Chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z Amherst College
1

<p>Background:
Hispanic male (Colombian)
New Jersey
competitive public school</p>

<p>sat’s:
math-760
critical reading-760
writing-790
total-2310</p>

<p>sat ii’s:
math ii-800
chem-650</p>

<p>weighted gpa:
freshman-4.26
sophomore-4.04
junior-4.05
cumulative-4.1</p>

<p>and A is 4.3, A- is 4.0 so i’m in between</p>

<p>Freshman year I took regular English because I didn’t qualify for honors, and took honors geometry and honors physical science. I also took 4 semesters of academic electives instead of study halls.</p>

<p>Sophomore year I took honors English, honors Algebra 2/Trig, and honors bio instead of AP bio. I took 4 semesters of academic electives.</p>

<p>This year I’m taking AP chem, honors english instead of ap, and honors pre calc. I’m taking a year of study hall and an year of academic electives.</p>

<p>Every year I took regular history (I didn’t qualify for AP last year and you must take AP sophomore year to take AP this year) and regular Spanish (no AP or honors offered). I’m in Spanish 5 this year.</p>

<p>Next year I will have AP Physics, AP Calc A/B, AP Stat, and AP English. I will be not be taking history. I will continue to take academic electives.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Lacrosse-4 years
Newspaper-4 years (copy-editor this year and maybe editor next year)
Drama Club-2 years
Involved in 4 productions
3 Math competitions each year for 4 years
People to People Student Ambassador 1 summer</p>

<p>I had an after-school job in the fall this year.</p>

<p>Top 15% in my school. (We don’t do exact rank)</p>

<p>Please reply and help me. If necessary I can get more info (specific grades, more info about my school, etc.)</p>

2

<p>nothing special in your app. either you get recruited through lacrosse or amaze them with your essay or you are dead</p>

3

<p>You do have a hook - Hispanic and the school is into diversity. Will you be SAT Hispanic scholar? No one can say who will or won't get in. All elite admissions are a crap shoot. Work on your essays-they truly are crucial! Good luck!</p>

4

<p>i'm not going be recruited for lacrosse
i might be a sat hispanic scholar i know i'm qualified for national merit scholar</p>

5

<p>I simply don't know where you are evaluating the data of this poster's chances as "otherwise you are dead". If one looks at the statistics for the entering class of 2009 which is the last reported at the Amherst web site this student has a statistically even chance of admissions. Granted top 15% is not maximal and top 5% to 10% would be more ideal his stats are on par with the mean at Amherst. His ECs are ok if not exciting. But to dampen the poster's spirits with an unwarranted "otherwise you're dead" is just not grounded in fact. He has an average chance of admissions and should try as long as he acknowledges Evita's credo that admissions there is a crap shoot. I say go for it poster even if my kid is applying also.</p>

<p>Dana's Dad</p>

6

<p>"Average chance of admissions" - means dead at Amherst. It is always necessary to apply but there must be more hooks and chraracter specialties. It has nothing to do with stats because SAT only serves as a leveling off ground and not as a determinant of whether to apply or not. I'd say he made this post knowing that his SAT was competitive and that he had a shot no matter what since he is in the 99th percentile in the nation. Trust me. I applied to 19 colleges out of which i fot into 15. I know something about admissions. (made it into amherst)</p>

7

<p>Yes, but colleges look to many things, and Amherst is looking for diversity, having just started the program of recruiting top community college diversity kids. So, being hispanic with these stats is a huge hook at Amherst. That said, the essays are major important, since there are no interviews. NO ONE is prescient and NO ONE can predict the outcome of admissions. In fact, I am a teacher, and have written letters of rec for my students to ivies, mini ivies and elites. I have been shocked (mostly) at who was accepted and who was not! It depends on who is applying in a certain year, as the EC's, etc., change and the percentages of musicians, minorites, etc., can shift with each class. Remember, Amherst and all the other schools want students who will add something different to the mix, and this applicant certainly does. That said, knowing the hook is there, work on those essays. They really are of prime importance. You can have all the grades and stats, but if our essays don't show who you are, nothing will help. Apply, and Good Luck!</p>

8

<p>What math competitions were you involved in, and how did you do? (If you don't mind my asking)</p>

9

<p>dendankin, while you may believe poster has not even the slightest chance of admission, keep it to yourself. At the very least have respect for him, he's just looking for some feedback.</p>

<p>About the application, it has several perks to it, the most obvious being your ethnicity. Hispanic people are the most under-represented, in my view there, being a student myself. The SAT score is very solid.</p>

<p>Weaknesses would have to be what seems to be the conscious choice, in some places, not to take 'the most challenging schedule possible' by your school's standards. A's in high school are nice, A's and A-'s in APs are much better. It would help to clarify why you didn't take these AP/honor classes, if there is a legit reason when you fill out the common app under extra information.</p>

<p>A couple things I'd like to know would be how much of a reputation does your school have? Do you normally send kids to ivies, top LACs, etc? School prestige, I feel, plays a lot into elite school decisions.</p>

<p>Overall, I'm in agreement that something a little extra might be needed to push you over the edge at the elite schools. Hispanic SAT scholar would be nice, or a great essay, better SATII's, etc. Fall of senior year will be very important for you. Best of luck.</p>

10

<p>we send a few to ives a few to top lacs and a few to other good schools that arent at that top level</p>

<p>i took nj math league and off the top of my head i can't remember my score
i was in the iron hills math competition and we won one year and came second the others
i took american math competition and got a little over 100 and qualified for aime and i dont remember my score for that</p>

11

<p>Im sorry, did you take the AIME after you qualified?</p>

12

<p>yeah i dont remember my score but i dont think it was too great i know i didnt win anything for aime</p>

13

<p>Well i mean just getting to that level is an accomplishment. In 11th grade I got a 1 or a 2 and this past year, as a senior, I got a 4. I would definitely look into that and put your score on your applications.</p>

14

<p>Congratulations on your academic achievements. You are in the running but need to stand out. I agree with above posters' advice. Your essays will be extremely important and help distinguish you as an individual. It would be important to somehow convey your passions. What most interests you? What is most important to you? Why Amherst? What would you bring to Amherst? If Amherst is your first choice, applying ED may be worthwhile as your application would get a critical and close reading. You also may want to contact the admissions office about open houses for minority students. It may help you decide whether Amherst is for you and also may help them put a face and person on the application.</p>

15

<p>blazianazn,</p>

<p>First of I am not saying he has no chance. He has a decent chance and I am not going to be surprized if he makes it considering his ethnicity. </p>

<p>Second of all it doesn't matter what school he goes to, or matters little. Why? there are two factors in admissions "academic" and "the other" academic is sat, gpa, school, ec's. "the other" is what u bring to the school what is special about you and what is outstanding about your personality. this is usually measured in the essays and sometimes ec's. Then there is the racism (Affirmative action) which plays a great role but im not gonna talk about this crap.
The applicant has pretty uch covered the "academic" and "racism" sector very well, but I don't see anything in "the other sector" which i believe carries the greatest weight in admissions to the very few top schools.
BTW, Amherst launched a program for students from low income, not for minorities, but it still counts big time</p>

16

<p>dendankin,
I'm an Amherst student, and quite frankly, I'm appalled at your negativity. One of the things that I love about Amherst is its open and loving spirit, and I can't believe that you would dampen our message board by being so blatantly negative to a fellow Amherst applicant. You personally might not think that he is Amherst material, but you're not looking at the facts. He has good stats and "racism crap" going for him. "The other" is all in his essay, which, as ejr1 pointed out, is probably the most important part of admissions. He didn't post that, so, for all you know, he has "the other."</p>

<p>I hope that if you have chosen Amherst as your school for next year, you will change your attitude because Amherst really doesn't deserve someone who cares so little for its applicants and student body.</p>

17

<p>You did make a good point that we know nothing about his essay. But ppl post here to find out what to improve. Im sick of ppl posting "hey, I have 2300 and Im a minority. I have a 4ish gpa, 4 yers varsity, any chance?" of course there is chance, only it takes more. As an Amherst student, you know a lot about the school and the adcoms, maybe instead of your tirade against me you should have helped the kid yourself.</p>

18

<p>LOving spirit? Sure, I felt that. But After I made it, not when they are rejecting more than 80 percent of brilliant applicants. some of my friends who "had it all" received rejection letters did'n weel the love and warmth. Sure thing, its life and it is how it is supposed to be.</p>

19

<p>I personally don't think Amherst is that difficult to get in as many have said. I believe that they take some very comperative students but also some not so comperative knowing that the latter will boost their registration rate. I know at least 3 kids with low stats. and no hoot got accepted by Amherst, while they were not accpeted by other schools of the same rank. One of them is Asian, ORM.</p>

20

<p>What do you mean by low stats</p>