<p>Hey everyone, I don't know if these get annoying, but would anyone mind letting me know how my stats look? I hope to apply ED to Dartmouth</p>
<p>GPA: 3.9 UW
3rd-7th in class roughly
High Honor roll every semester
Junior in HS</p>
<p>SAT 1: 2150
SAT II Chem: 720
ACT: 35</p>
<p>Courses:</p>
<p>Freshman:
Honors Biology: A
Honors Spanish 3: A
Honors English: B+
Wellness: A
World History CP1 (level below honors in my school): A
Art elective: A
Music elective: A
Honors Geometry: A</p>
<p>Sophomore:
Honors Chem: A
Honors Spanish 4: A
Honors Algebra 2: A
Honors English: A
Computer elective: A
Art elective: A
US History 1 CP1: A</p>
<p>Junior:
Honors Physics: A
Honors Precalc: A
Honors Latin 1: A
AP Spanish 5: A-
AP English Lang: A-
US History 2 CP1: A
Keyboarding: A</p>
<p>Prospective schedule next year:
AP Physics
AP Bio
AP Calc BC
AP Government
AP English lit (this one's a maybe)
Honors Latin 2
Comp. Sci. </p>
<p>ECs:
~30 hrs volunteering weekly at local hospital and continuing
~15 hours random volunteering events
VP Spanish Club-member for 2 years
Best Buddies member for 3 years
Summer@Brown program for medicine
~30 hours shadowing at hospital (not that important, i know, but interesting)
Swim team captain
Club swim team member
Played lacrosse for 2 years but had to stop because of a knee injury
Lifeguard at the YMCA for 2 years and continuing
Rotary leadership conference</p>
<p>Awards:
Honors Biology Award
Honors Spanish Award
History Award
High Honors all semesters</p>
<p>Prospective major: Physics! I plan on being pre-med, though</p>
<p>Again, thanks for any feedback or tips for what to do this summer/senior year!</p>
<p>You look great. I would say that admission at the top schools is a bit of a crapshoot though so don’t get too confident. I assume you’ll apply to like HYP too?</p>
<p>Your SAT scores are a bit weak, but you have a great ACT. I don’t know how Dartmouth and other schools will view this. Perhaps someone else does. Don’t send your SAT 1 scores if you don’t have to. Some strong SAT IIs would help.</p>
<p>If you haven’t seen it already, Dartmouth provides some detailed admissions stats including SAT stats for applicants, admits, and matriculants. Not many schools provide this information, but it can help you get a better picture of how you compare. </p>
<p>I suggest that you go and take a look at the pdf linked to above. Looking at matriculants, for example, at least 40% have scores in the 750-800 range on M and/or CR. For the range you suggest is fine, it drops down to roughly 20%, and precipitately thereafter. And it is reasonable to assume that most of the students with weaker stats are URMs, legacies, recruited athletes, DAs, or hooked in some other fashion.</p>
<p>In other words, while scores in the 700-750 range on all sections certainly gives the applicant a chance, it is not a strong chance or a plus on the application. I think that standrews’ assessment of the stats is accurate. </p>
<p>The OP looks like a BWRK, which is admirable. The question for him is: how are you going to convince D that they should pick you instead of the thousands of other BWRKs that apply?</p>
<p>I should add that I have a lot of sympathy for kids in this situation.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the feedback, everyone :)</p>
<p>I know that my EC’s are a tad weak…what do you all suggest I do this summer to improve them? I plan on continuing volunteering and working. I’m also going to be a summer camp counselor. Is there anything I can do to help me stand out?</p>
<p>Bailey your class rank and ACT are both great, good job on that. What the two posters above me and I are thinking is that you’ve got to focus a bit on how you want your extracurriculars to look. You’ve got a nice list of things going on there, but you could definitely use something to demonstrate a passion in Physics (or whatever you do plan to major in). With only 7 spots on the common application for extracurriculars, focus on quality over quantity and, this summer, try to find an opportunity for you to show your passion for medicine or physics. I don’t give chances, because I feel like I truly cannot ascertain what a real admissions officers thoughts are like, but I will say that you should definitely take advantage of the summertime to develop extracurriculars. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>OP, don’t overlook the opportunity that the essay gives you to speak about something that really matters to you. </p>
<p>I would also recommend that–if possible–you get a recommendation from someone you have worked with on an EC that matters to you that really knows you: perhaps the person you shadowed at the hospital. This could also be someone you work with as a volunteer this summer in the medical arena. Don’t overlook the possibility of volunteering at free clinics or for a social service agency that provides care. Your ongoing job as a lifeguard is good, but you can expand your volunteer horizons.</p>
<p>If you have had the same boss at the YMCA all of the time you’ve been there, and he or she knows you and thinks well of you, that is another good extra rec. </p>
<p>Recs from 2 academic teachers plus 1 work and 1 EC (this could be a music teacher or coach, also) is a good combo that has worked well for kids I know. But they MUST be people who actually know you.</p>
<p>“And it is reasonable to assume that most of the students with weaker stats are URMs…”</p>
<p>Although I think you are one of the most helpful people here in the Dartmouth forum, that was one of the “least intelligent” (euphemism) comments you’ve ever made. Just because one’s SAT scores are below the 750-800 range, doesn’t make one black, latino, or Native American; that is, essentially, what you said, right?</p>
<p>Now, about my comment, I meant that SAT scores in the 700-750 range would not be the reason why someone would get rejected. And if you think that someone would get rejected because of an SAT score of 2150, then you’re wrong. :)</p>
<p>^ The OP’s screen name is bailey42; does that sound asian? Try playing someone else, bro </p>
<p>Yes, it does increase the statistical likelihood, but it doesn’t set it in stone. “Reasonably assuming” in this context suggests that he would automatically think the OP is a URM if he had just seen the scores (and not his ethnicity). </p>
<p>Bottomline: A Dartmouth acceptee with a 2150 SAT (or lower) is not necessarily a URM.</p>
<p>You ACT score is fantastic… your SATs not so great. I think Dartmouth (as well as many other top schools) allows you to submit your ACT instead of SAT plus you’ll need 2 SAT IIs. Good luck!</p>
<p>Of course not. That certainly isn’t what I said, or intended to convey. I said that it is likely that an admit with weak-for-D stats–which in the context of the post was roughly the bottom 30%-- is hooked:</p>
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<p>Being an URM is only one way of being hooked. And it certainly doesn’t mean that any given hooked student is necessarily in the bottom third of D matriculant stats, or that any given hooked student is less intellectually able than any other student. </p>
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<p>I would tend to agree that an otherwise-outstanding candidate would not be <em>rejected</em> simply because of a 2150, or even lower. My comment to the OP is that his SAT was not a plus for him, not that it was a negative. The problem is that I think the admissions people at super-selective schools have to look for reasons to <em>accept</em> students, and that means standing out in some way. A 2150 doesn’t stand out in the D pool. (Luckily, he has a great ACT!)</p>
<p>A lot also depends on how the points are distributed, and in the case of the OP we don’t know. When I responded I was thinking of more or less even distribution. But if it is an 780CR/720M/650W, the candidate is in pretty good shape. If its an 800W/660CR/650M, not so much. Just looking at the published stats makes that pretty clear. If 40% of matriculated students have scores in the 750-800 range, it is likely that an even higher percentage of accepted students did, since at just about all schools this is true.</p>
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