Chances, please?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Colby College
1

<p>Washington State
Neither of my parents graduated from college
Rural farming town
Have spent my entire high school "career" at the local community college because my high school has terrible academics, so my GPA and rank include my college classes, but the school doesn't weight so...</p>

<p>HS rank: 8/200 (unweighted)
HS GPA: 3.88 (unweighted)
College GPA: 3.87
College Rank: Doesn't rank but I've been on the Dean's List every quarter since I started taking classes in 8th grade.</p>

<p>Class schedule:
Toughest classes I can take...I'm in the Honors Program at the community college
POSSIBLE PROBLEM: Haven't had and will not have any physics...will this hurt me?</p>

<p>SAT: 2100 CR: 770 M: 670 W:660</p>

<p>SAT IIs: Bio-E = 660, U.S. History = 700, Literature = 780</p>

<p>Good essays (my English teacher suggested I submit one to be published in the college's yearly student writing anthology, so I guess they're pretty good). They describe me well, so that's the most important part.</p>

<p>Really, really great teacher recs (one talks about how I'm in school for the learning, not just the grade, and the other talks about how I'm one of the best students he's met - yay!)
Super counselor recommendation in school report</p>

<p>Extra Currriculars:
20-25 hrs. per week at local performing arts guild performing (I've had several lead roles, chorus roles, I've operated the light-board, sold ad space for the programs, worked as stage crew, and I'm stage managing the children's show this year...I'm also sending a stellar recommendation from my director)
8 hrs. per week Tae Kwon Do (Black Belt and recieved medals at state tournaments...right now I'm taking a break, though)
3 hrs. per week Honor Society vice-president at college
3 hrs. per week International Friendship Club executive committee member
Various volunteer things (approx. 4 hrs. per week) like Junior Achievement, helping out at a pro bono law office, etc. Also helped organize fundraiser for December 2004 Tsunami.</p>

<p>Work:
10-15 hrs. per week Event Coordinating at community college...I'm the chair of the Activities Committee, so I'm sort of the boss of the committee
10-12 hrs. per week Tutoring - I tutor elementary school children</p>

2

<p>congrats on building up such a strong record. I think you have a very good chance at Colby, and there is a West Coast segment of kids there. Many of them are financially well-off, but the people I know from Colby are also outdoorsy and balanced people. It is a wonderful college, but you will also succeed many other places, so put out a few reach and match applications. Please look into what their financial aide promises will meet your EFC needs and whether or not they offer such things as merit money, too. Colby is intellectually intimate with great access to teachers and a fun vibe, and I bet you would love it. Your theater work may transfer well to them as something desirable. When you do your Activity sheet, things like club memberships should just be listed with hours, but not emphasized unless you put your heart into them. Be specific about what you actually do in each organization. Put your performing arts work forward. You are a leader by nature..but look at Katherine Cohen's before and after Brag sheets in Rock Hard Apps..to see a cogent way to get specifics about your many activities across. Personally..I think you have a shot at many fine LACs because of your parents not having the advantages of college educations yet you have sailed forward on your own energy quite well. I think LACs offer you the most for your personal growth at this juncture and are where you will be happiest, in smaller colleges with access to wonderful full profs. Aim high. Keep in mind that your Match stats also lead to wonderful colleges so don't short change those applications and give them equal attention with your Reach efforts.</p>

3

<p>WOW! You have an INCREDIBLY good chance at Colby-- congratulations. If Colby is your first choice, pursue it 100%; the academics here are VERY good and the atmosphere is amazing. The weather is gorgeous, the people are friendly and very smart, and the professors are brilliant-- both in intellect and affability. However, you have a shot at most schools in this country (with a decent chance at all of the NESCAC* schools and OK chances with some of the IVYs). So, consider the possibilities-- go for the school you feel the most comfortable at.</p>

<p>I, for one, believe you have a great chance at getting in here (most of the people I know here on campus sound very much like you -- high SATs (1400-mid 1500's on the old one... though I guess the average is 1354), good extracirriculars (my goodness ,the ECs of some of the people at Colby! lol), and just all together driven. So, let's recap, lol. I think you have a very good chance-- you sound like the quintessential Colby student. Colby, however ,is by no means a safety school, but, shouldn't be considered much of a reach (you never know with these schools though).</p>

<p>Best of Luck!</p>

<p>:-)</p>

<p>Drew</p>

<p>P.S. If you have any questions about Colby, just let me know :-).</p>

<p>*NESCAC- New England Small College Athletic Conference; includes Colby, Bowdoin, Bates, Amherst, Middlebury, and Hamilton... I think that's all, lol</p>

4

<p>Thanks for both of your input! I really appreciate it. I am applying to Dartmouth ED, but not really expecting to get in. Actually, not expecting to get in at all! Colby looks like an incredible college, and I really like the northern New England area, although I've only visited once in "recent times." I really want to get to know a bit more about it...Once again, thanks a lot!</p>

5

<p>I applied to Dartmouth ED, as well, but didn't get in... blah; however, I think your chances are a bit better than mine were (your SAT IIs are better and my SAT, at the time, was 90 points lwoer than when I got into Colby, lol)... anyhue, I'm very happy at Colby :-)</p>

6

<p>I'm trying to write up why I want to go to Colby...mind telling me how this sounds?</p>

<p>The intimate intellectual environment that Colby seems to provide is precisely suited to my personal learning style. One of my greatest joys in life is sitting in a large, comfy chair and discussing grandiose ideas with peers. I know Colby is the type of place where I would find plenty of people to ponder the meaning of life with. A student at Colby described the college as having a "fun vibe" and providing "great access to wonderful professors." It is just such a place that I hope to spend four intellectually and socially stimulating years at.</p>

7

<p>I wish this website was around when I applied to school.</p>

<p>I go to Colby and Dartmouth as a dual-degree student. You'll be happy at either school, although Dartmouth is a little more social. Good luck to you.</p>

<p>If you have any questions, feel free to email me.</p>

<p>-Dan</p>

8

<p>you go to both, or you went to Colby, and then to Dartmouth?</p>

<p>P.S. How does the dual degree program work-- being here at Colby, I've heard a lot about it, though, nothing as to what it actually is (excepte maybe that it's an engineering program?).</p>

<p>AND, how do you like Dartmouth compared to Colby-- teachers/academics-wise. Is it more challenging, are the profs. more/less attentive and knowledegable, etc.? Just curious as to what I didn't get into, lol.</p>

<p>:-)</p>

<p>Madamoiselle:</p>

<p>I think that's a very good statement; I hope you get in; I love it here at Colby!:-). I was thinking about it yesterday, and I'm really not upset in the slightest that I ended up not going to Dartmouth-- I've foudn everything I coudl want in a college right here, and, I'm not sure about the truth of this, but I feel like Colby's Biology department is better (even if it's not true, I find the Bio (my interest) department here better than I coud lhave hoped for) and that more research/helping-proffesors-opportunities are provided to the undergrads (that's all we have, lol) here.</p>

9

<p>The 3-2 Dual Degree program is designed for engineering students. I attended Dartmouth last year as an undergrad for my junior year. This year I'm back at Colby, and I will be graduating. Then I am back to Dartmouth for a BE and possibly an MS in Mechanical Engineering.</p>

<p>Dartmouth is a blast. It is definitely a more social school, and Hanover is a whole lot more interesting than Waterville. The kids there aren't as nice as at Colby for the most part. The professors are a little bit less accessable. </p>

<p>The one non-engineering course I took there was intro Meteorology, and the kids in the class were not the brightest of the bunch. I don't want to get stuck generalizing, but it seems to me like a lot of the kids there work a ton. It's an interesting place.</p>

<p>As far as the professors go, I had some amazing professors there, and one terrible one. I've had the same experience at Colby though. The work wasn't any more difficult at Dartmouth, but as an engineering student I had a lot of project work which took up a ton of time.</p>

<p>Oh yeah, the food is a million times better than it is at Colby (I have no idea how Colby ranks so high -- it must just be for the buffet style dining halls).</p>

<p>I have a ton of comments about both schools. If you or anyone else is interested in hearing about them, I'd be happy to comment. I wish this site was around (or if it was, that I had heard of it) when I was applying to schools.</p>

<p>-Dan</p>

10

<p>Also, as much as I'm liking this forum, don't take everything you hear on it to heart:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=120183%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=120183&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>If I listened to what everyone on these boards had said, I doubt I'd have gone to the schools I'm going to now.</p>

<p>This website seems like it can be a great tool, but it also seems like it can bring confidence down.</p>

11

<p>Thanks so much, all of you! I feel like I've been able to get a much better idea about what type of place Colby is now and I'm excited about applying :).</p>

12

<p>We're here to help; CC was a HUGE help to me in applying to schools :-) I really hope that you get into Colby, Dartmouth, and whatever schools you really woud like to go to... but to be honest, I have no regrets and woudl recommend Colby to any student (and, as a matter of fact, I do, lol).</p>

<p>dsack23</p>

<p>Are you originally from NY? I have a bunch of friends at RIT... I mean, not that it matters a whole lot to you, but I jsut don't see it come up on these forums so much.</p>

<p>and, you were right about the forums (in reference to uvajoe), however, sometimes the feedback can be helpful (in reference to Fizz379).</p>

<p>It's kind of funny to think that I most likley live no less than a two minute walk from you...heh... unless you live off-campus. I'm over in Williams in the Hillside complex (ugly on the outside, but grows on you for sure). Where are you at?</p>

<p>:-)</p>

13

<p>I applied to Colby last year and everyone in the admissions office was wonderful, nice, responsive, supportive.......stress your arts interests...they really like that.......Colby is a very supportive and stimulating community</p>

14

<p>hey spiker, where are you at now? GW?</p>

15

<p>Yeah, some of the feedback on that thread was positive. I live up in the senior apartments this year, so I am less than a 2 minute walk from you.</p>

<p>By the way, I lived in Williams as a freshman, and I like the way it looks with the pine trees and everything!</p>

<p>No, I'm not from NY, but a bunch of my friends go to RIT.</p>

16

<p>heh, the look with the pine trees is actually growing on me; apparently hillside won some award fro architecture when it was first created (the white strips imitated the brich trees and the grey reflected the color, and all of that was supposed to accentuate the big windows..or something, lol).</p>