Chances For An Interesting School List and a Slight Dilemma

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>To start with, I'm a white female senior from MO.</p>

<p>Stats
GPA: 4.07 W
Class Rank 32/414 (Ew.)
ACT: Upward trend- 29, then 31, currently 33 : 34E, 29M, 35R, 34S. Not planning to retake
(I will never get that high of a science score again!)
APs:
5's: Biology, Governement
4: US History
3: Euro History</p>

<p>Classes
5yrs of French, currently in AP
5yrs of English (doubled up this year), currently in AP
4yrs of math, currently in AP Calc (AB)
4yrs of science, took AP Bio last year
3 1/2 yrs of social studies; including AP Euro, US, and Gov
Also, newspaper is a year-long class at my school; 3yrs newspaper (you can't start until 10th grade.)</p>

<p>EC's
Here's the part I'm most interested in feedback about.</p>

<p>Eventing (horseback riding): 4 hrs a week 9th grade, 30+ hrs a week 10th and 11th grade, competed in several states. Sold my horse this last summer. (More on this later.)</p>

<p>Scholar Bowl (Quiz Bowl, Jeopardy-ish club): 11th and 12th grade (V member)</p>

<p>Newspaper 10th, 11th, 12th; currently Copy Editor</p>

<p>Writing Center opens this week; chosen to be a writing tutor. (3hrs a week.)</p>

<p>50hr Truman Presidential Library internship the summer before senior year. One of 6 high school interns; handled valuable documents, was helping put the archives online.</p>

<p>A+ tutoring- complete 50hrs and you get free tuition from community colleges in MO and some schools (like Truman State) often scholarships for completing the program.</p>

<p>Academic Recognition
Should be at least National Merit Commended
MIPA (Regional Journalism awards) recognition for an editorial of mine; last year the paper as a whole also earned honors.
National Honor Society</p>

<p>Schools I'm definitely applying to:
Bowdoin (ME)
Colby (ME)
Swarthmore (PA)
Washington & Lee (VA)
Truman State University (MO) *safety
and also Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown, mostly just to take the shot. All they can do is reject me, and at least I can feel good about giving ~$75 to such prestigious institutions? </p>

<p>Obviously HYPB are INCREDIBLY high reaches for me; I'm most interested in my chances at Bowdoin, Colby, Swarthmore, and W&L. I've had interviews at all 4 of those schools except Swarthmore; the W&L interview was fantastic while the Bowdoin and Colby interviews were good. </p>

<p>My dilemma is this: I have almost no long-standing EC's (except newspaper) because I was so involved with horseback riding. I sold my horse primarily because I experienced a drop in grades Junior year because of the amount of time I spent with him. I took care of him every day, and also rode at least 6/7 days a week. I couldn't commit to that time commitment this year and get the grades I want. It wouldn't have been fair for him to be locked in his stall 2 or 3 days a week, so I made the decision this summer to let him go. Now, I'm not riding at all. I'm sure it looks abysmal to drop an activity like that, but there's another reason that was a factor in letting my horse go. My instructor and I are clashing heads terribly; we've tried to work through it, but I just couldn't stand the way she treated me and my horse any longer. She's the only trainer at the only barn close to me that teaches in my discipline. I absolutely do not want to switch disciplines and driving 1hr each way for lessons just isn't feasible. Even if I did want to take lessons from her, there aren't any horses at my skill level in the barn available for lessons. So, for the moment, I'm taking a hiatus. I plan to resume freshmen year.</p>

<p>How can I explain this to colleges? Would you recommend writing an admissions essay about this issue? The representative when I visited Bowdoin, who was an equestrian, strongly cautioned against horse-related essays. She said that most admissions officers just don't get it. Is there any truth to that? I guess I'm just worried colleges will consider me flaky for dropping an activity I was SO involved in. I rethink that decision almost daily, but I still think it was the right thing for my horse. I just hope it wasn't the worst thing to do for me!</p>

<p>Thank you for any input.</p>

2

<p>Oh, and I would also love to see my chances at Washington University in St. Louis. Can’t believe I left that one off!</p>

3

<p>Bumpbumpbumpbuuuuump… bumpbumpbumpbuuuuump…</p>

4

<p>Good chances for most of the LACs, fair at Swat. WashU good shot if you ED. Ivies major reaches.</p>

5

<p>And the Bowdoin officer gave good advice.</p>

6

<p>Thank you :slight_smile: I’m still pondering what my essay will be about.</p>

7

<p>Please, a little help? I’d love a few more opinions.</p>

8

<p>Ivies are reaches but I’d say in at Bowdoin, Colby, and Washington and Lee, low reach at Swarthmore, and mid-reach at WashU. WashU can be high match if you do ED. I like your ACT score but the class rank is a bit off-putting especially if your school isn’t uber-competitive. </p>

<p>P.S. Thanks for chancing me :)</p>

9

<p>Thank you very much! I was at 26th last year; I guess I’m sliding because I haven’t taken as many weighted classes as some. Newspaper isn’t weighted, and French kids don’t get a weighted point for having taken Pre-AP because they don’t call it Pre-AP; they call it “French Lit”. (Incredibly unfair, but the administration won’t change their policy.) Our AP Environmental Science and AP Physics (until this year) were affectionately termed AP Study Halls- I didn’t end up with the room to take them between requirements and getting the classes I actually wanted to fit into my schedule. It also didn’t help that some of my weighted points were canceled out by some lower grades in my Calc class last year.</p>

10

<p>You’re definitely in at Truman State University. Very good chances for Bowdoin, Colby, Swarthmore, and Washington & Lee. Mid reach WashU. </p>

<p>To be honest, for the Ivys, the only shot you have is to write an incredible essay on your horseback riding experience. In my opinion, it would make a solid essay and show your ability to make tough choices.</p>