<p>I applied to Grinnell via the Common Application two hours before the deadline. After that anticlimax I was left pondering some painful questions: might I get in, even though Grinnell is a reach for me? Do I even have a chance when Ivy-level applicants are using Grinnell as a safety school? Will my lack of AP classes break me? Will my unusual situation get me in? </p>
<p>ACT: 29
RANK: School doesn't rank
GPA: 3.3
APs: None
AWARDS: Biology Award - Best Student (school), Creative Writing Award - Best Student(school), Creative Communications Poetry Contest (national), Carpe Librum Poetry Contest (regional)
EXTRACURRICULARS: Giving speeches at autism conferences, school literary magazine, diversity club, creative writing club, gay-straight alliance
COMMON APP ESSAY: An eloquent, serious one about growing up with/triumphing over an autism specrum disorder (that's the "unusual situation")
SUPPLEMENT ESSAY: Let's just say that I'm proud of it
RECS: Two different English teachers who consider me extraordinary, one guidance counselor who's willing to talk about how much adversity I've faced</p>
<p>From my experience the Ivy-league-level applicants who use Grinnell as a safety school don’t always get in. Nor do numbers alone keep you out.
Recommendations and Essays matter a lot, I don’t know if yours will help you though.
Best of luck!</p>
<p>I gotta say, if you don’t get into Grinnell, then I’m afraid I don’t have much of a chance either. My grades and my test scores are barely higher than yours. Plus, I don’t have as amazing a story as you do and I think I did a real crappy job on my supplement. </p>
<p>I’m not a huge expert (obviously) but I think you have a chance. If the admissions committee keeps its word at Grinnell, then it’ll look at each and every application without a set gpa or standardized test score in mind. They’ll actually look at the individual. And goodness, autism? That’s quite a story and it shows your strength and all the nice stuff about your character-I think it’s great you’ve pushed so hard despite your setbacks. Any college you apply to, especially Grinnell, will definitely count that in.</p>
<p>Best of wishes and I hope to see you at Grinnell! :]</p>
<p>First of all Grinnell is not a safety for Ivy League students… it is at the least a match.</p>
<p>Grinnell is a reach for you. I know a number of people (me included) that were waitlisted last year with much higher stats. I had one friend with a 3.9 GPA and a 32 ACT that got waitlisted. I was waitlisted with a 3.6 and a 32 ACT. I know a number of others with high GPA/Test scores that had the same fate. All had steller recs/ec’s/etc.</p>
<p>I wish you luck, but don’t assume you are in. Your lack of AP classes only hurts you if your school offered them and you did not take them. Your autism story may help you. You have a shot of getting in, it is just going to be tough.</p>
<p>I think it’s a low reach for you. Your ACT is in the middle 50% range, but towards the lower end. You never know though, and your situation seems to be interesting and should help you in admissions. As long as you have good essays and good recommendations, I think you will stand a better shot. However, if you have not taken a rigorous schedule throughout high school and one is available to you, it won’t exactly speak well to the admissions officers. Don’t let any of this discourage you though, I still think you have a good shot! Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>^ I was not able to take the most rigorous curriculum available at my school(s) because I…</p>
<p>…started off high school slow (and you can’t take AP English III unless you’ve had honors English II or honors Chemistry unless you had honors Algebra or Chemistry II unless you had honors Chemistry, etc.)
…changed schools twice
…got into a giant special ed mess after a suicide attempt
…just do not process information fast enough to take block-scheduled AP classes (according to a professional IQ test, I process with the skill of a gifted person and the speed of someone who’s borderline mentally ■■■■■■■■).</p>