I am applying to a number of liberal arts schools and K am wondering about the likelihood of acceptance at these schools, with Middlebury being the focus. I have a 32 ACT as well as an 800 SAT II in US History and a 680 SAT II in Literature. I am the managing editor of the school newspaper and have over 300 volunteer hours working with kids soccer teams at the YMCA. I am a varsity cross country runner and a competitive rock climber. I have my own blog including photos and musings. I am the treasurer and founder of a club, a student government senator, and a point person at the YMCA leaders club. My GPA is only reported as weighted in my school and it is a 5.2. I will have taken nine AP courses over my high school career. After Junior year I have two fives and two fours on those exams.
I think that’s about it?
Please let me know what you think I will be looking like stacked up at these selective liberal arts schools, I want an academically rigorous school and I am very focused.
I would think you’d be in the running for Middlebury; Amherst and Williams are always a crapshoot. The others I’m not as familiar with.
You GPA is a 5.2…out of what?
Your ACT is decent and can get you into Midd, especially if you apply ED (visit the school to see if it is a fit). But if you don’t want to apply ED, then consider taking a 3rd SAT II exam. Midd will accept any 3 SAT subject tests in place of a regular ACT/SAT score. That may favor you, given your 800 in US History. Just take a 3rd subject test and at the same time retest on your very respectable 680 Lit score. I bet given practice, you would raise that score to 700+. Your ECs, and particularly your volunteer work, will be very much appreciated by the adcom. Midd looks for kids interested in volunteering in the town. Since you run, check out the Trail around Middlebury or TAM.
Middlebury along with most of the NESCAC’s superscore the ACT. Is a 32 the best you can get when superscored? If so, I’d plan a final retake. A 32 seems a point or two low for an unhooked applicant to Middlebury. I’d be much more comfortable with your prospects if you had a 33 or a 34 ACT score. Keep in mind that MIddlebury, Williams, and Amherst will walk away from probably hundreds (thousands?) of kids with higher ACT scores and similar GPAs.
Another thought, since MIddlebury is flexible about its testing requirements, maybe you could take a couple more SAT Subject Tests, get 740s or so on both, and submit three 740+ scores instead of the ACT? That 800 for US History is a terrific score. Two more close to that, and I’d like your chances.