<p>SAT I: 800 CR/760 M/790 W (1560/2350)
GPA: upward trend ~3.8 UW/4.2 W
SAT IIs: 800 Literature 700 Math IC 750 World History
ECs: student government, varsity cheerleader, youth coaching, Key Club
APs: World Hist 5, taking 3 exams this yr (Eng. Lit, Calc AB, US Hist) and probably 4-5 next year</p>
<p>I am an intended History major and literature minor…I plan to write a research paper to submit to the Concord Review to go with the intended hist. major. I am also going to England to study this summer and then doing an independent study in Euro. Hist senior year since my school offers no AP.</p>
<p>my grades freshman year were ok-ish but skyrocketed soph. year and this year i have straight A’s…all Honors/AP in all possible classes</p>
<p>Sorry ^ but people are still recovering from the end of the 2008 admissions cycle. Your grades and stats are very similar to a lot of people who apply to Amherst and other selective colleges which doesn't say much. I suggest to keep working hard and mentally prepare yourself for the 2009 college admissions cycle which is supposed to have even more high school students graduating than the class of 2008. Good luck!</p>
<p>Sorry but chance posts are useless. My D, val at her school with better stats than yours was waitlisted at Amherst and the saluatorian with near perfect sats was rejected. They both were rejected at Williams but my D was waitlisted at Princeton. These two kids, were well rounded, and everything these schools say they want but being 2 upper middle class white kids from competitive schools on Long Island makes it impossible. The only 3 kids from our school who've gotten into Amherst and Williams in the past 8 years were recruited for sports. So you are in the running and should get in but obviously with small LAC's, diversity issues is what is going to separate you, not your phenominal record. Good luck, and apply widely. Learn to love your safety!!!</p>
<p>Oh golly... there are lots of D3 schools that are active in recruiting athletes. Some have terrific reputations for their D3 teams. Hey, check out Kenyon's swim team. The men have won more NCAA national titles than any other team, in any sport, at any school, across all NCAA divisions. =:O</p>
<p>To the OP; your stats are good...but so are those of everyone whom Amherst seriously considers. Individualize your application and cross your fingers...Good luck!</p>
<p>ED helps, but no guarantees. Your essays are VERY important. Your geographic location will help, as well, if you are from an underrepresented area. If you are lower socio-economic, it may help, as well. D's roommate freshman year went to a school that had no AP's, and she took some AP courses online and took the tests. This showed initiative, etc. So this is something you could try, as well. Again, no gruarantees as Amherst is a reach fro everyone. Good luck!</p>
<p>We went to an info session, and the rep says ED doesn't really increase your chances-they use ED for getting the athletes and legacies that they need,</p>
<p>Did the admissions rep actually say that??? ... Not the "doesn't really increase your chances" part, but that they use it for getting the athletes and legacies they need?</p>
<p>posting "chances" in my opinion is useless. We don't make the decisions and we can't see the other applicants. Just apply and hope for the best. Next year is supposed to be the most competitive year ever in American higher education for top schools. Have a wide range of schools to consider and good luck.</p>
<p>thanks i guess....I actually come from Connecticut. And I'm white. So yea....most undesirable WASP-but-non-legacy-to-my-favorite-schools. This will be a fun year for me...</p>
<p>Write great essays, and, yes, ED helps (maybe not as much as other schools that accept a greater % ED, but.......) Do what you can to stand out.....AND find a safety that you really can live with.</p>
<p>The Director of Adm, whom I know personally, told me that ED does NOT markedly increase one's chances. Amherst just gets so many great ED applicants and can count on many more hyper-qualified RD applicants that it does not need to rely on ED as much as some other schools.</p>
<p>Agree with statements regarding your chances and what is needed to stand out from the pack.</p>
<p>Regarding the "silly statement" that next year is supposed to be the most competative ever, I think it is a valid remark - at least until 2010. In 1990, the U.S. live birth rate hit a peak at 4,179,000. This rate then began to decline. It hit a low in 1997 and began to gradually increase. As of 2005, the U.S. live birth rate has yet to reach the 1990 figure. The numbers were larger in the mid-late 1950s, but I doubt there will be many close to my age trying to decide between early retirement and returning to college.</p>
<p>p.s. Let us know how the Concord Review thing turns out. Are you also submitting to the NWB?</p>
<p>Yes, it is a valid statement, but just because there are more applicants in a given year, that doesn't necessarily make it a more competitive one. There aren't necessarily more high caliber candidates than any other year. What always holds true, however, are the understood criteria that make one a compelling applicant.</p>