I’m a high school junior and want to apply to wesleyan early decision. But I don’t want to apply early decision if I don’t have a chance of getting in. Can somebody tell me if it’s worth it or if I should focus on other top choices.
GPA: 3.9 unweighted and 4.3 weighted all Ib classes ( I go to an Ib school)
My PSAT right now is a 1190 but I hope with my studying to get a 1300 on the SAT.
My major problem is with extra curriculars I work a lot and don’t do many clubs or sports.
Job: Red Geranium Hostess since the beginning of summer
Clubs: D&D club, book club, film club, GSA ( for all the years we didn’t have covid)
Volunteer: 3 food drives in freshman year/story time in the park every summer (about 50 hours so far)
Trying to get a sense of your rigor…What proportion of your classes have been honors/IB? What will you be taking senior year? Have you taken 4 years of classes in each of the 5 core areas?
Working IS an EC, and a good one.
What is your budget for college per year? I would also run Wesleyan’s net price calculator with your parents to get a cost estimate. If your parents are divorced, own a business, or own real estate beyond a primary home the NPC may not be accurate…are any of those the case for you? Unknown Address
Wesleyan is a reach for most students, so it’s important to have a balanced list with a handful of matches and at least one affordable safety.
I have 4 years in all core classes and the Ib classes I’m taking are DP Bio, English, History and math. I’m going to be a biochem major (though I don’t know if that affects things). I wanted a smaller liberal arts vibe to the college and Smith college is a close second to me. My safety school that’s less money is MSU. My parents said they are going to pay for my college and they make above average but I worry with 2 other siblings a college this expensive may be a problem.
MSU= Michigan State. The only reason smith is put below Wesleyan is because there is no men. I am bisexual so It wouldn’t be too much of a problem but I worry I’d be living in a bubble different from the outside world.
Great that you have 4 years of all the core classes. What classes have you taken/are you taking HL?
Is MSU Michigan State? If so, that’s a great safety to have.
Less selective schools that share some qualities with Wesleyan and/or Smith include Oberlin, Bryn Mawr, Muhlenberg, Skidmore, Ithaca, Beloit, Sarah Lawrence, and Bard.
Regarding testing, I encourage you to take an SAT/ACT, but in order to apply with a test at Wesleyan you will need a high score to submit it (generally, only submit if at the median or above). See class of 2025 scores here (and look at Class of 2026 scores when available): https://www.wesleyan.edu/admission/apply/classprofile.html
I looked at the class profile for 2025 and there were 888 early decision applicants with 488 of them being admitted. Putting them at a 54% acceptance rate. with smith having a 61% acceptance rate. Smith is diffidently the most viable option but a 57% acceptance rate doesn’t seem like too much of a long shot for early decision. especially if I prepare more for the SAT and get within there range. Would you suggest I apply early decision to smith instead of Wesleyan. Both of these are open curriculum schools which is a very important aspect to me.
You should only apply to a school ED if it is your top choice and it looks affordable per the NPC.
Don’t try to compare ED acceptance rates…ED rounds of admission include many hooked applicants (hooked applicants include legacies, recruited athletes, URMs, Questbridge, Posse, etc.). So, the relatively high acceptance rate vs the overall/RD acceptance rates can be misleading.