International Student (Serbia), applying for fin aid (parents can pay only 3-4K per year), white, female, psychology major.
Grades: my school doesn’t do GPA but I manage to calculate something that would be similar: 4.79/5 right now. I can’t choose which classes to take (AP, IB… that doesn’t exist as well), but I had between 13 and 16 different classes each year.
Test scores: couldn’t do SATs but manage to do TOEFL (English proficiency test) with a score 110/120.
Extracurriculars: swimming for 10 years, competed both for my swim team and for school, won over 80 medals, 6 from national championships (2 golds); member of Petnica Research Center, Social Sciences program (highly selective, about 30 people get accepted and students from all over 5 countries apply) where I’m doing my own research (psychological and physiological problems young girls in sports face); worked as a lifeguard during summer (9 hours a day, 6 days a week for 8 weeks); volunteered at a local taekwondo club where I helped clean the equipment, help the coach with younger kids…
Essays: personal essay is better than average but nothing wow I guess, in the supplemental one chose to write about how writing my own book helped with anxiety, depression and stress (again nothing wow I think so idk).
That’s all, I’d appreciate honesty even if it’s not really good news and thanks for reading this much 
You sound very capable. It is really anyone’s guess who will get in. This year with schools like Williams going TO, it adds to the mystery. Congratulations on being a worthy applicant! I recommend you talk to some of your peers in the Williams ED Class of 2025 applicant group and make the best of what can be a stressful, but exciting week. I wish you the best!
Congratulations on a strong record of achievement. Did you contact the swim team coach?
I didn’t, I stopped swimming bc I had an injury for a couple of months so I didn’t think they would want someone who hasn’t been in the pool for almost a year.
Sorry about your injury, makes sense then, best of luck and looks like you have a strong record regardless of swimming, Williams has a great water polo club sport team, you might want to sign up if all goes well.
As a recruited swimmer chances would improve. Recruited athletes at Williams for the class of 2025 are already in the hopper awaiting results of ED1. If unrecruited, swimming rates as any other extracurricular activity. Without knowing your times it would be hard to assess what kind of contribution you could possibly have made to the Ephs at the NESCAC meet Potential to score at conference determines value as a recruit as spots on the team are limited. Without the swimming hook, acceptance is a crapshoot. Acceptance rate at Williams is low with more highly qualified applicants, like yourself, than space.
I’m sorry, the last sentence confused me a bit, so are you saying that I’m “a highly qualified applicant” or that I would be if I was a swimming recruit?
There are two factors here, one - qualified to attend Williams and two - getting admitted also known as accepted. You may be qualified to attend Williams just as a time of 56.29 would qualify you to go to the Olympic Trials in the 100 Free. However, relays aside where four swimmers are required, only the top two finishers in the final heat get to go to the Olympics. There is only so much room on the Olympic team bus. Selective schools like Williams don’t have the space to accept all qualified applicants. It’s a school of around 2,000 people. All things otherwise equal; SAT scores, grades, letters of recommendation; applying as a recruited athlete gives you an edge. While Williams like all NESCAC schools downplays in public the role athletics play on campus, Williams really wants to do two things - one, beat Amherst and two, win the NESCAC. Many application readers are recent graduates and carry a lot of school spirit. It’s not just athletics where you get an edge. If you play the violin and the school orchestra is weak in the string section, and you apply, again all things otherwise being equal, you have an advantage. At schools like Williams admission is very, very competitive and holistic qualitative decisions are made. Being qualified without a hook gets you a look. After that a lot depends on the alignment of the stars. Good luck. You are a great kid and a strong applicant but keep in mind that Stanford rejects 6 qualified applicants for every 1 it accepts. Keep things in perspective - acceptance is predicated more on what the school needs that year to build their community then your worth or value as a student or person and all the work you have done. If you applied ED, I think you will have your definitive answer this Friday. And, if you get in, go out and buy a lottery ticket 'cause the Irish eyes are smiling on you.
Thank you so much for the detailed answer, it really gave me a better understanding of the whole process, I really appreciate it.
Did you hear good news?
Unfortunately not, I got rejected.
Sorry to hear this, consider applying ED2 to Swarthmore or Pomona, they are also great options. Your record looks very strong.
I probably will, thank you for all the help!
Certainly, best wishes and know you will do very well in the US!
As potential reaches, look into Vassar and Hamilton, which appear with Williams in this Forbes article:
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
For your broader list, consider U.S. schools across a range of selectivity that offer top psychology programs, such as Mount Holyoke, Union and Simmons. If accepted, your prospects for adequate financial aid would be good at Union and MHC; I’m less familiar with Simmons, but you could research it. As an opinion, Swarthmore and Pomona don’t have much to offer you at this point, in that they are at least as hard to get into as Williams, and neither tend to be especially noteworthy for psychology (although Pitzer, from among the Claremonts, offers excellent programs in this field).
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At schools like Williams admission is very, very competitive and holistic qualitative decisions are made. Being qualified without a hook gets you a look. After that a lot depends on the alignment of the stars. Good luck. You are a great kid and a strong applicant but keep in mind that Stanford rejects 6 qualified applicants for every 1 it accepts. Keep things in perspective - acceptance is predicated more on what the school needs that year to build their community then your worth or value as a student or person and all the work you have done.
[/quote]”
Since you mention Stanford, I wonder what the odds are of being admitted RD to Williams, if the applicant had already been admitted REA to Stanford? How much difference in what the schools want for unhooked applicants?
Or vice versa?
Congratulations! Stanford and Williams are two different schools. If one were an ideal fit for Stanford, that person may not necessarily be an ideal fit for Williams. I assume if you applied REA to Stanford, Stanford is your top choice. If so, then why would you select a DI, Power Five, 7,000 strong, top research university on the California coast then later try to opt into a DIII, NESCAC, 2,000 strong, top LAC, in the Berkshire Mountains? It’s like saying my favorite ice cream is Blue Bell Vanilla, err no it’s Blue Bell Chocolate. Assuming you are not schizophrenic (and, it’s not money because financial aid based on need should be the same at both schools), you must be collecting trophies. Both schools accept academically talented applicants. Ultimately, acceptance at both schools boils down to fit once the academic minimum standards are met.
A lot of people suggested I look into Union college, so that’s what I have been doing for the past couple of days and I will probably apply. I will look into other two as well, thank you so much.