<p>Hey guys, I applied to BC RD and I’m getting pretty nervous. Almost no one from my school goes to BC and I know there is one other qualified app applying RD. How do you think my chances are?</p>
<p>I attend a Jesuit Prep School in NY
ACT: 33 (35 Eng, 34 Math, 33 Read, 29 Sci)
GPA: 3.85 U/W
Rank: School dosen’t officially rank but I’m about 5% of 221</p>
<p>Freshmen
English 1 H: A
Algebra 2 Adv H: B+
Global 1: B+
Biology H: B+
Latin 1: A
Religious Studies 1: A
Intro to computers: A
Intro to music: A</p>
<p>Sophomore Year
English 2 Adv H: B+
Geometry H: A
Global 2 H: A
Chemistry: A
Latin 2 H: B (grrr)
Spanish 1: A
Religioius Studies 2: A</p>
<p>Junior Year
AP english lit and comp: A
AP US History: A
Trig-log-calc H: A
Physics H: A
Latin 3 H: A
Spainsh 2 H: A
Religious Studies 3: A</p>
<p>Senior Year
AP Lit and Comp: A
AP Calc: A
AP Macro: A
Latin 4 H: A
Engeneering Science H: A
Religious Studies 4: A</p>
<p>Extra curriculars:
Indoor track: freshmen/junior year
Cross country: Freshmen/sophomore year
Outdoor track: Freshmen/sophomore year/Senior
100hrs on the “midnight run” - volunteer work
Business Club: Founded it in Freshmen year and am currently the president
Associate Editor of School’s Political Newspaper 10th/11th/12th</p>
<p>Work Experience (my main EC)
Job at a local hardware store - 15hrs a week since 8th grade
Internship at Private Equity firm - 10hrs a week the past summer</p>
<p>Summer activities:
Freshmen: Went on a NOLS trip for 1 month in wyoming/worked
Sophomore: Traveled through Europe for 3weeks/worked
Junior: Worked 29hrs per week</p>
<p>Applying for FA: NO! </p>
<p>Note: When I spoke to my guidance counselor he said my schedule was “very rigerous”. I’m not quite sure what this means, but I take 2 languages and have taken nearly the most AP’s I can.</p>
<p>I mean your grades look pretty alright but your EC’s are extremely poor. Have you ever had any newspaper articles written about you? if not i might apply to some other schools.</p>
<p>I think you have a great shot of getting in. Your GPA, test scores, and ECs all look very good. I’ve seen less qualified people get in so you should definitely be a strong candidate.</p>
<p>@ jln1221
are you really saying that his ECs are “extremely” poor?
UVA’s ECs are definitely not outstanding or extraordinary , but they are certainly above average. I would really like to know how good your ECs are.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say your EC’s are poor but they are not outstanding either. I still think you are a high match, making your chances fairly realistic, IF your course load was as rigorous as it could be. Your stats are very good. Write strong essays to go along with your (hopefully) solid recommendations.</p>
<p>Dear UVAorBust : With regards to your curriculum, you are showing AP “Lit and Comp” for both your junior and senior years. Which course did you take each year? Which AP Calculus course are you taking (based on your profile, you are likely taking AB)? Why did you opt out of an AP Science during your senior year? </p>
<p>Have you actually taken any AP exams to demonstrate college proficiency in any specific subject areas? There are used by Boston College for placement rather than acceptance, but it helps place your GPA into context.</p>
<p>Your composite ACT (33) is fine although your science score (29) points to your (perhaps) lack of science interest. This also potentially places your complete profile below the toughest (“most rigerous” (sic)) program offered at your High School.</p>
<p>Now for the extra curricular debate : you have sports in your background, but you seem to be in-and-out of different events without a real commitment or passion for any of it. I am not exactly sure was a “school’s political newspaper” at the Jesuit High School level actually means - or how often it publishes. The business club leaves similar questions in my mind. Hence, leadership, in addition to arts/music, seems weak in this profile.</p>
<p>In closing, your profile is academically solid, but not among the strongest we see here on college confidential. Your extra curriculars show a wandering sequence of sports from season to season and some odd clubs without Honor Society engagements. Your essays are left undefined which is a remaining concern. Overall, your profile will likely attract an offer, but it is not clear that you will really engage with Boston College’s campus environment; instead, it feels like you will wind up “bored” during your freshman year.</p>
<p>Dear UVAorBust : One other point - doing some background searches, we saw that your SAT II scores were 630 (literature) and 610 (Math II). Our guess is that your ACT scores were a homerun compared to your SAT I scores. Given your Boston College and UVA passion, did you build a sufficient set of safety options?</p>
<p>Ok, I just posted this chance thread to see what kind of responses I would get. I already applied to BC EA and was accepted with 4 year housing. Also Scott - just throwing this out there - I’ve worked at the same job 5 years for 15+ hours a week. This is a SUBSTANTIAL commitment. I also have played basketball the past 4 years and have been captain the past 2. I have to say though, thank you for the VERY detailed analysis. Though the truth hurts, you seem to have really put some effort into your response. And yes, my SAT/SAT II scores were disgraceful.</p>
<p>This just demonstrates how one dimensional numbers can be to describe an applicant. Our daughter received a similar decision, accepted to Boston College, in the Early Action pool. She had decided a month ago that based on the numbers, she would never get in, and almost withdrew her application. Now she is wearing a BC sweatshirt around the house!</p>
<p>Congratulations to the students accepted. Your whole application speaks of who you are. Are you passionate, have you made a difference, are you the one person who stands out in a crowd for something? Are you the so-so test taker who still people look up to for whatever reason? Or are you the super test taker who has never done anything but study?</p>
<p>Take a chance. You can’t predict the outcome at Boston College or any reach school for that matter. Statistics alone are not going to make you sleep well at night. You are the application, not the numbers. If you are up to the challenge, take the chance, submit who you are, and good luck with the process. The results can be amazing, and will transform your world into something surreal.</p>
<p>I’m usually tough about ECs- and I think yours are fine. 100 hours on midnight run- that’s good. Founding a club freshman year- ha! Brilliant (compared with kids who found something irrelevant in jr year.) But, what is sometimes underrated on CC (and I know from some experience) is the value of a long term job. Obviously, this may come from a family connection- but adcoms note it. Also good, the summer internship and, to some extent, NOLS. Congrats on BC.</p>
<p>“Ok, I just posted this chance thread to see what kind of responses I would get. I already applied to BC EA and was accepted with 4 year housing.”</p>
<p>I’m trying to understand why anybody would want to waste people’s time like that. </p>
<p>In any case, most of the responders told you that your profile was good enough to gain an admission offer, so what have you really accomplished?</p>
<p>The reason for a thread like this is simple. When everyone else is comparing stats, these are folks who are admitted to Boston College in the early round who didn’t think they could be, given the numbers. It demonstrates to everyone that numbers alone are not your application. Boston College looked at the application, found the essence of the person applying, and decided that this particular person would be a great fit for their institution. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that others think this may be unfair, since they had better numbers.</p>
<p>Others look at these threads and say “Why me?” when not admitted and deferred. Others should look at these words and say “Why not me?” There is hope for everyone at a reach school. In our family alone, we had three children who were considering Boston College. The first refused to get out of the car when we arrived for a visit, and ended up at another top ten school after being on the waiting list of that school until the week before the September term started. Her picture appeared in another college’s booklet for new students, but not her own college. The second had her heart set on BC, only to be denied early and is now enrolled in a top school she absolutely loves, having even done a summer program at BC and received A’s. The third thought she had no chance based on everyone else’s numbers, almost withdrew her application and was admitted early round to BC. If anyone knows how absolutely random the process is sometimes, it would be our family. </p>
<p>Keep hope alive. Be realistic as well. If it works out in the end, you will feel like you won the lottery, and in some cases, forgot you even had a ticket.</p>
<p>CTMOM, you just hit the nail on the head. Guys, apply where ever you can. Don’t be discouraged by some the people who were denied on this site because many of them either lie about their stats or could have had parts of their applications flawed.</p>
<p>“Hey guys, I applied to BC RD and I’m getting pretty nervous. Almost no one from my school goes to BC and I know there is one other qualified app applying RD.”</p>
<p>UVA, it turns out that statement was a lie. In fact, the entire premise for your post was a lie. The “reason” for your post was not to motivate borderline students to apply to reach schools, but to get people to chance you for BC; i.e., waste their time - after you had already been admitted Early Action. </p>
<p>You speculate that many people lie about their stats. Why did you lie about your admission status? Boredom? If so, it sounds like you were pegged pretty well here.</p>
<p>And yet, whatever the reason for the initial question, is it a waste of time for students to read encouraging words who are applying to college? Many students who visit this site are looking for encouragement and support. They know nothing is a guarantee. Did he waste someone’s time? That’s possible. But the initial profile of a student who seems to be borderline for acceptance to Boston College lets others know soon into the discussion that even with this profile, an acceptance letter arrives at the mailbox. If others critiqued his initial profile, it was a game they are playing, and isn’t that what admissions is? I think the thread has evolved from an initial “trick” into a hopeful message to other prospective applicants. Believe it or not, BC isn’t just for students who score 2300 on their SATs. That’s the morale of the story. Good luck to all!</p>