Chance me for Williams RD!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
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<p>I am a white boy from Massachusetts...immediate negative. My family is very financially secure, and I WILL NOT apply for financial aid because my family would have received next to nothing.</p>

<p>Also chance me for...
Dartmouth (did ED, got deferred)
Princeton
Brown
Middlebury
Bowdoin
Duke
Hamilton
BC
University of Richmond
Williams</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA- 3.91
Weighted GPA- 4.43
My school does not rank but I am in top 10% of class
PSAT – 211
SAT (first time)
CR: 740
W: 780
M: 670
SAT (second time)
CR: 760
W: 750
M: 750
Highest combined– 2290</p>

<p>ACT
English: 34
Math: 34
Reading: 34
Science: 30
Composite: 33</p>

<p>SAT IIs
Math I: 760
Math II: 800
U.S. History: 750</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities
- Boy Scouts of America (Grade 9, 10, 11,12)
o Achieved highest attainable rank—Eagle Scout (Grade 11)
- United Church of Christ membership confirmation (Grade 9)
- JV tennis (Grade 10)
- Varsity Cross Country (Grade 12)
- Weekly piano lessons (Grade 11)
- United Church of Christ Senior High Fellowship (Grade 11,12)
- Peer tutor at Medfield High School in math and English/writing (Grade 11,12)
- Student Member of Medfield High School Site Council (Grade 11,12)
- New England Mathematics League Participant (Grade 11,12)
- LifeSmarts Varsity Team member (Grade 11,12)
- Anime Club member (Grade 9, 10, 11)
- Member of Medfield High School Theatre Society (Grade 9, 10, 11,12)
o Backstage technician
o Set builder
o Spotlight operator
- National Honor Society (Grade 10, 11,12)
o Vice-President (Grade 11,12)
- Spanish Honor Society (Grade 10, 11,12)
- Senior Ambassador (Grade 12)</p>

<p>Work Experience
- Worked as merchandise salesman for Red Sox Official Team Store across the street from Fenway Park (summer of Grade 11)
- Worked as an intern in cardiovascular research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston-60 hours (summer of Grade 12)
- Volunteered weekly in the Emergency Department at the Milford Regional Medical Center (summer of Grade 12)
- Participated on mission trip to Washington D.C.
o Tutored inner-city youth
o Painted inner-city high school</p>

<p>Awards and Distinctions
- National Merit Scholarship Commended Student (Grade 12)
- Saint Michael's College Book Award for Scholarship and Service (Grade 11)
- Shining Star Award (top 10% of class) (Grade 9, 10, 11)
- Excellence in Wellness (Grade 9)
- Above and Beyond in Science (Grade 10)
- John and Abigail Adams Scholarship recipient (Grade 12)
- Took AMC 10 (Grade 9, 10)
- Took AMC 12 (Grade 11)</p>

<p>Senior Schedule
-Accounting II
-Virtual High School Honors
-AP Lit
-AP Calc BC
-AP Spanish
-AP Bio
-AP Prep (study hall)</p>

<p>Although I haven't read the teacher recs themselves, I'm sure they are fantastic. My history teacher really liked me and my math teacher enjoyed how I taught the class how to graph sine waves using Excel (I hope/think she referenced this)</p>

<p>My essay is about how I used to hate visiting my grandfather because he has no modern technology. It was only after his death that I realized I had been blinded by 21st century material possesions. My AP lit teacher said it was an excellent essay and she said she praised it more than she typically praises an essay....</p>

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<p>I don’t know much about the college to chance you and I don’t know how well you’ve written the essay, but I do know that “death” topics are generally frowned upon (unless it’s genuinely ingenious and be a breath of fresh air).</p>

<p>Your scores are solid, though :)</p>

<p>Your school does AP Study Hall? That’s so weird. Do you guys get AP credits or something?</p>

3

<p>The way I crafted my essay makes it so that I don’t really talk about his death very much. It’s not really an essay about my reaction to his death as much as my reaction to his life (as clique as that sounds)…as I said, my Lit teacher said it was fabulous, so I hope so</p>

<p>AP Prep is a weird course. Basically, certain days of the week we have a continuation of class. For example, on Tuesday AP prep is reserved for Biology students, and basically we have two periods of Bio. On days when I don’t have the course offered (for example, on Monday when chem is taking place) we have a free period.</p>

<p>No, we don’t get AP credits…its a non-credit course, in fact</p>

4

<p>Your stats are great and I don’t see why you couldn’t get in, unless your essay was a sob story, which it probably is not. The true problem I see is something unrelated to school- being Caucasian, financially stable, and residing in the same state as the college you are applying to. As you probably are already aware, most colleges are all about the diversity nowadays. I suspect that most have some sort of “quota” for race and income levels. I feel that middle or upper class Caucasian people are probably discriminated against for this fact. I also think that some colleges feel that people with higher incomes have had more opportunities and therefore, are more inclined to being successful in high school. I do not necessarily agree with this idea and I hope they consider your achievements and who you are as a person, not where your ancestors came from and how much money is in your bank account.</p>

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<p>Just so you know, Gripz, Williams is need-blind for both domestic and international students so your needs or the lack of is not even considered. </p>

<p>And any “sort of ‘quota’ for race” is completely unconstitutional, even points system where URM’s receive extra points…There has been couple of Supreme Court decisions that outlawed that.</p>

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<p>I do realize that being white is a disadvantage. Being from MA is a disadvantage as well. And while I don’t think any college has a certain race “quota” I do think many colleges accept applicants because of the color of their skin. Any college you ask would deny this vehemently, I bet, but because colleges love diversity, skin color is a factor.</p>

<p>I actually didn’t apply to financial aid because I thought it may be an advantage with our lousy economy (colleges may look for cash customers to help their endowments). </p>

<p>TheRoad is right though, Williams IS need-blind, so this won’t impact my application either way.</p>

<p>Hopefully Williams will look past the color of my skin and the size of my wallet…but who knows?</p>

7

<p>TheRoad, are right about the whole need-blind thing…But similarly, if Williams was not need blind, it would probably be advantageous to evilspartan92 since he would not be using Williams’ money. </p>

<p>Although I realize that true “racial quotas” do not exist, I still suspect that minorities are favored over Caucasians. This is not some bitter conspiracy, either. I am Native American and have seen many instances in which minorities are preferred over more-qualified Caucasians. But I truly hope that such a thing is not true with Williams. I think that diversity of mentalities is far more important than diversity of skin pigment. Good luck, evilspartan92.</p>

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<p>bumpppppppppppppppppp</p>

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<p>I just found out I was accepted to Amherst today, so maybe I’ll be seeing you in the neighborhood. What are you wanting to major in, evilspartan92?</p>

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<p>Congratz Gripz2010, perhaps I will be accepted into Williams and we will be rivals (i didn’t really care for amherst, although its a fabulous school)</p>

<p>I plan on majoring in either mathematics or biology…perhaps minor in history</p>

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<p>Williams definitely takes minority status into account. As a private institution it can do what it wants. Your scores seem to be “over the hump,” where intangibles take over. I’d say you have a decent chance.</p>

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<p>bummppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp</p>

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<p>I think it’s a little ridiculous for white, middle-class people to talk about being “discriminated” against. Be aware of your privilege. </p>

<p>(in case you’re wondering, I’m also white and middle class)</p>

14

<p>can you say “double-standard”?
also, there is no such thing as “need-blind” :(</p>

<p>but on the plus-side, the point made earlier: that “diversity of mentalities is far more important than diversity of skin pigment” holds true. It is unfortunate that if candidate X and candidate Y both apply for admission at college Z, with identical profiles, and if Y is caucasian while X is a minority, or if Y is asking for FA while X is not, there is no reason why a college wouldn’t accept X over Y. Diversity looks good, and colleges will not give FA out if they can get the same results w.out it. </p>

<p>The challenge is therefore in the Caucasian, FA seeking, Candidate Y’s court to produce a candidacy that has something that makes him/her a good deal more appealing than Candidate X. Sadly, however, sometimes a colleges desire for diversity can trump these qualities- and while there is likely no SET quota, there is definitely a serious desire to create a diverse student body. </p>

<p>Diversity is a complete indeterminate. While it may be “ridiculous for white, middle-class people to talk about being “discriminated” against”-it IS true that affirmative action / a desire for diversity will NEVER work in their favor. This is not necessarily discrimination, but it IS unfortunate.</p>

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<p>You are in!! Congrats!!</p>

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<p>I dont know why I wrote that. I just feel like giving good news right now!</p>

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<p>Haha wait did you just get in? or evilspartan? -im lost!</p>

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<p>"I dont know why I wrote that. I just feel like giving good news right now! "</p>

<p>CrossCountry10, no I did not get in, I actually still have to send my supplement.</p>

<p>thebigcheese121,</p>

<p>So when you said “you are in, congrats!” were you just really happy, or do you actually think I have a good chance of getting in?</p>

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<p>Thank you TigerDude, that is exactly right.</p>

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<p>Did I miss something, who said that?</p>

<p>Yes, Williams says that it is need-blind. If you end up being wait-listed then it will be an advantage to have not applied for financial aid because Williams is not need-blind when it takes people off the waiting list.</p>

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<p>I think your application is solid. Just write a good supplement :)</p>

<p>Good luck~!
I wouldn’t worry much about the whole racial/socio-economic stuff seeing you can’t do much about it. Either they want you or they don’t. And I don’t quite understand the whole argument in this thread at the moment :-P</p>