Chance me Williams College? (Please?)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
1

Ok so I applied to Williams ED and am completely in love with the college (to the point where I’ve literally had dreams about acceptance letters.) I’m spending so much time worrying about it that I can’t concentrate on anything, so I decided to post my stats on here and see what people think. Apologies for the long post, but I’m hoping someone who understands that application process better than I do can give me an idea of whether I have a shot!!

I have strong letters of recommendation from two teachers, voice teacher, and camp director. I believe that my essays are well written (I spent weeks on both the common app and supplemental), and I submitted a vocal arts supplement as well as some of my art projects.

SAT: 1470 (790 English, 680 math)
ACT: 33 (36 both English portions, 33 science, 30 math)
Ap Exams: AP Euro (5), APUSH (5), AP Lit (5)
My strengths are pretty obviously in the humanities haha

Current course load: 5 AP classes, (English, French, Physics, Gov, Calc) with first quarter average 100.25
Junior year final average: 99.71 with 3 APs
Overall High School GPA: 95.12 (sophomore year was bad…)

Extracurriculars:
-Varsity XC athlete, won several invitationals, qualified for states (placed top 25), in contact with Williams coach
-Varsity track athlete, qualified for state quals last year
-Classical vocalist, accepted into internationally selective summer program (Boston University Tanglewood), studying with teacher formerly of the Metropolitan opera, in contact with Williams vocal professor
-Honor Society secretary, yearbook committee member, prom committee member, Model UN member (best new delegate),
-School merit awards in French, Precalc, Social Studies
-Artwork send to legislative exhibit in state capital
-7 years at outdoor camp including leadership training (leading hikes, conservation research, etc)

Volunteer:
-headed bake sales, blood drive, etc as honor society secretary
-youth runs with XC team
-Chamber singers performances in town, at assisted living centers

If anyone made it to the bottom of my ridiculously long list, what do you think??? Thank you so much

2

You sound passionate about Williams and since you applied ED, I think you’ll get accepted. Apparently the acceptance rate for the Williams Class of 2020 was 42% ED (246 accepted and 585 applied). Just make sure to also have other apps planned just in case. Best of luck!

Chance me back: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1936788-predict-my-results-stanford-mit-princeton-cmu-and-others.html#latest

3

Thank you so much, fingers crossed that you’re right!! I have applications planned for Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Colgate so far. (Btw I did chance you as well)

4

I’m a current Williams student. I too applied ED and got in. Allnighter is correct. Williams accepts a large fraction of their ED candidates. Ella, you sound like a delightful person with a warm heart and would be a fantastic asset to Williams. I’m curious what excites you the most? I can tell you it’s been a fantastic time so far for me. There are some blemishes that I did not realize or expect, but i’m sure that’s true everywhere. I hope the best for you.

5

Thank you so much, I really appreciate you saying that!! Williams is everything I’m looking for in a college. They have such strong track and voice programs. The campus and location are incredible, I love the Berkshires and the idea of Mountain Day. Beyond that, I want to go to Williams because of the academic setting, the ability to easily double major…everything I’ve heard really haha! What surprised you?

6

Not to be nitpicky, but probably 61 (25%) of the ED class referenced above were recruited athletes. Back that number out, and the true ED admit rate for everyone else was closer to 35%.

7

The coach mentioned that he couldn’t officially recruit me because of NCAA standards for track. He encouraged me to apply and send my scores to him, and has been in touch with me through email since my visit. Does this mean anything in terms of applications, or is he just being polite?

8

Hey! You look like an awesome candidate! Something to consider is geographical location, as well as high school reputation. Are you from an under represented area of the country, or from a well represented state? Do you go to a magnet or prep school known for its rigorous curriculum, or are u a shining star at a low preforming public school? Somewhere in between?

9

Thank you! I’m from New York, and I go to a relatively small public school (less than 100 students per grade). I have been pretty much top of my class for the past two years, but I’m not as high as I’d like in the overall ranking because of a rough sophomore year. I’m taking the most rigorous coursework I can. I’m terrified that my GPA is going to hurt me. (Officially we’re unranked, so that shouldn’t be an issue)

10

@EllaNoble

“The coach mentioned that he couldn’t officially recruit me because of NCAA standards for track. He encouraged me to apply and send my scores to him, and has been in touch with me through email since my visit. Does this mean anything in terms of applications, or is he just being polite?”

Reading between the lines here, I would suspect the coach is being polite. Unless he told you you will be a contributor to the team and asked you to demonstrate your commitment by applying ED, your track bona fides are unlikely to provide a boost. Doesn’t mean you won’t be accepted - but track is unlikely to help your cause.

You could verify this on your own by comparing your performances in your best events to the times that are competitive on the Williams team and in the NESCAC.

11

@CodyChesnutt That’s probably fair, we never discussed recruiting per se. (He did say I’d be a great fit on the team…I told him I was applying ED and I would say he seemed enthusiastic, but again, I could easily be reading into it). On a similar subject, a member of the voice faculty (who I sang for) asked me to apply ED and told me I would be a strong asset to his program! Is there any chance that could give me the same help as an athletic recruitment? Thank you!!

12

@EllaNoble Yes, in every admissions cycle, elite colleges have a variety of needs that they try to address. If you have special vocal talents and sang for a Williams faculty member who encouraged you to apply ED, you should take that as a positive sign. Personally, though, I doubt musical talent would ever provide the same boost in admissions as elite athletic skills (at Williams, anyway). Conservatories (e.g., Oberlin, Shepherd School at Rice) are obviously a different story.

13

I just found out that admissions results come out on the 9th…now I’m actually panicking haha

14

Any last minute chancers? I would really appreciate it!!

15

Just thanking everyone again for your input and advice. Williams did not take me, but, while I am disappointed, I am excited to move on to more applications and opportunities! Sincere congratulations to everyone who was accepted

16

Best of luck, @EllaNoble ! I’m sure you’ll end up somewhere awesome–you’re a terrific candidate.