<p>I know Amherst is hard and I consider this a reach. Just wanna know whether I will have even the slightest chance.
I am an international student, from China.</p>
<p>SAT I :CR 730 M 800 W 740. (i am thinking about taking this again. I took it in October last year…)
SAT II: Math II 800 Phy 800 Che 790.
TOEFL: 114 (30 29 26 29)
AP:(my school doesnt offer AP courses) I took Calculus BC, Micro, macro, stats, human geo this year and it should be 5</p>
<p>great stats. great chance</p>
<p>More details on your EC’s would be nice, but from what you’ve said so far, you look like you’d have a good shot (although international admissions is very tough, so it’s hard to say)</p>
<p>You can take the SAT again if you want, but a 2270 is already excellent. If you don’t get in it won’t be because your scores are too low. I would save your money.</p>
<p>I feel that at Amherst, high numbers (ie. high SAT, AP, etc) are not their greatest concern; rather, a clearly expressed passion for learning is what they are looking for. Your numbers alone are very competitive but those alone will not get you into Amherst!
I will be attending Amherst this fall and I had a fair number of B’s, not that many EC’s, not too many awards, and a 2240 on the SAT. However, my essay was strong and expressed my passion for learning and discovery. I feel that Amherst looks at each application very holistically. That being said, your numbers are very strong and should be an advantage for you. Also, if your school doesn’t offer APs, the admission officers will not penalize you!</p>
<p>I know 2270 may be enough. But judging from th trend in china, it seems that everybody in was and ivies get more than 2300. Peer pressure.
So what do you think qualfy as a good essay?</p>
<p>napoleonxv, I am also Chinese and I doubt that the admissions officers would reject you because you are 30 points from a 2300.
As for a good essay, I would just say to avoid falling into the cliche essay. Many people feel compelled to write about their academics/extracurriculars or even to exaggerate their accomplishments. So many people write about those topics that they are no longer unique and they don’t really set you apart and make you unique in the eyes of the admissions officers. I think that you should try in your essay to reveal certain qualities about your character that can’t be found in your application. Ultimately, they are looking for genuine and interesting people to admit at Amherst rather than simply a resume filled with perfect numbers!</p>
<p>Thanks.
But I find that everyone around me is getting more than 2200 and I took sat in october last year. Would it be too distant?
Plus I do not mean to use stats As the only advantage , but essays are SUBJECTIVE, and I am not that confident about it…</p>
<p>many people i know with excellent scores (~2300) and great grades were not accepted at any private schools. what i’m saying is that the essay is your last opportunity to stand out and make an impression. these admissions officers aren’t going to remember that you got a 2270, but a well-written and thoughtful essay will definitely leave an impression! And also, the fact that everyone is getting 2200+ probably means that they don’t place as much importance on high sat scores. I would say that you shouldn’t worry that much about your SATs - they are very competitive.</p>
<p>Your essay needs to show who you are, what your passion is. My D graduated a year ago, and she wrote about her love of roller coasters.</p>