<p>Hello all,
I'm applying to Reed RD this fall, and I'd like to know what you think my chances are to get in. Here are some factoids about me:
1) Planning to study history with a 4 on the APUSH test and 760 US History SAT subject test.
2) Long list of community service/activism (I started a Gay-Straight Alliance at a pretty homophobic school).
3) I've visited campus twice and interviewed, and the interview went on for an hour and 15 minutes because we were having a really great conversation and I came prepared with lots of questions.
4) Got a B in my APUSH class last year, and I'm taking 3 AP's this year. (Lit, Stat, and Bio)
5) My grades have had an upswing from 9th-grade on.</p>
<p>You seem pretty interesting, but I think quantitative stats (GPA, SATs, rank) and a more thorough description of your ECs might help us determine how you stack up against the typical admitted student.</p>
<p>That sounds pretty good (especially the part about the Gay-Straight Alliance).
GPA and SAT scores aren’t as heavily considered for admittance to Reed as they are for other schools. The best thing to do is to have a strong writing sample and essays. Make sure your enthusiasm for the school comes across in your Why Reed essay.</p>
<p>I think there’s something important that needs to be pointed out: none of us, especially prospies (no offense), have a clue of how likely you are to be accepted. There are qualified applicants who are rejected every year, just as there are a few unqualified applicants who are accepted, most of whom change their ways or drop out. The most we can give you is a comparison of your statistics to the college’s average (something anyone can do) and a comment about how important the Why Reed essay is.</p>
<p>That being said, you have provided no quantitative stats besides an SAT II score so I can’t say much other than how important the Why Reed essay is.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>“just as there are a few unqualified applicants who are accepted”</p>
<p>I don’t think the Reed adcom would agree with this; Reed won’t accept anyone whom it doesn’t think can be successful.</p>
<p>Success is a matter of results, not potential. Those who are not successful at Reed are therefore unqualified for Reed in one way or another.</p>
<p>Ok, as long as sickness, death in the family, finances, transfer acceptance to the number one choice, etc, etc, mean the adcom accepted someone unqualified. ;)</p>
<p>To defend that I would have to do so from an objective viewpoint (i.e. what would appear as offensive due to your choice of sickness, death in the family and finances as examples, all of which are good examples but can be defended), so I will leave this conversation. I will say, though, that there are many who do not return to Reed each year due to overwhelming academic pressure, meaning they are unqualified, so my original statement still stands.</p>