I am an American citizen. @Center
Then you are not an international applicant
@Center Is the domestic pool more competitive than the international pool of students?
No, the international pool is.
The international pool is much more competitive as itcannotbetrue says. Further there is very minimal FA for those students. Doesn’t affect you at all though.
@Center Oh, I see. So domestic students have a much higher chance of getting in? Thanks!
Are you applying as an international student? You said that you were born in the US, so are you an US citizen?
@bobtheunicorn I’m a US citizen.
That means you’re not applying as an international student right? You have a much greater chance getting in to these schools then. Good luck! I’m applying to a couple of schools in your pool as a 10th grader.
Admission to any of those schools isn’t a given, but I could take it apart piece by piece:
SSATs: average for PA/PEA, and I don’t have hard stats for the others, but I would say a little above average. Definitely not going to hurt you, but probably won’t help too much either.
Grades: Seem pretty solid (PEA only specified “more As than Bs” as “proven academic success”, and I imagine PA should be similar (so probably a point in your favor there)
ECs: Sports: If you’re good enough to swim on their highest-level team (I don’t know too much about swimming @ BS, and I just picked swimming because that has the most years of experience), then definitely a point in your favor. Music: Alto sax is pretty common, but tenor sax might stand out a little more.
Student Council: Shows leadership and initiative, if nothing else
Community Service: Definitely not going to hurt you, probably helps a fair amount
Essays: Here is where it gets tough. A lot of applicants to these schools have similar stats, so the essay is important to set yourself apart from the crowd
@dckx15 Thanks for your opinion! That helped a lot.
Also, for my competing peers, they’re making a video that include their sports, music, and family background. I don’t have any videos of myself, so I can’t make one. Do these videos increase one’s chances of getting accepted by a great amount? Any other tips for improving my chances?
Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!
I don’t know how much the videos help, but if you can’t make one, I wouldn’t worry about that.
I helped my daughter create a YouTube channel that includes playlists of her sport, music, and special interests. Nothing fancy. She’s shared it with coaches and admission interviewers. Not sure yet if we will provide a link in the application.
@MAandMEmom Do the videos help a lot? Were the admissions officers impressed? Thanks!
Krvin12: No they dont help…often viewed as inauthentic. If done, should be specific to one or two things you excel at that are significant to you and your application
@krvin12 they are really not professionally done at all and were specifically asked for at a number of schools so we felt we should do them. She’s no prodigy in either athletics (although a very strong varsity athlete) nor her instrument – I’ve seen some of the students play at the schools and she is no where near at their level currently. I don’t see them being inauthentic at all.
@Center Okay, thanks! I’ll probably include a video about swimming, but it’ll be focused. I shouldn’t talk about my school, “philosophies,” or my involvement in community service, right? (That’s what my friends are doing.)
@MAandMEmom Were they required for the schools? Or were they just added on? Thanks.
My daughter is also a swimmer @krvin12 and I think the coaches liked that she sent it. It was most definitely not required; however, if you’ve met and chatted with the coaches they will look for you to send them your current times at a minimum. Have you met the coaches where you are applying?
GoatKid1 is an athlete, and all coaches she’s talked to have asked for a video showing her skills in her sport. Her club makes such videos for college recruiting purposes. She provided a link to her skills video, and then a few coaches followed up with her to request a live footage from a current game (as were in the beginning of the season in her club sport). The coaches have said that these video materials will be invaluable when they talk to the admissions committee about her application. However, this may not be always the case. I am not sure what constitutes a recruited athlete, but she appears to be nearing that category, as the coaches she has communicated with are offering her specific spots on their Varsity teams in her sport, and are advocating for her with the admissions committee.
@Goatmama what sport does your daughter play? For some sports I’m finding it hard to create recruiting videos that are worthwhile to send.