Chance Me

<p>How are my chances?</p>

<p>SAT 2100 (CR 750, Math 690, Writing 660)
SAT Math 2 760, Bio 790, Chem 700, Physics 690</p>

<p>AP Cal AB 5, AP Psych 4 AP Environmental science 4
scholar award</p>

<p>GPA 3.73/4
3 honors classes</p>

<p>Average ECs community services (mostly volunteering at the county hospital), 1st place in 2 school level contests, committee member science club, varsity team, </p>

<p>So I am kind of an average student. I took the SAT again in Jan, but SAT curve in Jan is volatile so yeah (:. Did not apply ED cause I had to take the SAT in dec</p>

<p>Honestly how is my chances?
RD applicant. I am applying for fin aid.My top top choices right now are Oberlin and Lafayette. Neuroscience wannabe major. I heard the neuroscience departments are great in both these places
Others I applied are Hamilton, Barnard, Grinnell, Brandeis, and Amherst(totally out there, I have no chance in hell at Amherst). </p>

<p>Dont ask where I am frm, too risky on CC. Just a small town with no banks.</p>

<p>SkyGirl,</p>

<p>You're not giving me much to go on, but here goes!</p>

<p>First off, have you made contact with the College (tour, info session, interview)? Since Lafayette takes these forms of contact so seriously when making admissions decisions, it would be to your advantage to divulge such information.</p>

<p>Another important aspect of any application is the apparent time with which it was put together. Of course, I have no way of telling how well composed your application may be.</p>

<p>How about teacher and guidance counselor recs? How about your essay?</p>

<p>Your SATs are certainly not average. That's a particularly impressive CR score for someone potentially going into Neuroscience. FYI, I'm not intimating that you should change your prospective major. I'm just stating the obvious.</p>

<p>Is it safe to assume that the courses you've taken in high school other than those APs (nice scores!) and three Honors were of the college-prep variety?</p>

<p>It's hard for me to evaluate your ECs when you list them in such generic fashion. How accomplished are you at that "varsity team"? I hope you took the time to type up a detailed activities list outlining your role in each EC.</p>

<p>BTW, if you were prevented from applying ED to Lafayette because of the timing of the December SAT, just know that you can still convert your RD application to ED status until February 15th. If you can't decide between Lafayette and Oberlin, then maybe that option is not in your best interest.</p>

<p>With the information you've provided thus far, you're definitely in the running. With that said, I hesitate to estimate your chances at this point without a more detailed profile. I certainly understand your concerns over anonymity, but what could be the harm in revealing that "varsity team" (if you played competitive bingo or horseshoes, then it'd make more sense!).</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

<p>Justin,
Hey. Thanks for the feedback. (lol about the varsity team!) Actually, it is cross country :)</p>

<p>I never had any interviews, too far for the tours and never attended any info sessions. The only form of contact I had was through some emails with the admissions near Christmas holidays. Then after applying I stayed put (:</p>

<p>My recs: my English teacher gave a fairly decent one but the 2nd rec is not so great, very simple and cut short. The same recs went out to all the colleges. My essay is average in standards like I talked bout stuff I had to deal with after my dad's death. </p>

<p>I was down with a long flu in Dec so my application was put together rather hastily I feel.
Yeah most of the classes I took are college prep variety.Honors in Chem, bio, math.
I did not write a detailed a EC report just a short resume style. But I hv a decent EC report typed now for the colleges I applied by the 15th Jan. Do u think I should email the EC report to Lafayette now or is it too late? The hospital work involved in me getting some certs also. I played hockey too but not varsity. No leadership positions besides the committee member.
But I organized a year long eco project for the science club tht I am proud of and I am taking part from this month in another independent environmental project/contest till April.</p>

<p>I want to be a neuroscience(premed) major. So I was looking into majors to chose as a pre-med, and I thought neuroscience is cool and interesting. The only problem now is I have to get rid of my fear for live rodents :). Neuroscience equals lot of lab rats it seems.</p>

<p>SkyGirl,</p>

<p>If you are not within about a three hour drive from campus, admissions people don't exactly expect you to have as many visits as those who live minutes away. Still, you should have been contacted for an off-campus alumni interview, provided an alum lives in your area.</p>

<p>Your teachers allowed you to read your recommendations? I only ask because that's usually not the case. When students waive the right to inspect their recommendation letters, teachers are typically more forthright and honest with their comments.</p>

<p>If the new EC report has additions not present in the copy you sent previously, then by all means, send it in. Admissions officers are making decisions on RD people everyday, but in case they've yet to reach your application, it couldn't hurt to send it in. Did you include that year long eco project on your first draft? If not, then I'd definitely give admissions officers a quick update.</p>

<p>Yes, Neuroscience is a really cool area of study. So much research has yet to be done in the field, so the lecture topics are always interesting and relevant. Haha...the lab rats/mice aren't that bad. Thus far, I've worked with mice and pigeons in the psych department, and it's actually a lot of fun.</p>

<p>Getting back to the question at hand, if what you say is true about your application being put together "rather hastily," I'd be a bit concerned. However, only you know of the quality of your essay and overall application package. With your SAT scores as impressive as they are and fine GPA (with a few APs and Honors thrown in), you are square in the running statistics-wise. </p>

<p>You are the kind of applicant (not "person"...please keep that in mind) that, from the sounds of things, might get lost in the shuffle. SAT scores are important, yes, but certainly not everything at a school like Lafayette. To be totally honest, nothing really "wows" me about you as an applicant. Conversely, nothing would make me want to place your application in the reject pile, either. If you couldn't already tell, I'm torn. </p>

<p>I really wish you had taken the opportunity to get to campus to have an on-campus interview. I just feel that admissions officers would have a much easier time accepting you on the basis of you as a person rather than as a pile of paper shoved into a mangled manila folder.</p>

<p>Did I just make any sense, or has my mindless babbling taken me for a ride to the land where language fails to convey even the simplest of thoughts? </p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

<p>Justin,
Yes. You make sense. I get what you are saying.</p>

<p>I was not contacted by Lafayette for an off campus interview. No alum near here I guess. Like I said, I live in a remote area. My teachers were pretty straightforward with students with recs and all.</p>