<p>Grades: C’s and B’s during frosh and soph year. B’s to A’s during junior and senior year. HS Courses: 5 APs, 2 standard level, rest honors Rank: Top 50% SAT: CR 740, M 750, W 720 SATII: Math II 750, Chem 770, US Hist 740 AP: US 5, Chem 5 Upcoming AP: Stat, Physics B, Euro, Psych EC: Summer internship in university lab, summer trips to Honduras and Taiwan, school/state youth wind symphony (french horn), public library volunteer work, tutoring Awards: Nat’l Merit runner-up, Spanish honor society Additional info: Public suburban HS, interview w/ alum, upward trend in grades (frosh and soph grades mainly due to lack of focus/adjusting to HS), music supplement, rec from lab mentor</p>
<p>Be honest so I know whether it’s worth a plane ticket to visit the campus.</p>
<p>I definitely think you have a chance. You show upward progression in terms of your grades (Cs to As) and colleges love this. Your rank is kind of low (are you sure you aren’t higher, like top 20%?). Your SAT scores are definitely within the range. Your ECs are not phenomenal, but definitely solid.</p>
<p>So yeah, I think you should visit the campus. It demonstrates interest, and it will give you a great look at the college.</p>
<p>I think you have a shot, but you don’t seem like one of the strongest candidates on the forums (no offense intended–I’m just trying to be honest to help you out). It just seems like you don’t have that many extra-currics/one that you’re really committed to. Your GPA seems sorta low for Bowdoin, but your SATs are on par/ high and your APs are good. That being said, I think you may get in, but not guaranteed. Best of luck!</p>
<p>If you’re really just a top 50% student, your chances are not very good. Also, I don’t see much in your ECs to counter the mediocre academic performance. Upward trend in the GPA and the good scores are helpful but you have a lot to overcome.</p>
<p>My honest opinion is that you should wait to see if you’re admitted to pay for a plane ticket to visit. Your test scores are excellent, but in part because Bowdoin is test-optional, the school seems to place a lot of emphasis on GPA, even if you give them scores like yours. With two years worth of Bs and Cs, even though it was early on, your grades probably will pale by comparison to most other applicants. Your ECs are fine, but you’re competing against kids with lots of leadership positions in HS activities (student gov., clubs, varsity sports captains, etc.) and I don’t see any in your record.</p>
<p>I will not explain the exact specifics of my situation for fear of revealing my identity, but I expect to be admitted based mostly on my academics and my GPA is a paltry ~3.67. However, I took all hard classes and did not take a single “GPA padding class” - for example, instead of taking five hard classes and one easy A, I took six hard classes. It’s not that my courseload was significantly more difficult than the average applicants, it’s just that every single one of my courses was a struggle and a grind and I think the adcoms realized this. Anyway, don’t give up hope - most CCers have unreal stats, but admission committees realize the difference between someone who is well rounded and genuinely interested in learning and someone who has perfect stats and a glut of extracurriculars but is obviously an overachiever and a grinder. Don’t give up hope, I know people with worse stats than you who have gotten in :).</p>
<p>I don’t think Mir1274 should give up hope, but Mir was also asking about spending the $ for a plane ticket to visit campus. My comments were based on Bowdoin’s Common Data Set among other observations: Bowdoin does not consider the applicant’s level of interest (e.g., as shown by a visit to campus), but does consider the interview (which Mir has had); considers class rank and GPA very important, but standardized tests only “important.” The school does not consider work or volunteer activities. Looking at Bowdoin’s “very important” factors may give Mir a better sense of whether it’s worth flying in for a visit. <a href=“http://www.bowdoin.edu/ir/images/cds2009-10.pdf[/url]”>http://www.bowdoin.edu/ir/images/cds2009-10.pdf</a></p>