<p><strong>First-Generation Student</strong>
Lower middle-class, from Pennsylvania
Below average high school (most graduates study at low-tier state schools - only a few can get into Penn State Main)
Caucasian Female</p>
<p>Stats:
33 ACT (32 E, 33 M, 34 R, 33 S) 09 Essay
3.6 (94.5) GPA Unweighted
4.0 (99) GPA Weighted
Top 10%</p>
<p>APs:
AP Euro (4)
AP US (5)
AP Bio
AP Gov
AP Macroeconomics
AP Physics C
AP World</p>
<p>Honors: (SCHOOL DOESN'T OFFER HONORS 12th GRADE)
English (9-11)
Math (9-11)
Science (9-11, AP 12)
Social Studies (9, AP 10-12)</p>
<p>Language:
Latin IV (school doesn't have honors/ap for languages)</p>
<p>ECs:
Latin Club (Member 9, Historian 10, PRESIDENT 11, 12)
Givology (Founder/PRESIDENT, 11,12)
Key Club (Member 11, SECRETARY 12)
Physics Olympics (Member 11, CAPTAIN 12)
Debate Team (Member 10, 11, 12)
Class Congress (Member 10, 11, 12)
Hi-Q Team (Member 11, 12)
Volunteer for animal shelter (230+ hours, 10, 11, 12)
Ready for Hillary Volunteer</p>
<p>Honors:
Wellesley Book Award
National History Honors Society
National Honors Society</p>
<p>In order of chance (listed best chance at top to worst chance at bottom), I say:</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr (decent chance)
Colgate (tough)
Wellesley (tough)
Vassar (toughest of this group)</p>
<p>Your ACT score is solid, and your ECs are good too, but your unweighted GPA is a bit low, and the fact that your high school isn’t very good is not great either. First generation student is interesting though, so that’s perhaps a plus, especially if you can work it into an essay.</p>
<p>Do you have some more safety schools?</p>
<p>Based on the quality of the schools you chose, how about these as second choices (not necessarily safety schools)?:</p>
<p>Colby College (still low acceptance rate - 26% - but their GPA and test scores averages are more within reach)
Colorado College
Grinnell
Smith or Mount Holyoke (since you had some women-only schools there)
Dickinson</p>
<p>@doctordebbi - Regarding your My Space submission for Vassar, it certainly seems to describe the typical Vassar student (both male or female). Granted, I do not see all of these submissions, but I will admit that my first impression was “is she trying too hard to be uber liberal?” I could very well be wrong there, but that was my first impression. It DOES give a glimpse of who you are, and if that’s who you are and what you are passionate about, then I’m not sure anyone could advise you differently.</p>
<p>Your ACT’s and EC’s are very good, but your GPA is not very impressive, especially considering you come from a not competitive high school. I also agree with the above poster. </p>
<p>@stepay well I am! hahah. Quiet honestly, it is what my teachers and my classmates know me for. I’m very outspoken and I am very politically active. It sums up my personality quiet nicely. </p>
<p>Also, regarding my GPA, that is my 4-year GPA. My Freshman year I got a few B’s, and it’s bringing me down. However, on my transcript, growth is very evident. For instance, my junior year, my GPA was a 102.5, up from the 90s my Freshman year. </p>
<p>Also, @stepay , I’m actually applying to a lot of those schools you recommended! Colby actually flew me up to visit campus last month. I’m applying to Smith, Mount Holyoke, Dickinson, and Colby too. </p>
<p>Hey there. I just wanted to throw this out there: Colgate is not a particularly liberal place. At all. I went there and ended up transferring partially for that reason. Have you visited, and stayed overnight/gotten a good feeling for the “vibe” there? I’m not saying there are NO liberals, but you would certainly find a more liberal overall vibe at Smith, Mount Holyoke or Vassar.</p>
<p>I realize you didn’t ask this specifically, but it might be helpful -especially if you have not had a chance to do in-depth visits at these schools. I have experience with many of these schools, since my D recently applied to Wellesley, Smith, and MHC; looked at Vassar and BMC; we live in Maine; and I attended Colgate. I would probably rate them like this:
Most conservative: Colgate
In between: Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Colby
Most liberal: Vassar, MHC (although not stridently so), Smith (the most “in-your-face” and serious SJWs, for sure!)</p>
<p>@doctordebbi - Sounds good. You will get into some of those. One nice thing about Colby is that they meet full financial need but WITHOUT requiring you to take loans. However, since you are “lower middle class” you might find the financial aid at most of those schools to be quite good. Good luck to you.</p>