<p>White Male, Phila. Suburbs…
2010 SAT (720 V, 570 M, 720 W) (only taken once, will take in Oct. to improve math to 600+)
SAT II: 770 US Hist, 750 World Hist
Private Catholic School
3.8 W GPA, 3.6 UW</p>
<p>ECs:
Varsity HS Hockey: 9-12
Club Hockey: 11-12
History Club: 9, 11, 12
Work: 10-11
NHS: 11-12
Around 70 hrs community service, plan to do more</p>
<p>Probably a reach, but with a decent essay, am I somewhat competitive?</p>
<p>These chances threads are really hard to respond to, because you can't post your entire application, and we (parents and students) don't know what the school will be looking for in any given year. </p>
<p>I'm assuming you are not interested in the engineering, given your talent in verbal and writing areas? </p>
<p>Another way to shore up a lower SAT I math is to try a SAT II math or take the AP Calc exam if you are taking that level of math. </p>
<p>What does your high school schedule look like? Have you taken the most rigorous curriculum available? I do remember the adcom telling my son that they do not like to see kids slack off their senior year, ie stop taking a subject because they have enough credits but there are still classes left in the sequence, or taking a lighter schedule or half day schedule.</p>
<p>My senior schedule is a little watered down... but I'm taking 3 AP classes. I'm interested in a history, philosophy or english major...</p>
<p>3 AP classes doesn't seem watered down to me! Strength of schedule is always a major consideration in the application proccess. They won't ding you for classes your school doesn't offer, but they do expect you to take full advantage of what is there. A very bad habit of students around here is to take a half day schedule their senior year, just finishing out the requirements. A full schedule with some APs shows the adcoms that you are capable of tackling a college schedule.</p>
<p>My son is a poli sci/philo double major and his academic advisor is in the Philo department. He's enjoyed his classes a lot so far, and feels that Bucknell offers depth in these areas. They also have an honors major and a senior capstone project for students who want to tackle a thesis or major project.</p>
<p>I agree with TexasTaxi :) 3 Ap's is NOT watered down. I think that must be the CC factor when a senior thinks three AP's is slacking off.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure Bucknell will be looking at your first semester grades so hit it hard and have an "upward" trend. I think I read at collegeboard that AP scores and SAT combined is one of the strongest factors for success at college. So don't let senioritis hit too soon.</p>
<p>From the admissions stats I heard about last year, ED students seemed to have a distinct advantage. Might have something to do with Bucknell increasing their getting their acceptance rate down to 30% and increasing their yield! Texas mom would know about that, Bucknell really likes to accept kids who WANT to go there-first choice.</p>
<p>Have you visited campus, sat in on classes, considered an overnight? All those things that prove your interest.Of course appying ED says it all, too :)</p>
<p>Again...I will say this over and over....DO NOT apply ED unless it is TRULY your very first choice and you will be happy with whatever financial aid is offered at that time. Bucknell ED is binding. Contrary to popular belief, the students who are admitted ED are not significantly "weaker." The stats are almost the same. If you are on the bubble RD you will be on the bubble ED. Bucknell defers over 100 applicants a year from the ED pool. </p>
<p>Yes, Bucknell will not up your aid package because you go RD because they are need based and your need is your need. BUT---you will not be able to compare aid packages from other schools. </p>
<p>There is a famous (or maybe infamous) thread around here where a child was admitted to one of the Ivys--Princeton perhaps? Ivys are need based only, and he did get a significant aid package. I think he could go for half. He went ED because he thought it would give him an edge in the admissions process. (Ivys, like many other schools, also like to snap up the best students and fill their classes, boost their yield)</p>
<p>Along comes Texas A & M with a full ride. Now he was supposed to withdraw his applications but apparently did not do so before this school came along with the full ride offer. He wanted to know if was okay to tell Princeton that he didn't have enough money (the only way to break an ED) and go with the full ride. He also was going to try the "my parents didn't understand" even though both have doctorates. You can imagine this was debated for some time--ethically it was wrong in my opinion. </p>
<p>In my own personal experience (I've done this twice in two years) the difference in aid packages calculated on need can still be huge. Both of my sons each received one aid package that seemed incredibly off compared to the rest. If they had gone ED there, we would have been stuck. I'm talking thousands of dollars difference per year, times four years. The other were closer, but there were still marked differences in the self-help portions. Some were mostly loan and work study, some were mostly grant.</p>