Chances and Advice for Wes?

<p>GPA-
Projected 97/98ish on a 100 pt scale over 3 years. Amazing 4.3 at frosh year school in a different state.
Will not be ranked.
Took one AP (US History) junior year and will take AP English, AP Gov, and AP Econ next year. These are the only non-math and science (or music theory and art, but whatever) APs offered at my school. It isn't too late to switch into AP bio or physics, but I don't think I'll do well in either (not well enough to get a respectable AP score or grade) and it seems that taking non-AP physics seems like a good fit for me. Definitely not doing AP Calc...lol, I'm not a mathie.</p>

<p>SAT-
1st Time:
690 CR
650 Math
700 Writing
=1340/2040</p>

<p>2nd Time:
720 CR
670 Math
780 Writing
=1390/2170</p>

<p>I live in Pennsylvania and go to a small public high school in a college town that sends many, many grads to top schools, especially compared to others in the area. Silver Medal USNWR High School. Although I'm not that crazy about the school itself, the kids are phenomenal.</p>

<p>ECs include multiple tourney wins in debate, a 30+ hr a week job plus a rec from employer, countless hours during campaign season and a rec from the county party chair, and hundreds upon hundreds of service hours.</p>

<p>Applying RD as a Gov't major.</p>

<p>I know they meet 100% of demonstrated need, but how is Wes with regards to loans as a part of need based fin aid packages?</p>

<p>Any other advice anyone has for getting in would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>You have pretty good chances of getting in. I would say that when it comes time to apply, work on your essays and make sure they’re YOU, get an alumni interview, etc. </p>

<p>Wesleyan is pretty good with loans. For your frosh year, you can’t get more than $5500 worth of loans unsubsidized (or $3500 subsidized). If you get a some outside scholarships, you can definitely eliminate your loans, which is good!</p>

<p>I wouldn’t scoff at Music Theory or Art History as AP classes – maybe consider taking them if you think you can handle another AP?</p>

<p>Besides raising the SAT Math score if you think you can, I think you look like you’re a good match for Wes, and have a good shot at getting in. Your ECs look great! Good luck</p>

<p>Considering other top schools are eliminating the loan component completely for low-EFC families, I don’t think that sounds as great as you do. Anyway, I’ve heard about the stereotypical drug crazed far left Wes student, is it accurate? If so, that (combined with seemingly crappy finaid compared to peer schools) is a big turn-off.</p>

<p>I don’t know why you’re applying to Wesleyan if you find leftism a big turn-off…</p>

<p>The Wesleyan student body, as a whole, is further to the left than other top colleges’ student bodies, for sure. Tons of people join the Peace Corps or Teach for America after graduating (to paint your “drug crazed far left” stereotype in a more appropriate, positive light). There’s a lot of discussion of politics, especially identity politics, and current events on campus. If that stuff doesn’t interest or excite you at all, I think you might fit in more at another campus, as being active in the community and passionate about politics is certainly part of the campus culture.</p>

<p>The druggie stereotype is exaggerated, but any liberal school is going to have more pot per capita than, say, Penn, Cornell, Boston College, or JHU (to use other schools that I see you’re applying to). It’s still a minority that does it, and anything harder than pot is pretty rare and below-the-surface, similar to other schools. I think the attitude is pretty live-and-let-live.</p>

<p>Any college campus is going to be left leaning. I understand that. But the stereotype I have of Wes (it’s mostly from How I Met Your Mother [lol] and an alum in extended fam that I’ve spoken to, so it’s a mile deep and an inch long if you know what I mean) is intolerant of even politically/socially/culturally moderate views (“Berkeley East” is one term that has been bandied about). I love talking politics (see my ECs posted) and I’m fairly conservative with regard to drugs/drinking (compared to your average 16/17 year old), so I want to make sure I won’t be a complete outcast (even though I recognize I’ll be a small minority). I’m just trying to see if Wes would be a good fit.</p>

<p>EDIT: And who said I was “applying” anywhere? I haven’t made any decisions outside of Cornell, which is looking like a definite yes for me applying come next school year.</p>

<p>There are plenty of people at Wes who don’t drink or do drugs; I don’t think you’d be in the minority as much as you think you would be. But everyone has friends who have different habits than they do in that respect, and no one minds. I think as long as you’re open to having friends who drink/smoke (or likewise, if you were a big drinker, I’d tell you that you must be open to having friends who choose to live sub-free) you won’t have any problems at all. There have been a couple threads on the drug issue already, which you may want to search for if my answer isn’t sufficient.</p>

<p>How “intolerant” (of moderate or conservative views) the campus is is something that different people have different views on, but I can definitely say that there’s no lack of discussion/debate.</p>

<p>And sorry for thinking you were applying to these places – I shouldn’t have assumed.</p>

<p>Great. I just don’t want a ton of pressure to do drugs and you’ve seemed to dispel that myth to a certain extent. Thanks!</p>

<p>There is definitely zero pressure, no worries. And no problem – good luck with the college search!</p>

<p>that’s one cool thing about Wes… as long as you are cool with other people drinking/ doing drugs, you wont be looked down upon for not doing them. there is no pressure to drink or do drugs, but there will definitely be people doing both (although less so with the drugs)</p>

<p>idk, i always thought of the characters on HIMYM as idealistic rather than left-wing, per se. But, that’s just my take.</p>

<p>Yeah, HIMYM basically reinforced the pot thing. But, there’s no doubting Ted Mosby is/was pretty out there. [////////</a> D O C T O R X \\](<a href=“http://mysteriousdrx.com/]////////”>http://mysteriousdrx.com/) LOL. Remember, the creators of the show went to Wes.</p>

<p>Lol. Don’t worry, I’m goign to Wes, I’m liberal, don’t do drugs or smoke; so rest assured that there is a variety of ppl with whom you can mingle at wes</p>

<p>OMG, here I am thinking, Barney Stinson’s “the weird one”. LOL</p>

<p>Hahahaha, the Dr. X website is great. The radio shows there are obviously ridiculous and exaggerated off of the Wes stereotypes, but there is still a little something to them. Not everyone cares about where and how their t-shirt was manufactured - but there are students who do and bring it up. I think it’s great that this dialogue exists on campus, but, yeah…</p>

<p>I was pretty conservative about drugs and drinking in high school and when I entered Wesleyan. (i.e. I didn’t drink at all in high school or my freshman year). While I’ve relaxed somewhat, I still think the atmosphere here is very laidback all around: do or don’t do whatever you want, and for the most part, people won’t judge you too much.</p>

<p>The druggie stereotype is exaggerated, but any liberal school is going to have more pot per capita than, say, Penn, Cornell, Boston College, or JHU (to use other schools that I see you’re applying to). It’s still a minority that does it, and anything harder than pot is pretty rare and below-the-surface, similar to other schools. I think the attitude is pretty live-and-let-live.</p>

<p>^ Ha. its clearly obvious that youre a prefrosh, and if you think weed is the most hardcore drug here, youre not gonna like what you see. The hard drug school, while underground, is NOT rare at wesleyan. However, your one of your uninformed assumptions are correct though – there is no pressure to do drugs or drink alcohol at wes, Many students with great social lives dont partake in these affairs, and noone will outcast you (well, not many) for not doing it</p>