Chance me? Terrible advice from GC... (will chance back if asked!)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi (:
I just got out of my first meeting with my guidance counselor and I am surprised at what seems to be to be very bad advice. She gave me a list of mostly schools with 60%+ acceptance rates and marked them as mostly matches/reaches (the best one on there, marked as a reach, was University of Maine), while I would consider them all to be incredibly low safeties.</p>

<p>Here's a bit about my application:
SAT: 2130
math-600
reading-740
writing-790
SAT Subject tests:
World History: 740
French: 800</p>

<p>GPA:
3.6-3.8UW (sorry, I'm not really sure what it is)
4.35W</p>

<p>Class Rigor:
AP World History (5) (10th grade)
AP French (independent study) (5) (10th grade)
IB English A1 HL (Prediction 5) (11/12th grade)
IB Economics HL (Prediction 7) (11/12th grade)
IB Biology HL (Prediction 6) (11/12th grade)
IB Spanish AB SL (Prediction 7) (11/12th grade)
IB Math Studies SL (Prediction 6) (11/12th grade)
All other courses (except electives and gym/health) were honors</p>

<p>Grades:
9th/10th grade I got a mix of A's and B's
11th grade I got all A's with 2 B+'s in IB English and Honors Chemistry
12th grade is still a work in progress obviously (:</p>

<p>EC's (I'm only including the ones I've put on the common app):
Involved in a pre-professional dance company (9-10th grade) (7hrs a week, 36 weeks a year)
Rigorous ballet school (9-10th grade) (8hrs a week, 36 weeks a year)
Rigorous ballet school (11-12th grade) (6hrs a week, 36 weeks a year)--this changed because I moved to Greece
French Club (9-10th grade) (3hrs a week, 36 weeks a year)
Cinema Club (11-12th grade) (3 hrs a week, 36 weeks a year)
Science Club (11-12th grade) (3hrs a week, 36 weeks a year)
Founder of the Tuesday Treats group (11-12th grade) (3hrs a week, 36 weeks a year) (It's basically an unofficial but organized club that bakes cool stuff and brings it to school every Tuesday to give out for free)
Worked at a local ice cream shop (summer of 10th grade) (18 hours a week for 5 weeks)
Interned at a start up maritime security company (summer of 11th grade) (5 weeks)
Worked as an assistant teacher and rehearsal assistant at my dance school (9-10th grade) (2hrs a week, 36 weeks a year)</p>

<p>Background:
I was born in France (I speak French) and lived in the US for 13 years (I know live in and will graduate from Greece)
I will have good recommendations from my Economics, English, and Math teacher
I've been told my essays are very good (they're only in the first draft stage as of now though)</p>

<p>So yeah I think that I'm a better applicant than my guidance counselor seems to think I am...I'm not usually the type to overestimate myself (most people tell me I have the opposite problem) so I was wondering if anyone on here could help me with my college list, as it appears unlikely that my GC is going to support my current list, seeing the ones she has proposed.
If anyone can help me see if my list is realistic and if I've sorted the colleges into the right reach/match/safety category, that would be really helpful.
Thanks so much for any help, I'd be more than happy to chance you back if you leave a link! (:</p>

<p>REACH
Columbia
Bowdoin (Applying ED!)</p>

<p>MATCH
Colby
NYU
Lafayette (not sure about this one)
I'm working on finding a few more options for the match category</p>

<p>SAFETY
Franklin and Marshall
Dickinson
Skidmore (not sure about this one)
Boston University
University of Washington (not sure about this one)</p>

<p>Thanks again for any help, I'm really grateful for anyone who responds!</p>

2

<p>What sort of hs? DOD or intl school? Competitive? US citizen? Assuming your major is humanities. The context would help. The issue will be how you look, holistically. Any community service? The job is good, but what sort of leadership?</p>

3

<p>Your scores and EC’s are pretty decent, i can’t imagine why your GC gave such bad advice, in my view, you have a very good chance to get into almost every school you mentioned except Columbia, i’m not saying that you wouldn’t get in, i’m just saying that is a reach :).
You have everything: scores, GPA, EC’s and you would bring a cosmopolitan view to your class. Best of luck.
Chance me back if you can:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1395515-chance-good-peruvian-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1395515-chance-good-peruvian-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Columbia and Bowdoin are reaches for almost everyone. But if you further subdivided matches into high, regular and low matches, here’s your chance grid:</p>

<p>NYU: Low match
Colby: High match
Lafayette: Low match
F&M: Safety
Dickinson: Match
Skidmore: Low match
BU: Safety
UWA: Low match (OOS playing against you)</p>

5

<p>Thanks everyone!! (:</p>

<p>lookingforward–I go to an American school in Greece. I’m not really sure what defines a high school as ‘competitive,’ but it offers the IB diploma, IB certificate classes, and some AP classes (though there are only 3/4 official AP classes, many kids in IB classes take the AP exam at the end of the year instead).
I am a US dual citizen (along with French)
I’m going to apply undecided but I would like to major in either economics, English, or something in humanities/social sciences with a minor in education.
I’ve done a lot of community service through my dance school.
I’m not really sure how to show leadership on my app other than through the teacher assistant job…being in the company at my dance school meant a lot of leadership with the younger kids but I’m not really sure how to communicate this.</p>

<p>Thanks again for all the help, I really appreciate it (:</p>

6

<p>Imo, it’s a good list. Funny, but the similarities among the schools shows you’ve done some considering, shows something about you and your interests. And, I think, reveals something of the way you have aproached this. Good.</p>

<p>Most or all will be holistic- the dance school work is volunteer, but can you rethink and see if there is something else you have done that is more about “service?” Even tutoring or mentoring, activities done through school, family or religious groups, can show this effort. I find many kids omit these, thinking they are small or required. </p>

<p>It’s a great idea to apply to Bowdoin ED and see what happens. The other LACs are good back-ups, I think you will be a good fit at those. It’s just hard to predict. (If you still hold state residency, that might be a good ultimate back-up. Is that where WA comes in?) Your math score is a wee bit low for some. I don’t think that will be an issue if you aim for a self-presentation in the CA that shows you are grounded, flexible, engaged, committed, enthusiastic- and a nice kid. I suspect, with this list, that you will find the right balance.</p>

<p>Remember, in your essays, to “show, not tell” Best of luck.</p>

7

<p>Columbia - probably not (maybe though)
Bowdoin - possibly, definitely worth a shot</p>

<p>Colby - possibly
NYU - probably
Lafayette - probably</p>

<p>Skidmore - yes
Boston University - yes
University of Washington - yes</p>

<p>I agree your GC sounds like he/she is smoking something… </p>

<p>Also just want to say, how cool you do ballet so much! I love ballet and dance! Just saying :)</p>

<p>Oh and chance back maybe??</p>

8

<p>I chanced you back! Thanks for all the great responses (:</p>

<p>I’ve updated my list slightly:
REACH
Columbia
Bowdoin (Applying ED!)
Barnard (Not sure about this one)</p>

<p>MATCH
Colby
NYU
Dickinson</p>

<p>SAFETY
Franklin and Marshall
Boston University
^I’d like to find one more. Unfortunately I live abroad so state schools aren’t really an option for me here.</p>

9

<p>Bump! I’d really appreciate some more opinions (:</p>

10

<p>bump again! Please help!! (:</p>

11

<p>Last bump! I’d really appreciate some opinions on the list and if anyone has recommendations for good safety schools, that would be much appreciated as well (:</p>

12

<p>Have you explored which schools have best dance programs? How about Bucknell? Leigh?</p>

13

<p>Leigh. Have you visited Bowdoin? Don’t go ED if you’ve never seen.</p>

14

<p>Thanks for your suggestions (:
I’m not really considering dance when looking at schools, it’s something I’d like to consider but not a deciding factor</p>

15

<p>I think your list is pretty good. I might consider adding one or two additional reachy schools. If you like Bowdoin, why not a couple of other LACs, like maybe Wesleyan? It helps that you are a US citizen. If you happen to be male, I think the dance ECs would be especially helpful, but I think they’re very helpful anyway, to counteract a small weakness in GPA.</p>

16

<p>thank you Hunt!
I did look at some of the higher LAC’s, though I figured that if I didn’t get into Bowdoin ED it would be unlikely that I got into the other top 10 schools at regular decision</p>