<p>4.0 GPA UW
3 AP courses junior year, 5 expected senior year
2000 SAT I (720 CR, 680 M, 600 W)--am re-taking of course
760 SAT II Chem
ACT composite 34
English 36
Reading 36
Math 32
Science 30
Combined English/Writing 33
EC:
Mock Trials (alternate, but expect to be captain next year)
Tennis-varsity
Boy Scouts (should be Eagle by fall)
Youth group core team member
music composition
tutoring
NLE gold or silver medalist all years since 7th grade
Volunteer local nature and science center
part-time job in doctor's office
expect to be National Hispanic Recognition Scholar
Will be either National Merit Commended (most likely) or Semi-Finalist
expect to be in top 10% of class</p>
<p>Will defintiely need f/a</p>
<p>Stats look very good, except for SAT being on the low side, but you’re going to re-take them. If you’re Hispanic, then you’re also URM, which is a hook. I think you have a very good chance, especially if it’s your first choice and you apply ED. (This year, Class of 2015 was 48% filled by ED).</p>
<p>ACT score > SAT score. Decent chances, but no guarantees (ED would definitely help). Good essays can help seal the deal :)</p>
<p>Williams College’s financial aid is fantastic.</p>
<p>ED at Williams does not always help much so do not feel pressure to do that. The majority of the ED acceptances are athletes and legacies, who have been “pre-approved”. This past year I think about 570 applied ED (a typical year according to admissions) and about 230 were accepted, so the rate does seem much higher. However, 36 were legacies, another 10 were questbridge, and a significant number are athletes receiving varying degrees of support. I don’t know if anyone knows the exact number, but there are usually 66 “tips” and then quite a large number of applicants who meet/exceed the average stats for Williams but are deemed likely varsity starters and receive a protected/reserved status from admissions. That could easily leave fewer than 100 who are accepted without athletic/legacy help. Athletes and legacies get little or no push from admissions in the RD round. ED may still help, but it is not as obviously beneficial as the stats would make it seem. If you qualify as a URM or first generation to college you should have a strong chance with your ACT scores, and your SAT is not as weak as you think - Williams looks at the 1600 scale, not the 2400, the writing is considered more like a subject test and is not nearly as important as the CR / Math.</p>
<p>I think you have a very good shot considering your academics and ACT (send that over SAT). Being a URM will definitely help also. </p>
<p>@SSSmomof3. 48%? Wow. Does anybody else feel as though that is somewhat disingenuous for a college to accept such a large portion of its class before even seeing the vast majority of applicants? I suppose I’m somewhat biased since I was waitlisted, but that is the higher number I’ve seen of any other school for ED make-up of the entire class. Just curious, any thoughts? It seems as most colleges have started taking this approach solely so they can drive down their overall acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Disagree with behrumt-they absolutely look at the writing score. </p>
<p>However, for a hispanic, I think lowest quartile plus excellent grades and recs will seal the deal…Don’t send the SAT1s-the ACT is fantastic and can get you in anywhere. Williams requires 3 SAT2s, and for ordinary mortals, best they are over 700. Practice for that and don’t bother with the SAT1s anymore.</p>
<p>Lookin’ good…Can you play tennis in college? The music angle is big with Williams as well. They have ensembles to fill.</p>
<p>potential williams '15 here. i think you got a great shot. just make sure you write a genuinely passionate and sincere essay. oh, and make sure you take another SAT II subject test. i’m not sure about williams in particular, but a lot of other colleges want you to submit a minimum of two tests. (two is a requirment for many)</p>
<p>best of luck!</p>
<p>Am deciding between re-taking SAT I in June or more SAt II’s. Can only take Latin SAT II in June so am leaning toward that. If from the East Coast do schools get suspicious of porr SAT I’s if you only send ACTs?</p>
<p>To clarify, I did not say Williams does not look at the writing, but I was told in a direct conversation with an Admissions Officer that is was not as important as the CR or Math. I was told the writing score could be used as a “subject” test score, which is what my daughter did, she took two others and used her writing score as her third subject test (hers was over 750 though, I wouldn’t send the 600). She never took a third subject test and is a current student at Williams.</p>
<p>NJmom-no. They really do want to see your child at their best. My S took SAT1s and never released them, took the ACT twice and got a 31 and was admitted ED to Midd as an athlete. His under 700s on the SAT2 got him the negative from Williams on the pre-read. He didn’t have time to retake them.</p>
<p>Your child has proven himself on the general knowledge and abilities test with that ACT. Move on to the subject test part.</p>
<p>Also if you want a small topnotch LAC that will go all out to get your child, and only requires ACTs, consider Carleton or Midd…You need a back-up for Williams anyway.</p>
<p>The writing “isn’t important” if it is over 700. If it is under, then there can be concerns about your child’s ability to succeed at Williams, as communicating in writing is required.
For Williams, everything is important.</p>
<p>Congrats to your daughter for doing so well, behr.Glad she is happy at Williams-it’s quite an accomplishment to get one of those coveted spots.</p>
<p>First, it’s 40 percent of the class taken early, not 48 percent, and 40 is roughly in line with many other schools.</p>
<p>As others have said, although that sounds high, that includes all the Questbridge admits, a good chunk of alumni kids, the majority of the tipped athletes, etc., so a lot of those folks are on slightly different admissions tracks to begin with. As for the rest, well, I think it is good that the school is taking folks who definitely want to be there, really important at a place like Williams which is a very small and fairly isolated campus – I think it makes for a very enthusiastic student body, to target students who are convinced that Williams is the place for them. And again, that still leaves 60 percent of the students for RD. Remember, also, that the average academics credentials are generally a tiny bit higher (or at worst, equivalent) for the ED admit group than the RD admit group, so it’s not as if the school is compromising quality in taking a large portion of ED applicants …</p>
<p>^^^ Sorry, I misread the stat on ED acceptance on Williams site. It is indeed 42% for Class of 2015.</p>
<p>“Am deciding between re-taking SAT I in June or more SAt II’s. If from the East Coast do schools get suspicious of porr SAT I’s if you only send ACTs?”</p>
<p>I feel like I can respond to this question pretty well. I applied Regular Decision to Williams this year. I had decent SAT I scores, but a significantly stronger ACT score. I live on the East Coast, and I only submitted my ACT. I also submitted two SAT II Subject Tests (Scores 700+ each), and I was admitted with an Early Write. I’m not URM, legacy, athlete, first-generation, etc.</p>
<p>In other words, there is no formula the Williams Admission Team uses. If you only submit an ACT score and you live on the East Coast, you may get in or you may not…who knows? I’d spend the time taking SAT II’s because your ACT score is very strong. A 34 is very good, and it’d be better to ensure you have 700+ SAT II’s than work on getting both a good SAT and a great ACT.</p>
<p>Does anyone know the RD acceptance rate? As of now, Williams is my top choice, but I won’t be applying ED for financial reasons.</p>