College Chances? Please help!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi all, I am a junior and I just started college seminar at my school. I have composed a list of places where I want to apply, but I am quite worried that they are out of my reach... I have strong EC's but my freshman year grades weren't that great, as I had about a 90% Average. I have had an upward trend since then, though. Last year my average was a 94% and this year it is a 97%. I hope to go PreMed, but I don't know what I want to major in yet. Maybe a major in a science and then a double minor in a liberal art and a language.</p>

<p>My school offered 2 Honors classes freshman year in math and science that I did not place into. However, I was ahead of my year in spanish. Sophomore year was the same deal, but my grades were better. For Junior Year, I signed up for every one I could take. Will my first 2 years hurt me a lot?</p>

<p>Please let me know what is in my reach, as I don't really know where I stand amongst other students in the admissions process. </p>

<p>Freshman Year - 3.5 GPA
Biology
Algebra 1
World Literature
World Cultures
Spanish 2
Art 1
Introduction to Scriptures</p>

<p>Sophomore Year - 4.0 GPA
Chemistry
British Literature
Geometry
Modern European History
Spanish 3
Swing Choir</p>

<p>Junior Year - 4.0 GPA
AP Chemistry
Algebra II
Honors US History
Honors Literature
Spanish 4
AP Psychology
Ethics</p>

<p>EC's
Class President - Sophomore and Junior years
Bell Choir - All years
Costumes for the School play - Junior Year
Small part in a school play - Sophomore year
Speech Team - Sophomore, Junior, and senior years
Tennis Team - all years
Slam Poetry Team - All four years
Piano Lessons - Seven Years
Cello Lessons - 2 years
String Ensemble - 2 Years
Chemistry Field Day team - Sophomore and Junior years
Young Medicine Club - Founder and President
Cinema Club - President Junior Year
Art Club - Sophomore year</p>

<p>Standardized tests - I haven't taken these yet, but here are my goal scores.
SAT - 2200
800 W
700 CR
700 M</p>

<p>ACT - 33</p>

<p>last but not least, here is the list that I am thinking of applying to.</p>

<ul>
<li>Santa Clara - Early Action</li>
<li>Pepperdine</li>
<li>Wake Forest</li>
<li>Boston College - Early Action</li>
<li>University of Richmond</li>
<li>Notre Dame - Early Action</li>
<li>Elon </li>
<li>Cornell </li>
<li>Dartmouth</li>
<li>Stanford</li>
</ul>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Pepperdine and Santa Clara have very different “vibes” and I doubt you could be happy at one and the other (Pepperdine is an excellent school but it’s also evangelical Christian with compulsory chapel and bible study; I see you took Scriptures as a class so it may be exactly what you’re looking for, but I want to mention it in case you didn’t know.) In the same way I wouldn’t imagine you’d be comfortable both at Pepperdine (which is at least nominally dry) and Dartmouth (which most evidently isn’t dry). </p>

<p>I suggest you buy (or borrow from your library) the Fiske Guide, or The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges or Insider’s Guide to the colleges, and start reading.</p>

<p>What’s in-state for you? You should apply to 1-2 public, in-state school, including one you’re sure you can get into.</p>

<p>How much can your parents afford? Have you talked about it? Have you run some net price calculators and seen how much they’ll be expected to pay? Are they willing to pay that much or will you need to apply for some merit scholarships?</p>

<p>Without exact scores, it’s very hard for us to give you good advice.</p>

<p>Which do YOU see as your reaches, matches, and safeties?</p>

<p>Be aware that W800 is almost impossible and can"t be “predicted” due to the impredictibility of the essay. Many, many students think they can get 2100 and end up with 1700. Did you take the PSAT? PLAN?</p>

3

<p>I definitely got a better vibe from Pepperdine, but Santa Clara seems like a wonderful safety school. I loved the campus and they offer a lot of great programs. I have toured several schools in state and I wasn’t too keen on them, but I will still apply. </p>

<p>My parents can afford to pay for college but I really would like a scholarship since I will have to pay for any education beyond college. </p>

<p>I actually have taken practice tests before and I got a 780 on my writing score, and with a little more studying, I definitely think that an 800 is possible. My essays always score 11’s or 12’s so I think that I will be able to pull off at least high 700 score when I actually take it.</p>

4

<ul>
<li>Santa Clara - Early Action- Likely</li>
<li>Pepperdine-Likely</li>
<li>Wake Forest-Match</li>
<li>Boston College - Early Action- Low Match</li>
<li>University of Richmond Likely. but depends on essays</li>
<li>Notre Dame - Early Action-High match, but match if you have good essays</li>
<li>Elon Really likely</li>
<li>Cornell High Match</li>
<li>Dartmouth and Stanford High Reach, but they’re reaches for everyone. If you write unique essays, then maybe you’ll get in. The college admissions process is so unpredictable, so you never really know.</li>
</ul>

5

<p>If you like Pepperdine, look into Wheaton (IL) and Calvin, some of the two best evangelical colleges out there. Add Georgetown to BC and ND.
However if you like Pepperdine I’m not sure you’ll like Dartmouth. It’s just so, so different in atmosphere and students that each attracts…</p>

<p>Okay if your target scores are based on practice tests.</p>

<p>You could include McKenna.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the recommendations! Yeah I’m not really sure what I want in terms of night-life. I would prefer more of a balance, which definitely puts me on guard for both Pepperdine and Dartmouth. Also, I wasn’t originally looking for a school with a huge Christian presence, but I really did like Pepperdine. But, I will definitely check out the schools you recommended. Thanks for the help!</p>

7

<p>pepperdine match
cornell low reach
dartmouth reach
wake forest low reach
notre dame safety
stanford high reach</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1605147-chance-my-cousin-please-i-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1605147-chance-my-cousin-please-i-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>If you’re not looking for a strong Christian presence but also specific rules (parietals, for instance: dorms are female or male and others can’t visit you except in specific circumstances/at specific times, like in boarding school or even stricter than there - depending on the boarding school :slight_smile: ) then you may be better off in other schools than Pepperdine and Notre Dame, and forget Wheaton and Calvin.</p>

9

<p>Peperdine sounds like your best chance</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1609452-uga.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1609452-uga.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;