Chance Me for Williams, Amherst, and Swarthmore!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’m sorta worried for college A LOT right now; AP Scores are upsetting, and I also have a C in AP Bio (but I got a 4 on the exam). Junior year has just really exhausting and painful for me: first love and heartbreak, grandma was sick, identity crisis, constant arguments with parents… I really don’t know. I’m just glad I made it out alive.

Rank: 4 out of 900 at a competitive school
GPA (w) [9-11]: 4.55
GPA (w) [10-11]: 4.62
GPA (uw) [9-11]: 3.83
GPA (uw) [10-11]: 3.77
UC GPA: 4.08
Race: Asian
Gender: Male
State: California
Languages Known: English, Vietnamese, Spanish
Intended Major: Economics

First-generation student to college.

Grades: (1st Semester/2nd Semester)

Freshman Year:
English Honors I: A/A
Algebra 2/Trig: A/A
Accelerated Biology: A/A
Spanish 2: A/A
Advanced Music Honors: A/A

Sophomore Year:
English Honors II: A/A
Precalculus Honors: A/A
Chemistry: A/A
Spanish 3: A/A
AP European History: A/A
Advanced Music Honors: A/A

Junior Year:
AP English Language: A/A
AP Calculus BC: B/B
AP Biology: B/C
AP Spanish 4: B/A
AP US History: A/A
Advanced Music Honors: A/A

Summer College Courses:
Microeconomics: A
Intro to Sociology: A

Senior Year Courseload:
AP English Literature
AP Statistics
AP Physics C: Mechanics
AP Environmental Science
AP Computer Science
AP Macroeconomics (1st Semester)/AP Government (2nd Semester)
Advanced Music Honors
Elementary French I (Dual Enrollment, 2nd Sem) [Want to start a 4th language]

SAT Score:
Critical Reading: 630
Mathematics: 750
Writing: 800
ACT: 31 (32 on all subjects, 26 on Science); WILL RETAKE
Plan to take Math Level 2, US History, and Biology E

AP Exam Scores:
European History: 3
US History: 3
AP Calc BC: 3
AP Calc AB Subscore: 4
AP Biology: 4
AP English Language: 4
AP Spanish Language: 3

Extracurriculars/Volunteer Work:
Marching Band (9th grade - ongoing)

  • Saxophone Section Leader (12th)
    School Concert Wind Ensemble (9th grade - ongoing)
  • Principal Oboist (10th grade - ongoing)
  • Soloist (10th grade - ongoing)
    District Honor Band (11th)
  • Second Chair Oboist
  • Soloist
    Asian Culture Club (11th grade - ongoing)
  • President, Founder (11th grade - ongoing)
  • Currently raising funds for schools in Cambodia
    Vietnamese Student Union (9th grade - ongoing)
  • President (12th)
  • Activities Chair (11th)
  • Also served time as Treasurer in 11th for the county wide “umbrella” organization.
    Asian Culture Festival Contest Team (10th grade - ongoing)
  • Director (12th) - deals a lot with Finance, Marketing, Sponsorship, Publicity; will have opportunities on talk shows
  • Volunteer Coordinator (11th)
  • Event Lead (10th)
    Asian Culture Festival Marketing Team (11th)
  • Social Media Team Member
  • Translation Team Member
  • High School Publicity Lead
    Film Festival (11th - ongoing)
  • Public Relations, Guest Relations (11th)
  • Had the opportunity to interview a film producer
    Cancer Research Foundation (10th - ongoing)
    National Honor Society (11th grade - ongoing)
    Freshman Tour Guide (Summer after 10th, Summer after 11th)
    Vietnamese School Teacher Aide (11th - ongoing)
    Vietnamese School Flag Ceremony Performer (9th - ongoing)
    Assistant Basketball Coach for Recreational Center for Children (summer after 10th)

Awards:
Highest Prestige Award for Instrumental Music - Nominee
Asian Culture Festival - Certificate of Appreciation
Vietnamese School - 3rd Place of Graduating Class (9th grade)
Congressman Certificate of Recognition for Vietnamese Student Union Volunteer Work

2

I think you are a competitive applicant but the biggest issue are you ACT / SAT scores. If you can push your overall ACT up two points and/or your SAT verbal over 700 you would be better positioned at all three. The first generation status is something I’d emphasize were I you, as that may give you an edge, especially, again, with slightly higher test scores. If you are someone who is economically disadvantaged as well, I would focus on that along with the first-generation status in at least some of your application materials, perhaps one of your essays. You also have a load of activities so I’d try to really group them and focus on those you have the biggest leadership role and investment in. I’d say emphasize your focus on Asian (in particular Vietnamese, which is less represented than some other Asian-American cultures on east coast campuses) cultural engagement as well as your music activities, so essentially, you position yourself along four dimensions: academic accomplishments and interests; musical achievements and interest in contributing to campus music groups; Asian cultural engagement and leadership; and first-generation status (including any obstacles you have had to overcome, if any, that relate to that). All of that together gives you a reasonalbe shot at any of those three, which becomes a good shot if you can improve your test scores …

3

Also, if you like W/A/S, you should definitely consider Haverford, Bowdoin, and Middlbury, very similar liberal arts schools, of nearly identical academic caliber, that are all slightly easier to get admitted to. All three of them are also slightly less diverse so may value diversity more from an applicant.

4

I think that all three of those schools are big reaches given the standardized test scores and the downward trend in GPA with B/C’s in junior year. However, you have a good range of EC’s; just try to highlight a few in your app although you can list all of them. Also how do you think you can do on those subject tests?

5

You are not showing SAT IIs, your CR is 650, your ACT 31, and you have all 3s and 4s on AP exams. Liberal arts colleges that are not diverse probably do not value diversity. I agree the schools mentioned are all reaches, and also agree that you would have a decent shot at somewhat lower level schools.

6

@classy2017 I think I can improve my ACT score to 33-34. I’ll probably not submit my SAT. I think I can do well on the Subject Tests, I’ve been getting 750+ on practice tests. Also, I’ve talked it over with my counselor, and with my amount of APs senior year (and they’re the easier ones too), and assuming each rank above me gets straight As, and so do I (she’s looked at their classes too), I can turn in my mid year report as ranked 2/900, and graduate salutatorian as long as I don’t get more than 1 B second semester. I don’t know if it’ll help, but like no one from my high school applies to liberal arts colleges.

7

I agree with some of the other advice. An Asian boy applying to selective LACs doesn’t necessarily need top scores, but these are very small schools that receive multiple apps for each seat. The essay, recommendations, and ECs need to stand out, as @Ephman describes.

Consider whether re-taking ACT to get the science subscore higher is going to pay off because there is no “superscoring” so both/all test sittings will need to be sent. On the other hand if any of these LACs let you superscore SATs from the College Board then you just need a great reading result.

Bowdoin is test optional- that cuts both ways on your chances there.

Demonstrated interest is critical, so if you are willing to commit to one of these LACs early decision, get your app in. But beware the financial aid uncertainty that comes with that strategy.

8

With respect to your interest in economics, these LACs are those top-ranked by faculty publishing:

  1. Williams
  2. Wellesley
  3. Middlebury
  4. Wesleyan
  5. Hamilton
  6. Claremont McKenna

Others from your group

Amherst: 19
Swarthmore: not in top 49

(Rankings out of 196 schools. For the entire ranking, see “Economics at Liberal Arts Colleges,” IDEAS).

Some colleges may be available to you which are both more suited to your academic interests and somewhat easier admits than at least a couple of your current choices.

9

@Oregon2016 I can’t retake that specific SAT because it was the old SAT. I’m pretty sure I only need to submit my best ACT score to Williams, not all ACT scores. Does being Asian (and Vietnamese) help or hurt?

10

One point that hasn’t been mentioned yet: each of the 3 schools is a reach for anybody without a hook (recruited athlete, etc.).

11

As an asian male I personally believe that being asian (of any kind) still hurts at these schools because they have 15% asian population.

12

@DemonStar Right but you cannot pick ACT subscores to submit, you choose a specific test date. With the SAT a superscore of just the best subscores across multiple test dates is possible. Again, you need to check what the target school allows.

13

@classy2017 so you think the application pool plus yield at these LACs is >15%?