Chance Me: Vassar, Wesleyan, Boston University, and Villanova

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Ethnicity: White
Location: Long Island, NY
ACT: 31(32 E, 33 M, 30 R, 29 S)
GPA: 3.75 UW GPA 4 W GPA
College Essay: Very Good

Clubs: Jazz Band, Science Olympiads, Key Club, Pit Band, Pep Band, Stage Crew, Portfolio Club, NHS, Marching Band

AP’s: APUSH: 5 AP Bio: 4 AP Physics 1: 4

Awards: National Honors Society, Foreign Language Honors Society, AP Scholars Program, Advanced Distinction with Honors Regents Diploma, 8th Place in a anatomy for SCIOLY. I’ve played at NYSSMA and got a ~95(I think).

Volunteer Work: Summer Camp for 3 years(CIT). Volunteered ~20 hours per week. 6 weeks per summer. My moms job in filing cabinets and other office stuff. Volunteered at Kids Halloween festival.

Jobs: Tutor AP Bio and AP Phyiscs I, Supermarket cashier(part time)

Sports: CYO Basketball, Varsity Track, Little League Baseball, Travel Baseball, Varsity Wrestling and Middle School Baseball

Top Schools:
Vassar College
Boston University
Villanova University
Wesleyan University

2

Do your scores and GPA fall within their mid-50% range? If so, you have a shot. What’s your GC saying? Have kids from your school with similar stats been accepted to those schools?

3

@austinmshauri Vassars middle 50% is 31-34, BU’s is 32-35, Wesleyans is 33-35, and Villanova is 32-35. It’s honestly random. I’m off by one point for Villanova and BU. I might have a shot for Vassar but I’m def getting waitlisted/rejected at Wesleyan but might be accepted by BU or Villanova

4

Wesleyan University is test optional - that is why that score is so high - because a great deal of their admits don’t submit.

5

^Actually, every Wesleyan matriculant has to submit their scores upon entering the first-year class. That’s whether or not they did so as part of their original application (it’s on their website.)

So, the scores quoted by @Jcara514 should be accurate.

6

@circuitrider Do my extracurriculars make up for my low ACT score? I’m only off by 2 points.

7

Wesleyan’s Class of 2023 admitted student ACT mid 50% was 33-35…that includes only the 79% of admitted applicants who submitted test scores. https://www.wesleyan.edu/admission/apply/classprofile.html#

When looking at the 2019/20 CDS (which reflects the scores of matriculants who applied TO, as well as everyone else), the ACT mid 50% range is 31-34, so a decent drop. https://www.wesleyan.edu/ir/common-data-sets.html

Generally, ECs are less important than test scores, and although your ECs are good, they don’t seem distinguished. Did you apply TO to Wesleyan?

I would also defer to your GC for admission chances. Does your school use Naviance?

8

@Mwfan1921 What’s TO? And yes my school uses naviance. There’s like 5 people on the graph but I’m like in the middleish area

9

TO = Test Optional

10

@Mwfan1921 I didn’t apply TO then. I sent in my scores with my common application. Does that lower my chances?

11

I would defer to your GC and Naviance for chances at all of your schools. Of course with Naviance your GC would have to help you understand which, if any, of the students applied TO and/or were hooked. Can’t change things now anyway.

Did you apply to matches and an affordable safety?

12

@Mwfan1921 Yes, Fordham($27.500), Quinnipiac($28,000 Locked), Hofstra($31,000), St Johns($32,000), Stony Brook(free In state), Marist($22,000), and Fairfield($24,000)

13

For Villanova also depends on what school you applied to. Very similar stats, classes and extracurriculars as my son. He applied to Villanova’s business school and was waitlisted. Very competitive that’s days. He did not bother to see if he was accepted because he probably would not have gotten any scholarships.

14

All of those schools are reaches for you, particularly in the RD round. It’s easier to get into Vassar if you’re a male, so that’s probably your best shot in this group (but it’s still a reach).

15

Strong chance at Vassar College.

Another factor to consider is whether these schools are “need aware” if applying for financial aid.

16

"Wesleyan University is test optional - that is why that score is so high - because a great deal of their admits don’t submit. "

Their website says that 79% of admits submit scores and asked for them to be considered.

“Actually, every Wesleyan matriculant has to submit their scores upon entering the first-year class. That’s whether or not they did so as part of their original application (it’s on their website.)”

You don’t have to submit if you never took the test. This is also from their website:

“Wesleyan will not require any matriculating student who did not take an ACT, SAT or SAT II to take exams prior to enrolling.”

17

The prominent drop in Wesleyan’s middle-range ACT profile (from 33–35 to 31–34) across different sites for the same class year seems related to the shift from admitted to attending students as well as to Wesleyan’s test optional policy.

18

Regarding whether to have submitted your ACT scores to Wesleyan, @Jcara514, I think your chances will be higher with them than without, particularly since they include strong English and Math section scores.

19

Wesleyan doesn’t put as much emphasis on standardized scores as it does on gpa. If you can retake the ACT, do it, if not, don’t waste time sweating it.

What I find interesting about your original post is that you are a two-sport varsity player, one of them (wrestling) in a male helmet sport. The combination performing artist and varsity athlete is a longstanding Wesleyan type. Talk to your coach. Do you think you might be recruitable? Even if you aren’t, I would package my application in such a way as to emphasize those two aspects (cough, essay.)

Hope this helps.

20

Here are the results:
Villanova: Waitlisted
Boston University: Waitlisted
Wesleyan University: Rejected
Lafayette College: Waitlisted
Vassar College: Accepted!