Chances For Bowdoin?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Bowdoin College
1

<p>I have been very interested in Bowdoin for quite some time now, but I am bit worried about my chances.</p>

<p>I have done my high school work through an internet based program (but it was fully accredited internationally as a private school). I have maintained a 4.0GPA (unweighted, I’m not sure what it would be weighted, I took a lot of honors classes but they don’t weight GPAs there) and I am graduating a year and a half early (I should wrap things up around December of this year). The school doesn’t officially rank, but when the last unnoficial numbers came out I was at the top of my class. I am planning on taking next year off and applying to colleges next fall, fall of 2007. The reason I have been doing my work online is I compete show jumping horses at the top levels. This causes me to be on the road many months out of the year travelling and showing in the US, Canada, and Europe. I have around 1000 hours of community service at the moment, but I am planning on going on some sort of hummanities/conservation/animal protection project during my gap year as well. I have currently taking 3 courses at our local community college with good grades as well. </p>

<p>I know that Bowdoin is trying for a more diverse campus, I am from the south east, and I am 1/4 South African, 1/4 Dutch, 1/4 French Candian, 1/4 English if that makes any difference.</p>

<p>Since Bowdoin doesn’t require SAT scores I won’t mention them, unless it might make a difference. I haven’t taken the official SATs yet, but so far through practice tests and princeton review I am scoring low 700’s/high 600’s for the math, mid to high 700’s for the critical reading, and I have achieved a perfect score on the written. </p>

<p>Bowdoin is very selective, do I have a chance? Will the fact that my work was online hurt me? I also don’t really have many other ECs other than my riding and a few workshops (Shakespear Literature and Theater, a bit of dance, etc). The level I ride at requires huge levels of dedication and I often ride an average of 7 hours a day, 6 days a week all year round. Horse shows mean days starting as early as 4 am and not ending until well after 10:30 or 11 o’clock at night three to five days a week, That really has not left me any time to do much of anything else. Will this hurt me as well? Or will the fact that I have been so dedicated to it compensate for the lack of multiple extra curriculars?</p>

2

<p>*Slip up, it should be 100 hours community service not 1000.</p>

3

<p>if ur really good at riding, stress that</p>

<p>colleges like special talents</p>

<p>u dont get many people around the brunswick/portland area who are really good at horseriding</p>

<p>good luck</p>

4

<p>I think that you have a good shot -- your background is different (the horseback riding and the Internet-based education) and that will set you apart in the admissions process. It looks as though your SATs will be solid - close to the Bowdoin median. You might want to think about submitting your SAT scores even though Bowdon does not require them as they will help flesh out your academic profile. It's easy to imagine that a 4.0 GPA from an Internet-based school will not carry the same weight as a 4.0 GPA from a more conventional academic institution.</p>

5

<p>Thanks a lot for the replies. I will submit my SAT scores as long as they stay strong.</p>