Chances, Please

Colleges and Universities A-Z Grinnell College
1

<p>Your comments are appreciated, so long as they're thoughtful. I know that these threads are numerous and exhaustive, so your critique is greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>White/Jewish (not sure whether Grinnell makes the distinction) male
Terrible, failed, and extremely congested public high school in SW Washington. It's like the Bangladesh of public schools.</p>

<p>SAT: 2130; W:730, M:600, CR: 800 (single sitting, and taken as a junior).
SAT Subject Tests: scores for the literature and US history tests will be available when I apply, and should be high.
GPA: 3.76uw, though it should be approx. 3.8 when I apply. My schools doesn't calculate weighted GPAs which is fine because, as I've heard, most schools disregard them.
At the community college in which I'm enrolled, I have a 4.0 with 67 credits (quarter system).
I've shown a tremendous upward trend in my grades, from 3.4 cum. freshman and sophomore years to a solid 4.0 at Clark College.</p>

<p>My school is disastrous. It has a graduation rate of approx. 60% and less than 20% of graduating seniors actually pursue higher education, at least immediately after high school. The district is woefully underfunded, and sports are deified to the extent that academic distinctions awarded to students basically go unrecognized. Also, and I don't know whether this does or should matter, but a HUGE heroin problem has developed lately, which will probably be the death knell of this moribund "academic" institution.</p>

<p>Anyway, because of all the aforementioned problems, the school offers a very limited number of AP and honors classes, many of which are exclusively for seniors. Owing to this, I participate in the state's Running Start program (dual-enrollment) and will receive my AA by graduation. So basically, I have taken more than a full load of college classes and currently have a 4.0, which probably won't change within the next few months.</p>

<p>ECs:
-23+ regional, national, and international distinctions for music (I'm a pretty accomplished saxophonist, and have been playing with the high school's jazz band since 6th grade).
-Was a member of the Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra.
-Was a member of the Washington All-State Jazz Band last year.
-Founded and served as president of the BGHS Junior State of America chapter (JSA).
-Founded and served as president of Students for Political Activism Now at my CC.
-Was Pacific Northwest Regional Director of Expansion for JSA.
-Was editor of the opinion section of my high school newspaper.
-Attended both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions recently as a student correspondent for the local newspaper and for JSA.
-Am currently media director for the Portland, OR Amnesty International chapter.
-Am currently a Sunday-school teacher at my local synagogue.
-Am working with the Columbia Land Trust to defend SW Washington from rapid urbanization.
-Studied government at Georgetown University during the summer of 2007.
-Studied music at the Berklee conservatory, Northern Illinois University, and Western Oregon University during the summer of 2006.
-Am currently a member of the debate team at Clark College, which, despite lacking national recognition, is pretty well regarded in forensic circles in the PNW.
-Was a member of MUN.
-Many more things that I cannot remember right now.</p>

<p>My recommendation should be great; they're being written by a former Columbia University admissions officer (and MFA student) who was my English teacher, and one of my history teachers who's published several articles in history periodicals and authored textbooks.</p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to look and, hopefully, to comment.
frydfrog is offline</p>

2

<p>You sound like a very attractive candidate. Don't worry about the limited number of APs or the 'failed school'-colleges take into account what the available academic opportunities in determining if your course load was sufficiently demanding. Grinnell is also looking to expand the number of students they admit outside of the midwest, as they make the climb to a 'nationally known' LAC. </p>

<p>A few caveats: Grinnell ended up with 50 more incoming students this year than they sought (a higher acceptance rate than anticipated), and this has been a trend over the last few years, so I expect them to ratchet down the acceptance rate yet again next year. Demonstrated interest matters to them: If you have the option of visiting, you should do it. In addition, you want to make sure its really a fit for you, because its small and rural and there's no place to 'escape' the dominent (delightfully unpretenious but academically demanding) culture. </p>

<p>Not that it matters, but Grinnell doesn't look at the writing score-or at least, didn't in the past.</p>

<p>S is a first year and is loving it so far.</p>

3

<p>If your school is so awful as to be compared to Bangladesh, shouldn't you have a high GPA than 3.8?</p>

4

<p>Redknight,</p>

<p>As was written in the initial post, my school DOES NOT weigh honors courses, which would include the manifold college classes I've taken. Were this different, certainly I would have a higher GPA.</p>

5

<p>I second everything M's Mom said. My son is a sophomore and loves it.</p>

6

<p>With a 1400/1600 SAT and a 3.8 GPA from the state of Washington and strong ECs, you qualify for any school in the country (other than CalTech, Harvey Mudd & MIT) and, therefore, should be admitted to Grinnell College.</p>

7

<p>Yes, <em>should be</em> admitted, but it's no sure bet. Even an applicant this good needs a safer option or two. My son had even higher stats--though not as many ECs-- and he knew he needed safety on his list.</p>

8

<p>I strongly ditto what bethievt says about "no sure bet". My daughter had higher stats than yours, some similar ECs, some different; she visited, interviewed, corresponded with the admissions rep., etc. She was waitlisted then rejected. A much less academically qualified male athlete from her high school was accepted and is there now. I think that is fairly anomalous, however. I don't mean to unduly scare you -- I wish I had known better what to expect when my daughter was applying last year.</p>

<p>I think being male and from WA should help your chances. Demonstrate interest, as M's Mom recommends, too.</p>

9

<p>I'll take that bet!</p>