Chances

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I was wondering whether I would be able to get into the following schools based on my grades, test scores and extracurriculars. I will be a high school senior this fall and am planning to apply to a number of small Midwestern liberal arts schools, including:
Carleton College
Macalester College
St. Olaf College
Lawrence University
Cornell College

I have a 3.98 GPA (unweighted) and my school doesn’t create a class rank.
I took the ACT twice and have only gotten my first results back. I plan to take it one more time in the fall of my senior year to improve my writing score. My scores are:
Composite- 31
English- 35
Math- 29
Reading- 31
Science- 30
Writing- 24

My extracurriculars are:
Cross country (4 years)
Track (2 years)
Children’s Museum volunteering
Spanish Honor Society
Volunteering at freshman orientation
Scribbler literary magazine
Universal Education Partnership (women’s education club)
National Honor Society
Volunteering at kid’s day camp
Violin (school orchestra)

My work experience is:
Babysitting
Evaluating for Future Problem Solvers Program

I have taken a mix of honors and regular classes throughout high school. My classes are as follows:
9 Grade
Biology
English (honors)
Geometry (honors)
Gym and Health
Spanish 2
Orchestra
US History (honors)
10 Grade
Algebra 2/ Trig (honors)
Chemistry
English (honors)
Gym
Orchestra
Spanish 3
Western Civilizations (honors)
Writing for Media and Publication
Personal Finance
11 Grade
AP US History
Physics
Introduction to Business and Marketing
Orchestra
Pre-Calculus
Spanish 4
American Literature (honors)
Computer media
20 Century Literature (honors)
12 Grade
Advanced writing workshop
European Literature (honors)
AP US Government and Politics
Psychology
AP Environmental Science
Ceramics
AP Calculus AB
AP Spanish Language and Culture
Philosophy
Orchestra

Any ideas or comments would be appreciated. Thanks so much!

2

I think you have a higher than average shot on those schools. I would recommend expanding your horizons to a school in the midwest perhaps as Kenyon

3

I think you’ve got decent chances at getting into these schools. Particularly, I wouldn’t worry about getting into St Olaf, Cornell, and Lawrence, as your scores are more towards the top of those schools. However, Macalester and Carleton are more widely known, and have stronger applicant pools, making those schools harder to get into. If you’re looking for ways to improve your chances at those two, I think the best thing to do would be to try to gain a leadership role in one of your activities. Also I think if your next ACT score is higher, even by a point or two, that will help you at Carleton. Honestly though, I think that your main focus should be on writing a stellar essay. Write about your passions and try to make yourself really stand out. I’m a rising senior too and I’ve toured many of these schools (Carleton, Macalester, and St Olaf), and although I won’t be applying to any of them due to my chosen major, I did enjoy the time I spent on their campuses. Best of luck to you!

4

Thanks @writer80. I will explore more Midwestern schools such as Kenyon or others.

5

Thanks so much @lylee17! I think I will retake the ACT in the fall so I can raise my score a little bit. Good luck to you in your college search also!