Chances for Yale, Duke, Swarthmore, JHU, Vassar, Haverford, Penn State, etc...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a junior formulating my list, and I'm trying to figure out a suitable financial and admissions safety. I'm a bit anxious, as you can imagine.</p>

<p>Okay. I haven't taken the SATs or my SAT IIs yet, but as for the SATs, I scored 225 on the sophomore PSATs, so I figure with a little hard work I can score ~2300 (hopefully. My math score is what needs the most work...) And for the SAT IIs, I've heard there's a correlation between the Critical Reading section of the SATs and the Literature exam, so I'm hoping I can do well on that (750+) and for the rest, I'm planning on studying a lot. I'll be taking Math II, Literature, and Biology - M in June.</p>

<p>I've taken the toughest courseload my school offers. In the past, my first trimester grades have indicated the rest of the year, so my tentative grades and courseload for junior year are:</p>

<p>AP English Literature - A
AP Calculus BC - A
AP Latin: Vergil - A
French IV Honors - A
Biology Honors - A-
US History - A-
Playwriting - A</p>

<p>For 9th and 10th grade, I had a 4.0. Hoping/planning/studying for 5's on the English Lit, Calc BC, and Latin: Vergil AP exams...</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULARS:</p>

<p>WRITING - independent writing, Head of Creative Writing Workshop (10 - present), applied for and received $1950 grant for the club to take a retreat and to host an author, as well as for me to attend a writing summer program (10), tutor younger students in the Writing Workshop (separate from club; it's the office where our resident writing tutor works with students)</p>

<p>THEATER - act in plays and musicals at school (9 - present), member of tech crew (9-present), in the process of writing a play through our playwriting class, which I'll submit to competitions</p>

<p>LANGUAGE - Head of Ancient Greek & Latin Culture Club (member 10, head 11 - 12) which organizes Classics competitions and is looking to put on a Greek play, Summa Cum Laude on 3 National Latin Exams (8 - 10, we haven't taken this year's yet), Editor-in-Chief of the school French Literary Journal (member 9 - 11, Editor-in-Chief 12)</p>

<p>STUDENT GOV'T - Junior Class President...is it bad that I only ran this year and will probably not run again? My class is only around 60 girls and we're all qualified so I feel like it would just be self-important to run again.</p>

<p>HONORS/AWARDS:</p>

<p>I'm submitting my writing to various competitions this year, hoping to garner some recognition. Not really sure how competitive I am, although I did get into a selective writing program this summer (or at least they say it's selective...but it was a revelatory experience and I certainly wouldn't exchange it for another program perceived to be more 'selective'.)</p>

<p>-Art & Leadership $1950 Grant (10)
-$1250 Merit Scholarship to UArts Pre-college Summer Institute (10)
-Latin Award (10)
-Physics Award (9)
(-Leadership Recognition (10)...really not important lol)</p>

<p>WORK EXPERIENCE:</p>

<p>I work 5hrs/week shelving book at my local library (for pay, I'm not volunteering, although the actual offer of employment came because I asked whether I could volunteer...this is much better lol). I've worked there from Sept of 10th grade to the present.</p>

<p>SUMMER ACTIVITIES:</p>

<p>Honors Geometry through CTY (9)
Young Writers Workshop (10) on grant
UArts Pre-college Summer Institute (10) on merit scholarship</p>

<p>Hopefully I'll either be at TASP or at the same Young Writers Workshop this summer...not really counting on TASP because of its selectivity (although the program is so perfect for me...sigh...they just have to realize I'm perfect for it! lol)</p>

<p>ESSAYS:</p>

<p>I don't really know what to say about these. I hope they're good; I'm sure I'll like 'em. (hopefully lol)</p>

<p>TEACHER RECS:</p>

<p>I'm hoping to have my absolute favorite english teacher from 10th grade give me a recommendation, although I'm not sure the school will let me. She basically epically shifted my thinking about literature and meaning. She is my role model (sappy I know) and I now am realizing that my dream job is to be a professor of literature. She understands me, I think (I hope). At least, it seems to me the she understands me best of all my teachers.</p>

<p>I'm not sure about my other rec, but I'm hope I'll be able to get it from my physics teacher, who also understands my intense interest in meaning (though in more of an Einstein or Godel way, than a Primo Levi way...lol). I love analyzing things, what can I say? lol</p>

<p>I am almost absolutely sure that I'll get a supplemental rec from my theater teacher of 3yrs, who knows me very very very well. I've been through thick and thin with her including clinical anxiety (that was fun...) and she (I think) loves my writing...(my directing, however, not so much...lol)</p>

<p>OTHER:</p>

<p>I'm just going to spit out random details:</p>

<p>My dad is an Austrian immigrant who never went to college and is now a handyman, essentially.</p>

<p>We make not so much money (EFC estimate: $6000), and it varies significantly from year to year because neither of my (divorced) parents have any salary to speak of (meaning, they are self-employed, not un-employed, although my mom was unemployed for a while this year.) </p>

<p>I am on a full scholarship to a rigorous single-sex private school. (Which means they meet their calculation of our "full financial need" but end up milking us...however, the public school that I would be going to frankly sucks.)</p>

<p>I am white and female and I live in a lower middle class suburb of Philadelphia.</p>

<p>Comparative Literature (called Literature at Yale)!</p>

<p>So! That's all. Thank you soooooo much for reading this monster of a thread.</p>

<p>How do my chances for merit aid at Penn State Schreyer Honors College look? And while I'm at it, chances for these schools:</p>

<p>Yale
Duke
Swarthmore
Johns Hopkins
Vassar
Haverford
Barnard
Penn State</p>

2

<p>None? Also if you can think of any safeties that I might like within around 5hrs of Philly, that would be wonderful! I’ve been scouring college lists of all sorts to find good options, but so far I haven’t been very successful.</p>

3

<p>Hey! I remember you commented on my thread…we both like Swarthmore! I’d say don’t worry about your SATs. That PSAT score is great; most of the people I know didn’t come close to that but far outscored their PSAT-predicted scores on the SAT.
The Literature SAT II is easy, especially if you’re good at the CR section on the SAT and all these crazy writing skills of yours. You’ll probably do fine. Don’t worry about that either.</p>

<p>I’m not sure about having a rec from a tenth grade teacher…a lot of schools discourage that because it’s not terribly recent. But I can see you justifying it if you still talk to her a lot? That way she can talk about her relationship with you outside of class, so they know her positive thoughts of you as a tenth grader are still true today. Any chance you could get her for a senior class? (All three of my recommendation teachers had me for more than one class, and two of them have known me since freshman year.)</p>

<p>Have you considered Bryn Mawr? With you living in Philly and liking Swarthmore and Haverford, I would imagine you have, but crossed it off for one reason or another. It’s on my list, which admittedly only shares Swarthmore with yours, but has similar schools. BMC is supposed to have a pretty good writing program.
Have you looked at Hamilton? Also known for emphasis on writing.</p>

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<p>You have a pretty good chance </p>

<p>Btw could you chance me back</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/606894-chance-no-chance-question.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/606894-chance-no-chance-question.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>I actually would really love Bryn Mawr, except I’ve gone to an all-girl school for nine years and frankly I think it’s time for a change:) I will have my English teacher for senior year! So that’s good. I have looked at Hamilton but I really want schools that have no-loan policies (Swarthmore! Haverford! :slight_smile: )</p>

<p>Oh, and I cut Barnard because it’s all-girls. I had thought that it might seem coed with Columbia being so close, but then I decided that it was really not a good idea for me to spend four more years that way hahah. Not that I have anything against single sex education! Just not for too long:)</p>

<p>And actually, I know you’re applying ED to Swarthmore, Colly, and I was wondering what you find out about applying ED and finaid, because I’m beginning to think that I really want to get into college by Dec. 15:)</p>

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<p>Oh, and thanks so much for the advice! I will now proceed to chance you, madjoker:)</p>

7

<p>Why didn’t you put Harvard on that list? You stand an excellent chance for all the schools you mentioned!</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/608620-hi-i-m-aussie-applying-yale.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/608620-hi-i-m-aussie-applying-yale.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>I think you’re in decent shape given your rigorous course load and your talent in writing (passions are good). I’m kind of an AP freak so I always think there’s more to do but thats just me:)
chance me at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/607289-chances-us-uk-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/607289-chances-us-uk-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>I will certainly let you know re: the ED decision. Swat is supposed to have excellent financial aid, and the no-loan policy really helped me make the decision to apply ED…I definitely need aid because my parents aren’t loaded…they’ve saved, but we still need enough to cut it down to at least (NY) state-school costs.</p>

<p>I originally thought I would hate going to a women’s college but I have a few friends who attend them, and I’ve visited…I really liked the “atmosphere,” I guess you could say. When I visited Bryn Mawr I saw Haverford guys in a lot of classrooms. But I see where you’re coming from, with an all-girls high school.</p>

<p>P.S. Maybe Sarah Lawrence? Bard? Bennington?</p>

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<p>(Har, har, I just said “ED decision” and I can’t be an English major anymore.)</p>

11

<p>As for my APs, I couldn’t be taking anymore, and my school is private and allegedly rigorous (I find it satisfyingly challenging) so I’m taking a very competitive curriculum. </p>

<p>I actually did have Sarah Lawrence on my list, but lately I really just want to go to school close to home (near Philly) and I’ll only really go beyond for a really really dreamy school. Which is not to say that Bard isn’t dreamy; just not for me. In fact: Johns Hopkins is off the list, as is Barnard and Duke. I love getting suggestions, though! I do like some top liberal arts colleges which are further away: Wesleyan, Davidson; but I think I’ll stick to in-state safeties, preferably very close. I also do love those no-loan policies!</p>

<p>Also: do you think it would be feasible for me to apply ED to Haverford? I’m actually beginning to lean toward it over Swarthmore (:P). Will we be okay with finaid? hahahha I wish I had an idea of what it could be.</p>

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<p>I think you have a great chance at all those schools if you maintain the grades you have. You already have great EC’s as a junior, and I am sure it will only get better. TASP is definitely a great idea for you because not only will it help for college a lot, but you also seem like a great fit for it. My friend went there last summer and loved it, so put the time in on the app(as I am sure you will) and it will pay off.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/611519-just-another-chance-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/611519-just-another-chance-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>Thanks, ras! I appreciate it!</p>

14

<p>I don’t have much experience about this but- </p>

<p>If you get into TASP… Yale is a high match, otherwise low reach-reach (but you’re as qualified as anyone applying)</p>

<p>Duke = Match
J. Hopkins- Match
Swarthmore= High Match (Not sure)</p>

<p>Others- Don’t know. </p>

<p>I’m curious, where did you get your username from? I seem to remember the word from somewhere.</p>

15

<p>Hmmm, I just like the name. It’s not my name, btw. It means something like “of the sea”. Thanks for the chancing! We’ll see if I get into TASP–not counting on it, though I’d be over the moon if I could go! Even if I had to sign a super secret contract guaranteeing that I not tell colleges:)</p>