Hi! I am a junior in high school and I’m preparing to apply to colleges. I’ve already kind of fell in love with schools and I wanted to get chanced for them so I know which ones to visit. I am a Caucasian female with a 504 plan (I have a moderate anxiety disorder and mild ADHD so I get testing accommodations, mainly because of the anxiety disorder)
Academic Stats: GPA: 4.0 (94 average)
SAT Score: 2150
Critical reading - 740
Writing - 740
Math - 670 (Not my strongest point)
ACT - 35
SAT II - World History - 790
US History - 780
French - 770
AP’s
World History - 5
Human Geography - 5
Govt & Politics - 4
Currently taking - Enviromental Science, Psychology, US History
Registered for Senior year - Euro, Biology, Literature & Photography
I also have 3 college credits from SUNY Oneonta for a college level geology course that my high school offers sophomore year - it was incredible. We went on a hiking trip to Utah and Colorado.
I also am really into music and musical theater (unfortunately, not classical, that would probably help me get into college ) I sing and play guitar and do a lot of shows. I’ve never missed a school show (I’m a total theater geek) and I’m in Madrigals/Select Chorus. In addition I am co-captain of the academic challenge team, and am in key club, amnesty international, photo club, feminism club, and culture awareness club and do a lot of volunteer work with my theater company to help them raise money for their group of young, cute kids that perform for people in need.
I intend on being a psychology major. I have struggled with several mental illnesses and recently fully recovered from an eating disorder, and I would like to be a psychologist specializing in the area.
Leftiness will not be a problem at any of these schools, though some are further along the spectrum than the others. However, rather than ‘chancing’ you, I would suggest that you take another look at these schools: some of them are quite different than the others. I would be surprised if a student who would be happy at Reed would be happy at Claremont McKenna- (and vice-versa). Despite their differences I could see Oberlin/Vassar and Colorado College/Carleton but I would be less convinced about some of the other combinations.
Have you visited any/all of them (particular during term?). Spend a little more time getting to know them and narrow the list a little bit more: the better the fit the less you will need ‘chancing’!
@collegemom3717 you are right - I threw Claremont McKenna in because of the strong social science program. In general, I like Reed better. I’m also looking at Colby. I’ve only visited Vassar, which I really loved. I’m visiting Dickinson (both my parents attended as well as an aunt and an uncle, not so sure if I would be thrilled about going) and Oberlin next weekend. I’m pretty excited to see Oberlin, it’s one of my top choices.
I’m not sure of much help I can be, since I’m not very informed of the schools your looking at; however, with your ACT, SAT, GPA, and course load, you’re a shoe-in at most except the Ivys, where no one is.
Also, your story seems extremely interesting, especially for Admissions officers. Make sure your essays are fire.
Sorry I couldn’t be of much help
Despite what baller55 says, you’re not a shoe-in at CMC, the most selective in your assembly except perhaps Carleton. Your personal interest in psychology might be a plus at CMC, though - I’m not a psychologist, but CMC has long had a well-known clinic dealing with autism spectrum, and the department is both large and broad in interest. CMC has a larger percentage of conservative students than the others, but there are plenty of left-leaning kids, and like most highly-selective schools, there are more liberal voters than conservative ones. Math is important at CMC - calculus is required, as is economics. I believe CMC’s endowment per student is higher than the other schools’, and they will provide aid to cover the need of any admitted student - I don’t know what the aid situation is at all the others, but they’ll mostly be generous if need is there. Weather is best at CMC.
Your ACT score is great. Not sure about the other schools on your list, but Vassar requires the writing portion too for the ACT, so if you haven’t take that, you will need to if you want to apply to Vassar and you want to use that ACT score (and not the SAT score).
All SUPER great schools, but honestly, I see Vassar or maybe Colorado College as your choice here (Vassar #1 and Colorado College #2). The main reason is that those two of the lot have a reputation (Vassar more so) of having a more laid back academic atmosphere. Excellent academics of course and challenging, but the students tend to be a bit less cutthroat with each other and more helpful. For someone with anxiety issues, that seems to be something to consider. SOME Reed students have a bit of a chip on their shoulder regarding not being highly ranked due to their school not “playing the game”, so decide if you want to be a part of that or not. My sister went to Oberlin, and she was a National Merit scholarship WINNER, and she found it VERY challenging to the point that for a while she questioned herself for attending there. Most of that was due to going to an easy high school her last two years of high school, so it took a couple years at Oberlin to really learn how to study. It is a very pretty campus though and would be a great place to go.
UNRELATED NOTE: For those of you on this thread using “shoe-in”, this is actually a pet peeve of mine because when I was a lowly reporter for my college newspaper, I correctly had “shoo-in” in my story and the student Editor-In-Chief changed it to “shoe-in”. My journalism professor then encircled the now printed error with red pen and hung it on the newspaper office wall for all to see.
@stepay that’s good to know about Oberlin - I luckily go to a very difficult high school so my study habits are set in pretty strongly. My anxiety issues are more with tests and timed tests.
CMC’s acceptance rate this year was 9.76% so while your ACT is competitive, you should consider it a reach. Nobody can be considered a “shoo-in” at a school with such a low acceptance rate.
@ohwildyouth - Ok then. Oberlin may be great for you. I just drove through Oberlin on Saturday, something I have done exactly three times now on the same weekend as I go watch my kids run in a track meet close to there. I expect you will enjoy your visit…unless of course you couldn’t care less how great the campus looks!
@ohwildyouth - Reed is my daughter’s first choice (applying regular decision for Fall 2016). We’ve visited twice and she’s interviewed with them - loving it both times. She was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at age 6, then OCD at age 9. She’s managed, like you, to do well academically and also like you, loves theater. She’s an excellent artist, musician and all about social justice. I really think Reed is an excellent fit for her and after seeing her with current Reedies, I have no doubt she’d thrive in the quirky, intellectual climate of the campus community.
There are resources for students with disabilities and everyone is very understanding and accommodating. We know two current students from my daughter’s HS - one of which is transgender and finding Reed’s social acceptance of all differences to be outstanding.
Reed is unique and it focuses on learning for the sake of learning. They don’t give traditional grades (something that freaked me out a little…), but offer an incredibly supportive learning environment to all its students. Opportunities to study abroad also seem plentiful.
Reed students seem to all want to get a Masters or PhD. They are intellectuals and academics. They are also artists, musicians, poets, and more.
A few things I learned on the tours:
Each year they have a David Bowie Ball.
Housing is coed with Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors all in the same halls. There is no 'freshman only' dorm, and many rooms are walled doubles (a wall separates for each person to have their own room with a shared exit). With your mental health issues, you could also probably get a single room if desired.
Freshman all take the same Humanities course where the classics are studied.
Seniors all complete a thesis, which when they leave is archived in the Reed library.
Reed has the only nuclear reactor on a college campus. Any student (any major...) can be certified to work on it.
Reed has a cabin on Mt.Hood that any Reed students (current or alum) can use for free!
Reed offers up camping and hiking equipment to students to borrow (no fee).
AP courses help to get you into Reed, but you probably won't get credit for them.
Students call their professors by their first names.
International programs (study abroad) are available and include universities in England (Oxford), Argentina, Ecuador, Italy, Russia and more!
PE courses include ones on fencing, ballroom dancing and meditation.
Anyone, from any major, can be in a Reed theater production.
If you are looking for a traditional liberal arts university with things like grades, sororities, athletic programs and similar - Reed is not a good choice.
If you want to work hard in an immersive, supportive, intellectual environment with people who are tuned into the liberal side of life and apt to accept you as a friend and collegue - you’d probably love it at Reed.
