Chances at some liberal arts schools

<p>I applied to a school ED, but am not sure i’ll get in and am therefore preparing for the worst (and hoping for the best). I am interested in Bowdoin, Middlebury, Tufts, Wesleyan, Colby, and some other liberal arts colleges. Would anyone chance me. I am also open to suggestions of other small colleges. <7000 students preferably. I am interested in in economics.</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>GPA: UW 3.76
SAT I: W:750 M:720 CR:660
SAT II: math ii: 770 waiting on physics
ACT: Will be taking soon
AP: World History 3, US History 3, Microeconomics 3, Macroeconomics 3, Psychology 4, English 11 4, Statistics 4
Taking 5 more AP’s senior year.</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurricular: Lacrosse jv 9th, 10th grade
1 wrestling 9th, 10th, 11th grade varsity,
2 Member of high school Young Republican Club (president 10th, 11th grade)
3 Internship at Romney Victory office: summer before 11th grade and during 11th grade until nov. 6th
4 Started an organization: Teenage Republicans of Northern Virginia, which networks 28 high schools teenage republican clubs to work cohesively on campaigns by phone banking and door knocking. Also hosts events. ie. candidate youth forum, where all republican candidates for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General came and answered questions focused towards teenagers.
5 Internship at Washington First Bank: summer before senior year
6 Member of Student Gov. 9-11th grade: vp of class and member of High school “Executive Board” 12th grade: president of school/exec board
7 Member of NHS</p>

<p>Job: worked at a country club cleaning golf clubs, golf carts, cleaning the driving range, etc.</p>

<p>Other:
Upper middle class
Caucasian
No hooks
male</p>

<p>I see that you applied to Dartmouth ED. No hooks you say? Brace yourself for Plan B. My friend’s son was rejected ED last year a double legacy with stats much higher than yours 750 in SAT I and II , math, CR, etc. Bowdoin, Middlebury and probably the very liberal Wesleyan and Tufts also won’t work with your stats without a hook, even ED II. You best consider Colby Ed II and keep your fingers crossed. You need a true safety, even if it is 2 levels below Dartmouth (non-Ivy ,non NESCAC). We have been through this recently and have received coaches’ feedback on SATs needed for the top NESCAC school (700s in CR) even for lax protects. You do have excellent scores in Math and Science so maybe ACT will be 33+. Your APS are low (3s) and ECs are not terribly unique (sorry) but you sound like a very smart and conservative person. You might want to consider Colgate for ED II. It is quite similar to Dartmouth in many ways.</p>

<p>Colby, Davidson perhaps?
What about Washington and Lee as a safety? Small, conservative, solid liberal arts.
University of Richmond as a safety too, I would think.
HSG</p>

<p>Thanks folks. hsgrad, I don’t want to go to WL, I think it would be to much of a southern school for me. I really want to go north.</p>

<p>Colgate, Hamilton, Trinity are better backups, Colgate and Colby as more of a match.
Bowdoin and Middlebury seem unlikely with your numbers, etc., but it certainly is worth an application. Wesleyan may consider you for ideological diversity but even then it feels very selective. Give them all a shot but consider Colgate, Hamilton, Trinity, and Bucknell for targets.</p>

<p>You might also look at Lafayette and Bates as well, though Bates tends to be a bit more liberal.</p>

<p>You would really like Hamilton I bet. Have you visited? Colgate too, but Hamilton seems perfect for you. Your stats are not great for Bowdoin, Midd etc. especially without some special sauce, (although if your ACT is 33/34+ and your Physics SAT II is 750+ your numbers will be looking better) BUT you are still well within the range of accepted students so if you have really interesting essays and a skillful application, you certainly have a chance at those schools. It sounds like you campaigned hard for Romney and if, for example, you wrote a sophisticated (or deeply thoughtful or emotional…) essay about what it was like working many months on an eventually losing Presidential campaign, and what you (genuinely) experienced around that investment and that loss, it could be profound, absorbing and just what you need to impress an adcom … at those SLAC’s a compelling essay can make all the difference. If you’re not wedded to the northeast, the midwestern LACs are less selective, although generally very liberal but clearly you’re not averse to that. Your political orientation could actually represent diversity at some of the schools you’re considering, esp if you’re articulate about your views. </p>

<p>(U of Rochester, U of Richmond and William and Mary as back-ups? - all under 6K students, all over 30% acceptance and 2 are in state for you.)</p>

<p>Hamilton College is very strong in Economics.</p>

<p>Oh, come on you guys! OP DEFINITELY stands a good chance at getting into Bowdoin, and midd for that matter. CC is way too harsh. I am a current Bowdoin student, and have a lot of friends at Wes and Midd. And you know what? MOST of them had lower stats than OP. Sure, Bowdoin is difficult to get into. But if you have a 2130 SAT, apply ED2, and are not asking for a huge amount of aid…I would give you a 75% chance of getting in. </p>

<p>Hell, I got in with lower stats and less extracurriculars than this guy, and I got in! And I am white, no hooks, etc. The pretentiousness of CC is so annoying sometimes.</p>

<p>And don’t look at Trinity. Just don’t.</p>

<p>@bs_hopeful, for admitted students at Bowdoin the last two years, OP’s CR score is below the 25th percentile, his M is above 50th and WR just below 75th. WR is often not taken as seriously. Bowdoin didn’t publish GPA figures in the Common Date Set.
As a male he has a better chance of admission; there are 800-1000 more female applicants each year for approx the same number of places in a class. Although his numbers are not discouraging by any stretch, they do not give him a 75% chance for admission when only 1 in 6 male applicants will be accepted.</p>

<p>Bowdoin practices need-blind admission and his ability to pay will not improve his chances of admission.</p>

<p>What you may perceive as pretentiousness is the many years of experience of adults on this forum watching qualified kids, esp those without an obvious “hook” get shut out during an admissions cycle, or not having applied to schools to which they had a REAL 75% chance of acceptance, and then being stuck with much less appealing alternatives.
No one has told this OP not to submit an application to his preferred schools; the cautionary advice is to also look at some great schools with less selective admissions.</p>

<p>I agree with you bs-hopeful. The OP has a very good chance at getting into one or more of these schools. Being male gives him an edge. Good luck, and don’t take the advice you get on CC too seriously (mine included).</p>

<p>Love thy safety! (Can’t say it enough.)</p>

<p>Glido, you couldn’t be more right. I’m looking for a safety I love. I decided to write an essay about not supporting Ken Cuccinelli, because he is to socially conservative, even though I am the founder of an organization that has many extreme conservatives and most people support him. I think it’s a good essay. I’ll probably apply to Midd or Bowdoin ED2 (I’m visiting Bowdoin, Colby, and Bates later this month.) I’m also retaking the SAT later this month and am focusing extensively on CR to get it over 700 and hopefully to 730.</p>

<p>Your essay sounds perfect. Good job with that.
Enjoy your campus visits - those schools are just beautiful (and bring a jacket!). And if you’re sure you’ll be going to college in the Northeast, you can head to the LL Bean outlet near Bowdoin to get your winter boots lol! (My family is transplanted from VA to upstate NY and the first winters were a definite adjustment).
and hopefully check out a “safety” or two while you’re making the rounds :)</p>

<p>Just an FYI. Got my Dartmouth decision back today. I was deferred. Not the best information; not the worst. Thanks for the help.</p>

<p>Your neutral/bad news actually makes me feel better for D’s chances for ED at Bowdoin tomorrow. You have a very similar profile, though she has a better GPA, but didn’t do a test score, since she’s not a great test taker, and I think Dartmouth is a tougher admit. Her GC put her at 50/50, and with your news, I think he might be right.</p>

<p>It’s going to be a long night, and day, waiting for 7 PM EST. Good luck on your next round of applications.</p>

<p>OP, so just keep on keeping on! it’s not a rejection which is very good news. Review (and improve if you can) your application and work hard and smart on those supplements. You will have some good choices next spring if you make good choices now. Good luck and let us know…!</p>

<p>MrMom62, best of luck to your D and you tomorrow! I wanted to share this anecdote about Bowdoin: My D did a 4 day (Explore Bowdoin) program last September and really loved the school. (I’ve also been following some Bowdoin discussions here and researching the school elsewhere, and have been impressed with so many aspects of the college.) Turns out D was accepted early to Williams with a prestigious scholarship and so won’t be applying to Bowdoin. But a couple days after she received the Williams offer, she got a warm and thoughtful email from her contact in the Bowdoin admissions office (they must have a tight NESCAC grapevine!) congratulating her on the Williams admission and telling her they were sorry not to see her at Bowdoin and wishing her well with her pursuits etc., etc. This absolutely elevated my already high estimation of Bowdoin! The admissions director who wrote to D had nothing to gain by contacting her - D had never even applied to Bowdoin - and took the time out to write to an admit of another college?! What an amazing person, and I think she is representative of the personal quality of education and life at Bowdoin. My D said the student body was the nicest of all the campuses where she did multi day programs. If your daughter is admitted I’m sure she will be both embraced and challenged by the Bowdoin community …
sorry to drift off topic OP but I wanted to share this positive feedback about Bowdoin with MrMom (and you too if you are still interested in Bowdoin)!</p>

<p>And the answer was Deferred. No hook. </p>

<p>Don’t know what to make of her chances in the RD round, kids with identical, good stats with hooks are getting in. Evaluating our options, in any case, she’s got a busy few weeks finishing off the other applications. The only real choice is whether to apply ED2 to another favorite or just do RD everywhere. The other ED school (Bowdoin size) already has a hooked applicant from D’s HS, not sure that won’t result in another deferral.</p>

<p>It’s time to consult the ever wise GC.</p>

<p>Just got a text from D. Apparently her deferral is having some shockwaves through her friends. They’re like, if you got deferred, what chance do I have with a weaker record? Her reply has been, I’ve still got a shot, and a lot of other school’s to shoot for, which is about as positive a spin as she can put on it, though I know she’s seething at some of the acceptances she’s hearing.</p>