Chance me at Williams College (ED)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
1

Listen, I hate these threads as much as the next person and I know there really not that reliable (only the admissions office can make this decision) but after reading many of these posts, nerves have gotten the best of me and I thought I might as well. Starting off, I’ve only just started my junior year, so this is based on my last two years and first quarter of junior year. Im applying early decision anyway so its only my last three quarters of junior year that count. If you read through all this, and do reply, your a saint and I thank you.

GPA 3.3 weighted (I know, I know bad start already), projected weighted (3.8-4.0). My high school does not weigh honors classes so my GPA is probably a couple points higher.

Classes: To keep it brief, I’ve done four honors classes and five AP’s. I’m planning on taking at least 2-3 AP’s senior year. They have all been history, english, and arts courses.

Test scores:
AP World - 3
I’ll probably get a five on my AP studio art exam. I’m not planning on doing them for all my AP classes because I dont have the money, but If I do, I’d do AP Art History and AP English, where I’d probably end up with a 4 or 5 for both.
SAT- not taken yet, but I’m studying hard to get at least 1400, I doubt I’ll get too much higher than that though.

Clubs: National art honor society, Tennis team (only three years), Engineering club (two years), Theatre (only two years)

My projected grades at the end of my junior year are going to be much, much higher than all my other years. My GPA as of now is 4.3

My “Hook”: Im from a lower class family with only one parent and my older brother is also planning on going to college too, so money is pretty tight. My grades/AP classes have also increased dramatically from freshman to junior year (which I assume to be a good sign? I’ve heard colleges like that). Most importantly, I’m very strong with art and I would plan on being an art major. I’d no doubt get an excellent recommendation from my teacher + I’ll hopefully win a few awards this year.

2

I hate to discourage you, but to be honest, as of right now, your stats aren’t competitive. They reject lots of 4.0 students with SATs in the 1500s. It’s just a really hard school to get into.

Try Googling “Williams academic rating system”. The top result is a post on the EphBlog that talks about the admissions standards. (I’d post a link, but I don’t think I’m allowed.) From your description, it sounds like your Academic Rating would be around a 4 or 5. Unless you’re a recruited athlete, they don’t accept anyone lower than an AR 2. (To be clear, just being a good athlete isn’t enough. Coaches get a fixed number of recruitment slots that they can use for AR 3-4 athletes. You’d have to be good enough that they want to use one of those slots on you. And even then, if you’re below a 4, the AOs will say no anyway.)

Regardless, you should continue to work hard to improve your grades and standardized tests. The idea that there’s only one ideal school is a myth. Take the time to explore all of your options. Colleges that Change Lives could be a good resource for you. My daughter found a couple safeties from that list that she would be perfectly happy attending if none of her other reaches and matches work out.

Hope that helps.

3

The GPA is viewed in the context of your school, if your school is considered to be academically challenging, this could offset the lower number. Has anyone from your school been admitted previously to Williams, and are you in line with their record generally? Are you the first generation to attend college in your family, that would make a difference, if so, consider applying to WOW. After all, it is a holistic process and you should not be deterred if you like the school and what it has to offer.

4

Welcome to College Confidential, @noturbaby12 !

Chance threads are unreliable. We alumni, parents, and students posting on CC are not the admissions officers who will have access to your full application and all those of the other applicants with which to compare it.

The only way to be sure you are not admitted is not to apply.

That said, you should think about what it is about Williams that you like, and what are some colleges with easier admissions to which you might also apply because they have similar qualities to Williams.

A prospective art major who likes a small college with access to nature might be attracted to Skidmore or Bard or Connecticut College. Have you also considered St. Lawrence, Hobart and William Smith, Wheaton in MA, Muhlenberg, Goucher?

If money is an issue, if some the schools you like are not schools that meet-full-need, can you look at colleges that offer merit (like Muhlenberg, Clark, Denison, Ursinus, etc.)? Look for colleges with merit aid where your own GPA and scores put you in their top 25%. Also, which state colleges in your state best suit you (e.g., if you live in NY, might you like SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Geneseo, relatively smaller state colleges in beautiful rural areas— or look for similar colleges in your own state)?

Good luck!

5

Thank you for everyone who has replied so far. I still remain pretty optimistic about my dream to go to Williams, though I’m looking into other colleges that are slightly less selective, like Vassar or Smith. I’m crossing my fingers that my art portfolio will set me apart and increase my chances of getting in.