Chance? (March Anxiety Hits)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
1

<p>I said I'd never do it, but I can't resist the opportunity to hear from people besides my college counselor. Thanks in advance for taking the time to look at this!</p>

<p>State: Oregon
School: v. competitive single-gender, college prep school
GPA: UW 3.5/4.0 (I have a learning disability which, left undiagnosed, impacted my grades to an extent and is addressed in both my counselors rec, and a letter I sent with my application.)
Tests: SAT 1500/1600, 2240/2400. CR: 800, M: 700, W: 740. (Single sittting).
PSAT: 216
Rank: School does not rank.
APs: English and Government (senior year. applied to take more, but was not allowed to by my school because of learning disability)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Theater- Four years, Thespian troupe member. Tech work only, and have worked every single show and every single possible job. Designed sets, sound, etc. Expecting to continue in college and potentially major. Takes up approximately 20 hours of my time per week, for all but a month of the school year.
Literary Magazine- Worked in magazine for three years, have also submitted work and won multiple awards in both poetry and prose.
Politics Club- (Debates, West Wing nerdiness, etc) since sophmore year.</p>

<p>Work:
-I work for a professional theater company outside my school in the summer and winter, doing tech work, designing for the smaller-scale shows, and on the running crew for larger productions. Began working the summer after my sophmore year, and have done three shows per summer, and one per winter ever since. I also work for a dance school and run sound during their performances.
(With school, the professional company, and the dance school combined, I've worked 23 shows in the past two and a half years.)
-Also work bussing tables at a restaurant during the day in the summer.</p>

<p>Awards:
Scholastic National Writing Competition: Two Gold Awards in Playwriting and Prose, respectively.
Oregon Thespian Association First Place in Playwriting.
National Merit Finalist
Literary Magazine Best Submission Award in both Poetry and Prose.</p>

<p>Essays:
One of my strong points (since I love to write).</p>

<p>Recs:
Should be good, one from a teacher I've had for all four years and whom I'm very close with. He teaches Latin and some Philisophy courses, and is known for writing glowing reccomendations. The other is from a math teacher who taught me junior year and was my group leader on a retreat.</p>

<p>Volunteer:
Have done some for school requirements. Have also tutored students in Latin.</p>

<p>Thanks, and fire away! I know I'm a bit of an odd duck, admissions wise, but maybe it's good to be weird?</p>

2

<p>OK, usual disclaimer, I’m not an admissions official, all views are my own, they’re the only ways that can say for sure. </p>

<p>BUT, I think you have a really good chance. True, your GPA will not be the highest they will see, but it’s high enough. Test scores are awesome and prove that you’ve got more between your ears than air :slight_smile: Strong EC’s and great summer work (do you work at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the summers by chance, or with a different theater group? I LOVE Ashland). Impressive awards. Not a lot of APs, but that’s not your fault (hopefully your GC rec or some other part of you app will reflect this) and you’ve taken what’s avaialble to you so that’s what matters. </p>

<p>So you know, it’s hard to chance for most people but I think you’ve got as good a shot as anyone and better than most. Your stats certainly reflect that you’re the kind of person they’re looking for. So no promises, but I wouldn’t spend every night fretting.</p>

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<p>I agree with S&P. Plus, you’ve got the geographic diversity going for you.</p>

4

<p>If you’re sure Smith is your first choice, I’d start tentatively thinking about housing (Green Street is closest to the performing arts spaces, heh…propaganda alert) and choice of major.</p>

<p>I’m not ordinarily so unrestrained but I have to squint really really hard with an ugly perspective to conjure a way that you don’t get in.</p>

5

<p>^^ I actually agree with TD, but you know, weird things happen sometimes for unclear reasons, so I wanted to be a tiny bit restrained. But barring freak occurences, I think you’re likely to get in. You might not get a STRIDE, but you’ll probably be accepted.</p>

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<p>S+P: I did address the AP/Honors classes situation in a letter that went with my application, and my GC wrote about it in her reccomendation as well. And I WISH I worked at OSF, but sadly they only hire college students, and are 5+ hours away from where I live. I settle for being blown away by their production values when I go watch their shows every year. I work for another theater company closer to home.</p>

<p>TD: I’m definitely already looking at housing. I visited and interviewed on campus in the fall, and I have two friends who already attend Smith. So they gave me something of an inside scoop into housing. I’m thinking Green St. or either Upper/Lower Elm. I’m definitely more of a Disney-movies-and-making-pie-from-scratch girl than a partier.</p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to read all that stuff! I’ll just have to survive waiting the rest of March. You guys were a big help.</p>

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<p>We’re rooting for you! Enjoy the spring while you’re waiting.</p>