<p>Hi! Well, to start off, I've always been attracted to environments with all women - I do well in them. So I plan on applying to more all women's schools (my college counselor pushed me to apply to schools I wasn't really interested in). I got rejected from my top two choices already, Barnard and Columbia, so I'm looking at my third choice, Mount Holyoke. I know they don't look at scores too harshly, but their average (30 ACT) is still pretty high. Here are my credentials:</p>
<p>ACT: 24 (highest composite) 10 (writing) <strong>If they superscore my tests, it'll be 25</strong>
GPA: 3.92
Class rank: 14 (the top 15%)
School type: College Prep, but public (charter, specifically)
APs: I have taken two, and have gotten 2 on both (my school caps it at one a year, 10th-11th, and your senior year you can take up to three - and you can't take AP freshman year) I am now currently in two more AP classes (English Lang. and Bio)
Class types: All APs (when allowed) and all honors - also, my school has a 7pt grade scale (93 = A, 87 = B, 77 = C, ect)
Grades: My a few B's. C's in all my math classes - I'm not a straight A student. A "D" once my freshman year in Algebra
Letters of Recommendations: All steller, all well written, drawing on my actual personality
ECs: Student Council for three years (president junior year), Interact/Key club for 2, speech for 4 years (Regional Champion 2014, also head peer coach), Drama club, NHS (I do 80 volunteer hours a year as a requirement) and literary mag. for 2 years</p>
<p>What are my chances of getting into Mount Holyoke? I can't take another rejection from a school I love. I'd rather just get realistic input and know now. </p>
<p>@lovelycupcakes MHC is a test-optional school. Also, they do superscore. But their range for the middle 50% of applicants (25%-75%) is 27-31 composite, so you are definitely on the low side there. It might be worth an anonymous call to the admissions office to ask them whether it would be better to send a 25 ACT or not send any scores. They might say “we can’t advise you on that” but they might just tell you!</p>
<p>Your GPA is very good: is it weighted or unweighted?</p>
<p>You’ve taken 4 AP classes: how many are offered in your school? It sounds like you took as many APs as you were able to, is that correct? That is important, since they want to see that you took a rigorous course load. For example, if a student’s school offers NO AP/IB classes, it isn’t held against them not to have taken any. Conversely, if a school offers 45 AP classes and the student only took 1, that doesn’t look so good. If you’ve taken the maximum allowed, then your guidance counselor will presumably check the “most rigorous” courseload box, and that is GREAT.</p>
<p>As far as your letter grades, I wouldn’t worry too much about the freshman D, especially if your grades have gone up since then. My D had a ~3.4 unweighted when she applied (including one D and two Cs) and she was accepted (though she did have high test scores and all As and Bs senior year.)</p>
<p>If your GPA is unweighted, that would be stronger. I wouldn’t say you’re definitely “in” but I think you seem like a viable candidate, for sure. Mount Holyoke is a fantastic school, my daughter could not be happier there :)</p>
<p>OK, I’m curious to know what your GC is recommending, because he may have experience with students with your stats from your HS. </p>
<p>Did no one tell you that test scores are very heavily weighted part of your ‘chances’? So I think you are sounding like a great student but with a troubling lopsided gpa vs ACT. Columbia was really a huge reach and Barnard too low admit rate because of location. You have a shot at Mt Holyoke yes, but your scores are below the bottom 25% of accepted student level of 27 but viable. You might have your GC inquire about you sending scores or not, and let them know he has a student where they are your top choice. I hope you get an acceptance because you seem like you know what you want and are the type of student that will do well there. Good grades, rank, activities. That’s what test optional is all about.</p>
<p>What about some other women’s colleges? Bryn Mawr would be in the same chances as Mt H, just it depends on the pool of these schools this year, I see Simmons (match, near safety)mentioned but I don’t really know it. There is a poster/mod here juliett who went to Spelman (looks likely a safety for you) and then grad school at Columbia.
<a href=“http://womenscolleges.org/”>http://womenscolleges.org/</a></p>
<p>@BrownParent @Alden97 @staceyneil Well, thanks anyway guys! I got rejected as of yesterday; the one other girl who half heartedly applied there got deferred (we have the same credentials, she has a slightly higher GPA than me). But what can ya do, you know?</p>
<p>Aw, I am really sorry to hear that. I think you should consider NOT sending your test scores to all test-optional schools for RD (unless you can improve them before then.) I believe Smith and Bryn Mawr are both test-optional…</p>
<p>@staceyneil ok! I got a 10 on my writing, is it possible I can just send that? My writing is higher than their averages. Also, I am Black. Does that improve my chances in anyway?</p>
<p>I don’t believe it is possible to just send part of your score, but I’m not 100% certain: you should ask your guidance counselor about that. Also, my understanding is that being a URM (ie black) does help at some colleges, at least as a “tiebreaker” if you had the same stats a white student.</p>
<p>Lovely, yes you get a bump for URM it is a hook, not in the crass way of comparing your stats to a single other ‘white’ student, but in filling the class with diversity, but you also likely have high score URM to compete with though.</p>
<p>No you can’t send just send part of your score.</p>
<p>Honestly I don’t think MHC gives a “bump” to URM applicants. @Lovelycupcakes I think you should sit down with your GC and really polish your application. If writing is your hook, highlight examples. MHC will look at all your grades and was to see how you progressed from the freshman d in math. Did I reAd correctly that you scored 2 s on both your APs?<br>
From what I understand MHC really doesn’t wiefh the sat / act too heavily. Rather they look at GPA in the context of your high school, Your accedemic strengths and focused ECs. </p>
<p>My safeties are Cornell College (they’ve given me 80k) and monmouth college (they’ve given me 76k) and Illinois State. But now that I’ve gotten rejected from MHC, I’m focused on two more major reaches - Smith and Bryn Mawr. </p>
<p>Wholly rejected. A girl at my school with less than stellar writing skills, the same ACT, but a higher GPA (a 4.4 compared to my 3.92) got deferred, though. She actually doesn’t even want to go there as much as I do, only applied because I did. So, I’m a little sensitive about women’s colleges at the moment; but I do hope Smith and Bryn Mawr don’t go as bad as this one did. I was really excited about this school’s traditions and campus. Sorry for the rant, haha.</p>
<p>Hey you’re disappointed–That means your human. Go Ahead and rant. After the rant is over, Put your feet firmly on the ground and polish up your ap. Keep your eye on the prize and forget about your friend who was accepted. You will never know why she was offered admission. And it’s waste of effort to focus in her. Focus on yourself , improving your app, making the most of your final months of high school and living at home. You will never get this time back use it wisely. </p>