Chances for the Class of 2016?

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I know this is a bit trite, but I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in projecting my chances for being accepted to WUSTL this upcoming year.</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<ul>
<li>SAT: N/A</li>
<li>ACT: 35 (35 English, 35 Math, 34 Reading, 35 Science, 11 Writing)</li>
<li>SAT IIs: N/A</li>
<li>AP Scores: AP U.S. History (5), AP Biology (5), AP U.S. Government and Politics (5),
and AP Microeconomics (5)</li>
<li>GPA: 4.0 UW, 5.86 W (on a 6.00 scale)</li>
<li>Rank: 2/482</li>
<li>Senior Class Schedule: AP Literature and Composition, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP
Psychology, AP Spanish, AP Chemistry, and Honors Physics</li>
</ul>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Essay: Obviously, everyone think theirs is amazing. I think mine uniquely manipulates one of my passions (playing the guitar) to get across a fairly refreshing and original message regarding how to live one's life.</p></li>
<li><p>Teacher Recs: Exceptional. One from my AP Bio teacher who loved me, another from my Spanish 4 teacher who is very, very familiar with my academic ability AND extracurriculars, and possibly one from my freshman Honors English teacher</p></li>
<li><p>Counselor Rec: Excellent; he was actually one of my wrestling coaches in middle school (I was a captain) and I am very involved with the counseling office at our school. I'm sure he'll make my dedication and persistence known.</p></li>
<li><p>Hook (if any): DEMONSTRATED INTEREST IN THE SCHOOL. I will be applying Early Decision, have visited WashU twice, had an interview on campus, am trying to get an alumni interview, already submitted my pre-application, signed up for the WUSTL pathway, added my name to the mailing list about a year and a half ago, and have even emailed the admissions office numerous times regarding inquiries I had about the application process or school in general.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<ul>
<li>Football (9): I was an "A" Team starting linebacker for my freshman year</li>
<li>Indoor Track & Field (10, 11, 12): Varsity level 11th and 12th grades</li>
<li>Outdoor Track & Field (10, 11, 12): Varsity level 11th and 12th grades</li>
<li>Key Club (10, 11, 12): I ran two fundraisers for a non-profit food pantry in our area, raising over $500 each time</li>
<li>Student Athletic Trainer (10, 11, 12): Head Varsity Student Athletic Trainer 12th grade, will most likely get an extremely strong rec from the AT himself</li>
<li>Spanish Honor Society (10, 11, 12): Member (we don't have a board or anything)</li>
<li>Mu Alpha Theta (10, 11, 12): Member, fulfilled all service hour requirements</li>
<li>National Honor Society (11, 12): Projected board member (most likely vice president, possible president), fulfilled all service hour requirements</li>
<li>School Ambassador (10, 11, 12): This is a selective group of students chosen to volunteer at school events; it has a service hour requirement that I have fulfilled each semester</li>
<li>Boys State 2011: Went through a rigorous selection process at my school to be admitted to the program</li>
<li>Volunteer Work: Over 100 hours of volunteer work at the same food pantry I raised money for through my Key Club fundraiser; over 25 hours tutoring ELL kids at a local church</li>
</ul>

<p>Work Experience/Internships:</p>

<ul>
<li>Veterinary Assistant (10, 11, 12): Work every week, about 4 hours per week</li>
<li>Tutor (9, 11): In 9th grade I tutored a middle-aged woman from Serbia on the English language/speech, in 11th grade I tutored a fellow classmate on microeconomics</li>
<li>Local College Internship (11): For the entire first semester of 11th grade, I interned at a local college, helping a group of three seniors do research on a jellyfish toxin they though might have the potential to become an anti-cancer drug. I helped out in the lab, listened in on discussions, and even met with their professor as well to discuss the findings and help apply them to my own biology class</li>
<li>Internship at Local Hospital (12): Basically shadowing a surgeon</li>
</ul>

<p>Location/Person:</p>

<ul>
<li>State or Country: Illinois</li>
<li>School Type: Public</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Caucasian</li>
<li>Gender: Male</li>
<li>Other Factors: Will be applying for financial aid (income = ~$80,000)</li>
</ul>

<p>The only thing I'm really concerned about is the lack of stellar extracurriculars, though I'm hoping my grades and other subjective portions of my application will make up for that. Just for those who are wondering: my projected major is Biology, I will be applying to the College of Arts and Sciences, and I will be following the pre-med track. Thanks for taking the time to help me!</p>

<p>Looks good. You’ll quite likely get in, especially since you are doing ED. You’re a good candidate either way, but you know Washu has some weird admissions practices. It looks like you’ve done all the right things.</p>

<p>80%</p>

<p>dont worry about the extracurriculars; you’re fine. one thing I would consider: I’m sure Wash U will give you a lot of financial aid, but it would be a good idea to maybe contact the financial aid office and learn what to expect. Early decision is a huge commitment and you absolutely need to be sure that you can pay with your combined aid/EFC package (again I don’t expect this to be a problem, but it would be nice to know).</p>

<p>Thanks for the analysis, Graviton. I noticed you had a thread on trying to decide whether or not to apply ED to WashU last year…how did that work out for you? Will you be attending WUSTL this fall?</p>

<p>And MN9001, thank you as well. Do you think I should just email the financial aid office, or try and call? Would they work with the hard numbers and actually give me an estimate? I don’t think it will be a problem either, and you CAN still get out of ED because of financial shortcomings…I would just hate for it to come to that, as I’d have to spend the better half of second semester worrying about getting into another college.</p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

<p>I’ve always felt if you can’t pay outright, don’t apply ED. /shrug</p>

<p>If I were you I would email because then you have the information in writing and can easily reference it later. But it’s up to you, they would be glad to speak to you over the phone if you want. And I would be very surprised if they were not able to give you some sort of estimate provided you give them the necessary information; it is their job after all and they should be more than willing to help a student as qualified and interested in attending as yourself. Here is their website: [Understanding</a> Financial Assistance](<a href=“http://sfsweb.wustl.edu/sfs/general/understanding.aspx]Understanding”>http://sfsweb.wustl.edu/sfs/general/understanding.aspx)</p>

<p>And I did know that you are released from the ED agreement if you cannot pay, what I was saying is that if you apply ED to Wash U and for some reason cannot take the financial aid package they give you, then you miss out on ED at other schools (if you were considering that). I should have clarified. </p>

<p>The 4 kids I know accepted ED from my area all got the financial aid they needed. Two were from very low income families and they both got huge financial aid packages. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>Pretty good chances. Poop</p>

<p>cowboy- I ended up applying to Washu ED and will be attending this fall. :D</p>

<p>For the record, I think it is easier to back out of ED if you have financial problems. It looks like MN9001 mentioned that. I might have made that up, but it is something to look at. The financial aid office is generally helpful. A friend of mine got in ED and was not initially given the package he needed, but made it work out after meeting with them a few times.</p>

<p>Bump (10char)</p>