Chances for Barnard, Vassar, Brandeis, etc.?

The Schools:

Barnard (first choice, will apply ED)
Vassar
Columbia
Brandeis
Northwestern
Smith
Oberlin
Brown
UC Berkeley

Also NYU Tisch and Carnegie Mellon Drama, but chances for art schools are impossible to know.

The Stats:

White, upper class female (will not need financial aid)

GPA (weighted, 5.0 scale): 4.74 (very competitive school, but doesn’t report class rank or percentile)
ACT plus writing: 33
SAT: 2180 (Writing: 670, Math: 730, Reading: 780)
SAT literature: 730
SAT mathematics 1: 720
I got a 1470 on the PSAT (99th percentile), and I’m taking the new SAT based on this PSAT in March, so I am expecting more impressive scores then. Also, in June, I’m taking the SAT Subject tests for Math 2, Bio, and US History.

Junior year classes: Honors English, AP Calculus, AP US History, Honors French 3, Honors Bio, Film I, Film II
Senior year classes: Honors English, AP Statistics, Acting Intensive, Stagecraft Intensive, AP Physics, either French 4 or AP French (I’m going to see if I can complete French 4 over the summer in order to take AP French next year)

Extracurriculars: I am very involved in my school’s technical theater department (so much so that I have little time for anything else). I will have stage managed 4 productions and directed 1 by the time I apply. In terms of other theater activities, I’ve been a volunteer usher at a few shows at theaters in Boston, and I’m applying to an internship at a repertory theater near me for this summer, but I’m not sure if I’ll get it yet. Outside of theater, I participated in Mock Trial for one year, and I’m on my school’s High School Quiz Show team, which has made the televised round both times I’ve participated. Also, I got an audition for the Jeopardy teen tournament, but that’s in a few weeks so I’m not sure if I’ll just have the audition (which wouldn’t be as impressive) or be on the show.

Awards/Achievements:

  • Placed a year ahead in math in 6th grade
  • METG Excellence in Sound Design Award for Bildungsroman
  • Sound Award at my school’s One Acts Festival
  • Directed the 1st place winner in Kennett Alliance for the Arts Fall mini film festival 2015
  • Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam for Intro to Latin and Latin 1
  • French 1 Award (freshman year)
  • Student of the Quarter in the Technology Department (freshman year)

I plan on doing Barnard’s Summer in the City program this summer (hopefully will show interest, other than that I doubt it’ll help), and I’m going to do an interview while I’m there. I’m interested in pursuing directing for film or theater, which hopefully will make me stand out among other applicants. I am also learning American Sign Language and Spanish. I’m not sure what else to add, but if I’m missing any useful information let me know. Thanks!

bump!

buuump?

What are you planning on majoring in? Are you a junior?
I think you have great chances for Bradeis, Smith, Oberlin, Barnard and Vasar. UCB is a high match/low reach. Brown, Columbia and Northwestern are reaches.
If you have the time, I would bring up your ACT and SAT scores, which should help you. Good luck!

@tspmf12 I am a junior, I plan on majoring in either theater or film depending on where I go and which program is better there. At most of the schools on my list I would major in theater. I wasn’t planning on taking the ACT again, but my March SAT score should blow my other one out of the water if it reflects my PSAT. Thank you!

Hey, I was accepted to Vassar ED II this year. Our overall GPA/ SATs are quite similar. I showed strong interest in one field, and it seems like you are doing that with theater, which is good. You should do an overnight stay at Vassar and show interest, and make sure to write really good essays that show your qualities and how you could contribute to the Vassar community. Will you do ED to Barnard and then possibly ED II to Vassar? It seems like you are a great fit at Vassar, even though I have visited only twice. :slight_smile:

@misschoding I wanted to do ED II at Vassar originally, but I have a few issues with it. My main issue is the location; one of the most important aspects of a college for me was the location, because I really wanted to be in or near a city. Also, if I don’t get into Barnard I want to audition for Carnegie Mellon’s directing program, which I couldn’t do if I applied ED II anywhere else. So I’ll do RD if I don’t get into Barnard, but I’ll be sure to show high interest in case I don’t get into CMU (of which the drama school has a 3% acceptance rate, so that’s very unlikely anyway). Thanks for the advice!

Your scores/grades are decent, but the ECs don’t really stand out for competitive places like Brown, NW, Columbia and Berkeley. You still stand a good chance at all the places though, in my opinion. Best of luck!

@anotherdude Thanks! I assumed technical theater would stand out more than acting, but for the Ivies that’s probably true.

Your academic profile makes you competitive for admission to pretty well all the schools on your list. In fact, I would be surprised if you didn’t get into Barnard ED. Columbia, Brown, and Northwestern however, are reaches for everyone. Good Luck!

@tarantinq Ahh gotcha. Good luck!

Barnard: match
Vassar: not sure
Columbia: low reach (ecs can possibly bump you in)
Brandeis: high match
Northwestern: high match
Smith: not sure
Oberlin: not sure
Brown: low reach (same as columbia)
UC Berkeley: match (scores are above average but Berkeley in general is competitive so you never know. Especially if you’re out of state)

@thejohnnyboy Thanks!

Not sure that spending time taking more SATs and SAT2s is worthwhile at this point. Your ACT score is solid and not all these schools require SAT2 with ACT. If you want to be in Chicago DePaul is an alternative to Northwestern (where acceptance RD is very very hard.) The most important aspect of your application will be showing fit with the performing arts departments at all these schools and the surrounding area.

@Oregon2016 Depending on my March SAT score I might just send the ACT, but based on my PSAT I could get a much better score this time around. I figured I’d do the subject tests just to have more scores to send, since I don’t mind taking standardized tests anyway. That is interesting advice though, thank you!