<p>Hello, I am a junior at Newton South High School which is one of the top ten public schools in MA and am very interested in Connecticut College. I took a tour of the college recently and that in addition to everything I have heard and read about the college made it seem as it would be the perfect school for me. I have a 4.3 GPA in am taking mainly curric 1 classes with straight A's. The one class I am taking above curric one is the senior curric one math (taking it as a junior). On the PSAT's I scored a 1810 and am estimating a 2000-2100 on the actual SAT's which I will take in May. I scored a 650 on the math SAT II and am taking two additional SAT II's in May as well. I have recently joined the wrestling team, have boxed for the last 4 years and have played ultimate frisbee all throughout high school. I volunteer at a local after-school 2 hours a week for the past year and a half. I am a very responsible, hard working student and I think the atmosphere on campus (honor code in particular) would be just right for me. What are my chances of getting in? Please respond!</p>
<p>You have a very good chance. If your SAT scores (both I and II) don’t improve into AT LEAST the upper 600s, I wouldn’t send them–they just won’t help you. You’ve already got a very impressive 4.3 GPA, so I would really only send in your scores if you’ve got over a 2100 on the SAT Reasoning Test or 700+ on each Subject Test. Your GPA already puts you at the upper end of applicants, especially for the ED pool. And the fact that you come from a top MA school doesn’t hurt. I live in Los Angeles, but actually was born and partially raised in Newton–moved when I was just a young chap. At my school, which I imagine is roughly comparable to yours in terms of rigor, kids frequently get into Conn Coll with GPAs in the 3.7-4.1 weighted range.</p>
<p>You also seem very humble, which is a quality I believe Conn in particular values. Your extracurriculars are decent, but I always hate when people judge extracurriculars. It’s too subjective. As someone who lived through this process and got into his dream school (Middlebury, Conn was near the top of my list, though), the best piece of advice I can impart is to make a personal connection with someone on the admissions staff. The better they know you, the more likely they are to vouch for you when they meet in committee–if you’re a likable, character of course. Start emailing now, ask questions–the earlier, the better. It shows how seriously interested you are.</p>
<p>Also, Conn Coll values the essay much more than other schools. If your writing is phenomenal and everything else is not so stellar–which isn’t your case at all–they could easily accept you solely based on your writing. Granted this doesn’t mean you can apply with a 3.0, write a great essay, and guarantee admission, but you get the idea. They’re likely to let some things slide if you really impress them with the essay. In terms of the essay, let it come to you. Don’t force it out. I wrote mine in about an hour and made little changes to the original I wrote before I sent it. I know we all have different experiences, but I think it’s a good sign if you’re able to write continuously for a long period of–it means you’re inspired, which will likely be reflected in your writing.</p>
<p>Good luck! I have a good feeling that it’ll work out for you!</p>
<p>Show a lot of interest as well - they really like that.</p>
<p>Hey! So I was just recently accepted and well to be honest sure rigorous academic work is important, but you also have to be interesting and that’s when the kick ass essay comes in! write an amazing essay and when you interview make them feel interested 
ConnColl just wants diversity which is not only about race, religion, or gender…but what makes you diverse/different/unique.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!! and hopefully see you at conn one day! :)</p>