Chances at LACs? [Will Chance Back]

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Would you mind chancing me? I'm willing to chance back, just post link to your post.</p>

<p>Schools I'm Considering --</p>

<p>Universities
UT at Austin
University of Houston
American University</p>

<p>LAC
Wellesley College
Oberlin College
Scripps College
Vassar College
Trinity College</p>

<p>Ethnicity: Caucasian
Income Status: Somewhat unsure, safely below $50,000.
SAT: I haven't taken it yet, but a practice test puts me at 1950 (CR 710 - MT 540 - WR 700)
AP Tests: AP Language/Composition (5), U.S. History (3), World History (3)
Rank Percentile: Top 8%
Unweighted GPA: 3.62
Weighted GPA: 4.75</p>

<p>To be honest, I'm not concerned about the quality of my essays and teacher recommendations; I know that they will both be the highlights of my application.</p>

<p><em>Courses</em>
Senior Year Courses:
AP English IV, AP Gov/Eco, AP Statistics, PAP Physics, Academic Decathlon (honors), Theatre IV (honors), Teacher's Assistant for AP English III</p>

<p>All AP Courses:
AP World History, AP US History, AP English III, AP English IV, AP Statistics, AP Government, AP Economics</p>

<p>All Honors/PAP Courses:
English I, English II, World Geography, Geometry, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Theatre III, Theatre IV, Academic Decathlon (2 years)</p>

<p><em>Officer Positions Held</em></p>

<p>President of Youth for Christ (9), Business Professionals of America (11), Literature Club (12) and Improv Troupe (12)</p>

<p>[NOTE: Founder of the Literature Club. ^]</p>

<p>Vice-President of Business Professionals of America (10)</p>

<p>Secretary of Chemistry Club (11)</p>

<p>Media Coordinator of Drama Club (12)</p>

<p>Other Clubs: Academic Decathlon (11, 12); Drama Club (9, 10, 11); Freshmen Volunteering Club (9); National Honor Society (11, 12)</p>

<p><em>Awards</em>
2012 - 2 Bronze Medals in Extemporaneous Speech and Marketing at Regional Level (Business Club); State Recognized Play (UIL One-Act)</p>

<p>2013 - 1 Silver Medal for Global Marketing Team, 2 Bronze Medals for Prepared Speech and Business Management at Regional Level (Business Club); Region Recognized Play, 2 Individual Distinction Acting Awards (UIL One-Act)</p>

<p>Volunteer: 80 Hours of dramatic technical assistance and helping the community through some churches.</p>

2

<p>Vassar: mid reach
Wellesley: low reach
Oberlin: low reach
Scripps: high match
Trinity: high match
UT Austin: high match
University of Houston: low match / safety
American University: low match</p>

<p>Good luck! :)</p>

3

<p>Honestly, none of these are very high reaches. I would consider most of these matches.</p>

4

<p>Thank you for your feedback! I’m shamelessly bumping my post. Sue me.</p>

5

<p>Vassar: reach
Wellesley: reach
Oberlin: high match
Scripps: high match
Trinity: match
UT Austin: high match
University of Houston: low match / safety
American University: low match</p>

6

<p>UT at Austin – Reach
University of Houston – Safe
American University – Target/Safe</p>

<p>Wellesley College – Reach
Oberlin College – Reach/Target
Scripps College – Reach/Target
Vassar College-- Reach
Trinity College – Reach</p>

7

<p>I should probably note that I’m applying through QuestBridge to a few of these schools.</p>

8

<p>That does not mean they will automatically change categories. This isn’t the time to be risky.</p>

<p>The 540 SAT Math score is going to hurt you everywhere.</p>

9

<p>Which I fully acknowledge! I’m working really hard at getting at least a 600 SAT Math in October and praying to multiple deities that they’ll overlook my severe lacking in the maths/science department. I’ve taken an AP math course this year for the sole purpose of appearing academically well-rounded (however unconvincing I may be).</p>

<p>Can I pacify admissions offices by appearing incredibly concentrated in the things I’m actually good at?</p>

<p>If all else fails, I’m at least guaranteed admissions into University of Houston (with a strong possibility of great scholarship).</p>

10

<p>You may want to</p>

<p>1) Add another safe school because it feels good to have more than one option at the end of the process</p>

<p>2) Apply to some test-optional or test-flexible schools. A full list is here: [SAT/ACT</a> Optional 4-Year Universities | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional]SAT/ACT”>ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest). Some LAC examples might be Bard, Union, Mt. Holyoke, Gettysburg, all of which you have a better shot at than most of the schools you have listed. </p>

<p>If you feel like you could perform better on subject tests than you did on the SAT, you could do the test-flexible option at Bryn Mawr and be really competitive as an applicant there.</p>

<p>I guess my best advice would be to remove 3 reaches and replace them with 2 targets and a safe (or maybe even make these additions, but only remove 2 reaches).</p>

11

<p>Whether or not I apply to those colleges will rest more on my QuestBridge status than my confidence in getting admitted; free applications are worth every second they (could potentially) waste. </p>

<p>I don’t really see how I’d have a better shot at Bard than the competitive schools I listed. Truth is, I’d rather attend Bard than anything I mentioned here. </p>

<p>Really helpful information, you’ve given me some good material to research and consider.</p>

12

<p>You got into Questbridge. That means you’ve already qualified for a program whose sole purpose is to make sure you attend an elite college because to deserve to be there. So you WILL get into one of the schools you apply through Questbridge. Don’t worry. :)</p>

<p>Expand your list if you can. Add Mount Holyoke or Bryn Mawr, for example. Include the other Trinity (TX and CT :p)
Can you do the Explore Colby program (application due Sept 27, so hurry!)
If you like LACs, try to find another safety that’s a LAC.
Check out Colleges that Change Lives, for example, and look for schools more than 500 miles from where you live. Some of them are religious so that may be another way to show “fit”.</p>

13

<p>@Zamiota – yeah, Bard is probably the most selective of the ones I threw your way. If you like Bard, but want a little safer, check out Skidmore, even safer check out Juniata. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

14

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>@MYOS1634 – Ha, unfortunately I haven’t received acceptance to QuestBridge yet. I won’t be alerted of that until the end of October. I’m trying to avoid highly religious colleges, but am willing to make exceptions for those that don’t require church attendance and bible classes. I don’t know what Colby is, so I’ll give it a google.</p>

15

<p>You have a decent chance with your test scores/ class rank. Your EC’s might be a little lacking, but I’m sure you’ll do fine.</p>

16

<p>Hm, without a Questbridge endorsement, it might be iffier, but you still get a chance.</p>

<p>CTCL’s that are religious-related (none require church attendance, but they typically have a chapel on campus and require an ethics/philosophy/religions class): Earlham, Guilford, Hendrix, Rhodes, St Mary’s College of CA, St Olaf… </p>

<p>Colby is a highly selective LAC in the Northeast. In order to attract first generation students and under represented minorities who wouldn’t have the financial means to visit their campus, they have a program where you apply, and, if selected, they fly you in for free.
If you enjoy writing and are good at it (cf. confidence in essay quality, founder of Literature Club) look at Hamilton.</p>

17

<p>We’re looking at a lot of the same schools so if you could chance back I’d appreciate it.</p>

<p>Wellesley College- high match/low reach
Oberlin College- high match
Scripps College- match/high match
Vassar College- reach
Trinity College- match</p>

18

<p>I would say:
Vassar: mid reach
Wellesley: low/mid reach
Oberlin: mid/high match
Scripps: high match
Trinity: match
UT Austin: high match
University of Houston: safety
American University: safety, maybe low match</p>

<p>You should be able to get into quite a few of these.</p>

<p>Chance me back! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1552914-washu-hopkins-nd-etc-i-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1552914-washu-hopkins-nd-etc-i-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

19

<p>Thank you everybody for your feedback. </p>

<p>Hrm, Hamilton seems like an incredibly appealing school. Incredibly competitive, unfortunately.</p>

20

<p>You’re applying to Vassar, Wellesley, and Scripps - Hamilton is in the same group for competitivity. :slight_smile: So if it looks appealing to you, you should give it a try.
Similar for their writing program but a little bit (little!) easier to get into, you have Kenyon*, and much less competitive you have Allegheny, Wooster, St Lawrence, Beloit, Knox, Earlham, Macalester, Kalamazoo. These schools have different “vibes” and requirements so make sure to check the websites.</p>

<p>*To have an insider’s view of the English/writing program at Kenyon, get your hands on an old copy of “Alma Mater” by PF Kluge.</p>