For writing, history might be better than science. On the flipside, science will show your well roundedness. It’s really who will give you the better letter but I’d lean Science if possible. Core, as I interpret, would be Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. So Enviro, CS, Psych, Human Geo, Music Theory, Art History etc - not core.
Others may disagree on Enviro but it’s an elective vs required.
Hope that helps.
Your list is super reach heavy. I bet you will get in Drexel but I know it is $$$$ (I have a friend super stressed about this now b/c her parents are telling her it’s too much). Maybe you will have better luck with fin aid but I would throw in a few more targets. I know you are enby so I get why Oberlin & Kenyon might be out (Ohio…) but what about Brandeis or Occidental? I would do some editing on the reaches and try to have a bigger target/match list. What is your safety?
occidental I’ve been looking at recently actually! I really do like them and its a very likely for me based on my school so if I were to switch out drexel it would be my next pick. thank you so much for the advice I prob will switch out drexel.
for my school (and im aware this is not at all schools) wesleyan vassar and oxy r very very likely for me (50% and above) and I’m also thinking about skidmore but open to any suggestions too. brandeis I have not heard too much about but I’ll look into it!
Regardless of what your school data is saying, you need a safety. It is the most important school on your list. We’ve seen lots of kids - two in the last two days - that are studs - and were shut out except for their in state public. You can also look at any boarding school - a Hotckiss - for example - and they’re still sending people to lower rated schools. So find that few that are assured entrances (and affordable) so that you can then reach for the rest.
Here’s a few more to look at:
Bucknell (target), Elon (safety), Franklin & Marshall (target), Holy Cross (target), Pitt or Binghamton for a bigger school (safety), and for an out of the box safety Agnes Scott in Atlanta…all girls.
I think @Shelby_Balik who I believe is a professor wrote this - and it’s important to take note - especially on the variety of curriculum.
“So in checking out departments, you want to consider a few things. First, are there a lot of visiting or adjunct faculty in those departments? That’s not a great sign. Second, do the courses and faculty areas of interest more or less match yours? In LACs with small departments, that’s not always a guarantee.”
thank you so much for your insight! I was wondering why you looked at American studies/area studies specifically. I personally didn’t really intend on doing area studies before this but I was wondering why you think this is a good choice
what are your thoughts on places that encourage visiting faculty?? I know at stanford they have stegner fellows and the visiting poets as well as visiting lecturers. But for me that kind of helped stanford stand out more because of the people they are able to bring in.
Enviro is an AP science class. So it absolutely counts as a core. You can absolutely get one of your teacher recs from that class if that teacher knows you best.
Congratulations on a very interesting profile! I just want to clarify a few things.
You say that your family is willing to pay up to $25k if you pay $10k. So the expectation is that you will take out a federal loan ($5500 first year) and subsidize the rest via your work or additional scholarships. So, we’re working with a $35k budget. Is that correct? If your school ends up costing $25k or less, will your family still expect you to contribute $10k? Also, has your family run any Net Price Calculators? If so, I would have them do that and eliminate any schools that don’t offer merit aid that don’t get to that $35k number.
50% and above does not fall into what I consider “very very likely.” When grouping schools, I tend to think of categories like this:
Thus, a chance of admission that’s greater than 50% could well fall into my toss-up category. Frankly, what others call a “safety” I’d want to be in the Extremely Likely range, and preferably have at least two of those. Apart from Drexel, I’d put all of your schools in the low probability zone. Your boarding school counselor is obviously best-placed to advise you on your chances, but I’d strongly urge you to come up with more schools that are likely or extremely likely, and eliminate a number of your reaches.
I like the Sarah Lawrence rec you received earlier.
Some other schools you may want to consider include:
OK - I stand corrected.
To me, I believe when they say core, they mean the courses required for college, etc. and not electives.
I’m reading a few articles on line - they show the same as I noted.
It’s probably such a minor infraction if it even is an infraction (to your point).
Thanks
As to area studies, I was mostly responding to your combined interest in English and history. The “studies” majors, if you find one of interest, can give you an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary study that tends to a lot of literature and history, and would free up room for more electives or another major, or similar. It’s just something else to look at, given your interests. These are majors that aren’t on a lot of HS students’ radar. For example - my daughter loves English and history like you do, and when I suggested she check out Americans studies majors, she had an "a-ha!"moment and started looking at those programs. So I thought I’d suggest it as you consider diversifying your list.
As to visiting faculty, no, I’m not talking about visiting fellows, but I am talking about faculty that come for 1-3-year stints and never get on the tenure track. This can signify that a department is unable to invest in a permanent position, and also there might be some instability. For example, if you really want to pursue an area of study that a temporary faculty member specializes in, that person will be unlikely to give you research opportunities or might not be around to advise your senior thesis, etc. so you just want to be careful if you see a lot of visiting positions.
I define “core” as English, science, math, social studies – anything that fulfills those categories. Foreign language could could as core, too, I suppose. APES counts as a lab science, even if it’s not bio/chem/physics – just as Stats counts as math even if it’s not calculus. Non-core would be non-academic electives: arts, yearbook, newspaper, etc.
Be careful about assumptions - Wesleyan and Vassar, both great fits, are reaches for everyone. Vassar’s admit rate in particular has dropped dramatically in just a few years. Oxy is a great choice, and you might look at Reed, as well. Claremont Colleges are fantastic but mostly won’t make your list less reach-heavy. In the Northeast, Conn College and Bard would soft targets/likelies.
Talk to your admissions counselor. You will likely be seen as Asian overrepresented minority. Non binary is not a hook either. You are reaching too high. Take a very close look at your in state flagship state U, and if that is UCB or UCLA, or U Mich or UNC or maybe even UVa, add in a state college, too. This will be your academic and financial safety. Then you need academic matches that are also likely to be financial matches. Then reaches, and high reaches, which will prob give you some fin aid.
The most important advice to listen to for you, as a Boarding school student, is your college counselor at your school. You need to be direct and ask what your rough class rank is and then ask how your rank(relative GPA) and course rigor compares to previous students who have gotten accepted to schools on your list. That is how your counselor will determine match/reach/likely. Boarding schools vary widely: at some, 30% of kids go to top10-15ish schools. At others 5% do. A 3.8uw could be bottom 25% of the class or it could be top10% somewhere with grade deflation. You need to have a frank conversation with your counselor and then make sure you have multiple likely and match schools that you will be happy to attend.
Ditto the financial/affordability advice other posters have given.
There are comments here on recommendation letters. I suggest asking each school. You may be able to do an arts supplement for creative writing, for instance, that would include a sample, a writing resume and letter(s) of recommendation for writing.
I am quite sure that arts recommendations got one of my kids into an Ivy (I am not touting Ivies here, just where she landed). Especially for kids with significant activities outside of school, those “extra” LOR’s can be important. But you have to check to see what the schools accept.
Of course also check on what a school considers a “core” class but I know for my kids, AP environmental science counted.
Skidmore, Bennington, Sarah Lawrence would all be possible matches. I agree about American Studies, though the curriculum varies from school to school.
You are spot on per Yale’s website which is the example previously used…
“Request recommendations from two teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects (e.g. English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your junior or senior year of high school.”
AP Environmental Sciences as described below given subject matter, rigor and typically taken junior/senior year (Pre req 2 years of lab science) is a perfect candidate from which to seek a LOR.
OP please do not be concerned about a “minor infraction”, (it is not), and proceed confidently using your APES teacher for your LORs if that is your preference.
Not to pile on, but in order to ensure that the OP is getting correct information, It’s not an infraction at all
Feel free to quote the article that excludes ES as core.
Bingo.
Psychology, economics, CS all count are core in terms of recommendations. It has nothing to do with whether the course is required for HS graduation or college entrance.
Here is another example:
Math/science evaluation potential subjects
Math
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Earth science
Environmental science
Computer science
Engineering
Technology
Science research (as a class)
Humanities/social science/language potential subjects
English
History
Foreign language
Classics
Economics
Government
Psychology
Social studies
Geography
What is basically excluded is a rec from teachers of art, music, theatre, PE, drivers Ed, culinary arts, wood shop, etc, although art teachers could be used as a supplemental rec, where accepted
However, for those who have exceptional achievement in an outside field, you can and should add letters from teachers or coaches for that special activity. My kid submitted the two academic letters, plus two letters from kid’s special activity, was admitted EA to a tippy top, likely because of extraordinary achievement in that area.
If a college will accept additional LOR, this isn’t a bad idea. But some are very clear about what they want.
Also, in terms of acceptance to highly rejective schools….there really isn’t any way to know why you got accepted…or didn’t.
Elon was mentioned as a safety, but be aware that this year, they deferred a lot of high stats students from EA to RD. It’s probably safe ish, but have a true safety that you really like.
Vassar and Wesleyan are reaches. I’m not getting a Drexel vibe from this student.
Given your interests, Oberlin and Grinnell could be a wonderful match or low reach for you. Kenyon also, as it is very strong for writing. Not safeties though.
Look at NESCAC schools. Conn and Trinity could be “easier” matches.
took off drexel; added conn coll, oxy was already on the list 