’ll immediately know which AP exams do and do not matter, and you’ll be able to really enjoy your last semester of high school.</p>

<p>Whatever you choose, best of luck!</p>

4

<p>Your class rank will be a huge plus. I think you have an excellent chance!</p>

5

<p>I agree that your chances are very good at D and at the rest of the elites, but that nothing is a given. You will need excellent recommendations and essays. Don’t overlook getting one or two–but probably not more–additional recs from people who know you well in your life outside academics: music, community service, or other EC. Also consider doing an arts supplement. (What pieces have you been working on lately?)</p>

6

<p>Not to be a huge dick and buzzkill, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn in April that you weren’t admitted to any of the top schools. You come about as close as is possible to epitomizing the stereotypical high-achieving Asian candidate.</p>

<p>With that said, I do think you deserve a spot at at least one top school. You are not going to get in with your extracurriculars, and your academics are not enough to pull you through. What’s going to get you in, if you ask me, is how you tell your story. </p>

<p>If your high school really is a ****show, try to make sure that comes through in your application – especially through letters of recommendation. A supplementary one from someone outside the school might be a good idea. </p>

<p>Example: “Grace is a truly phenomenal student, especially given her school. [Insert why school blows.]”</p>

<p>In that light, your application looks extremely convincing, and I think a lot of top schools would put it in the admit pile.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>EDIT: Not applying early is rolling the dice. RD is brutally competitive now, so it’s your call – but don’t go *****ing in April about how Susie the ■■■■■■■■ Legacy was admitted ED when you were rejected RD. Susie played the game correctly, and you took it up the rear for yearning for HYPS.</p>

7

<p>^not going to lie but ouch. made me a little nervous about meeting the dartmouth student body o.O not saying that i don’t appreciate the advice but that was a little scary.</p>

<p>thanks everyone anyways!!
since I am a bit undecided also what makes you think i personally (from what you see here…) that should make me swing to ED over RD?</p>

1 Like
8

<p>You should only apply ED to any school if you are certain that it is your first choice, AND certain that you can afford to attend given your likely FA award, if any. </p>

<p>Only you and your family can make that decision. If you haven’t done the Dartmouth FA calculator with your parents, you should. Our family found that D responded favorably to an appeal of the initial award–which was generous, but not enough given our situation at the time–but that’s no guarantee for you.</p>

<p>Whether ED would be a big advantage over RD to you personally is iffy, since you aren’t either a legacy or a high-statted URM. And don’t forget that the ED rate of acceptance would shrink WAY down if all of the recruited athletes were subtracted, especially at D, which reportedly recruits a lot for its size. You can look at the ED threads for the last year or two, and see how CC posters did. A lot of really strong-looking candidates didn’t make it.</p>

<p>But I guess I’d say that if you REALLY want D as your first choice, you should go for it. The worst that can happen is that you’d be deferred. And of course it would make it impossible to apply to Yale or Stanford SCEA. :)</p>