Could someone please chance me for Case?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Case Western Reserve University
1

So… I haven’t done the writing/essay portion for either the SAT or ACT, I haven’t taken any SAT subject tests, I haven’t done an interview on campus/with an alumnus, and I only have 2 teacher letters of recommendation (2 are required, but 4 are recommended). I’m planning to get a visit and interview done sometime soon, though.
I’m aware that my stats/credentials are quite lackluster, and I’m wondering if I even have a decent shot at all with Case. Would applying RD instead of EA so I can take more time to get some of the stuff I’m missing make much of a difference? The price is a big turn-off for me, which is why I took this long to start looking into these things. But I figured I’d try applying anyway, because price aside I think I’d like the school a lot, and I hear they are generous with financial aid so who knows. Thanks for reading

*Intended Major: Civil Engineering
*GPA: 3.965 unweighted, 4.50 weighted
*Class Rank: 32/522 (top 7%)
*SAT: 1460 (730 for both EBRW and Math) --> this was my second attempt. I thought I had done really well on it, but I didn’t even make 1500… don’t know if retaking would help me at this point.
*ACT: 30 (English: 35, Math: 29, Reading: 25, Science: 29) --> this was my first and only attempt, and it wasn’t a great day for me… I know that I would do better if I took it again, but I don’t know if it’s too late by now, or if it would matter all that much.
*Demographic: Chinese/Middle Eastern
*AP classes: AP Calc BC (5), AP Chem (4), AP Stats, AP Physics C: Mech, AP Psych, AP Comp Govt & Politics
*DE classes: Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, College Comp I, College Comp II
*Activities/Clubs: Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society), National Art Honor Society, UNICEF Club - Senior Class Representative, Math Club - currently running for an officer position & results will be out soon, peer tutoring in Chemistry and Mathematics for 2 years, part-time job as a cashier
*Honors/Awards: Honor Roll grades 9, 10, 11 (so far); Mu Alpha Theta; National Art Honor Society; Painting Departmental Award; English Departmental Award (my school has these annual “academic awards” where teachers can select students for awards if they’ve stood out in certain classes… not a big deal but I figured I might as well put them on here)
*Other:
-I participated in a state science fair freshman year and entered into the Congressional Art Competition for two years in a row, but I didn’t win anything so I don’t have them anywhere on the application (should I?).
-I’ve also done some art-related volunteer stuff, but it’s a collection of a few one- or two-time things that were all through NAHS, and I don’t really know where to list them on the app, so they’re not there.
-And should I add Spanish to the “languages” section of the app if I took 3 years of honors Spanish classes? I’m decent with the basics and a bit of intermediate stuff but I don’t know if that’s enough to include it on the app. Only asking because a friend of mine did so and I’m wondering what others think about it.

2

You look competitive to me…But the line between wait list and accepted is very thin…so make sure you “show interest” by doing some of the things described here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/2014835-how-to-show-interest-in-cwru-2017-2018-edition.html

3

@bopper Thanks, I’ve scheduled a visit and interview… fingers crossed, I guess :slight_smile:

4

I agree with Bopper. I think you have a great chance. I am glad you have scheduled an interview. That was a very valuable experience for my daughter when she was in the process of applying to CWRU.

5

@minty0 Don’t even stress about getting into Case. Focus your time and efforts on your dream schools. You have an 89-90% chance of getting in. Case isn’t too hard of a school to get into.

6

^ Not true. Saying that CWRU is “not too hard to get into” is very misleading; according to the most recent Common Data Set, CWRU had a 35% admissions rate, which means that about 2 out of 3 applicants didn’t get in – so admission is a bit harder than this poster suggests.

7

A 35% acceptance rate looks deceiving by itself without any context. An x% acceptance rate does not mean anyone has a x% chance of getting in. Obviously, applicants with higher GPA and test scores who have won awards and participate in meaningful extracurricular have higher chances of being accepted. In this case, I think you have a good chance of getting in because your scores are above or within the high middle 50%, and I know of many with similar scores and extracurricular get in easily.
Most students who apply to schools today especially at Ivies are mainly crapshoots with very little chances of getting in. I’m sure that was true for Case since it offered a free application. Many students I know, especially internationals, would not have applied to Case had it not provided a no fee, hassle free application.

8

I do alumni interviews and see many talented students. They all have good GPAs/SATs and are taking advanced classes. They do not all get into Case. You can see for yourself when you look at the RD results here on CC. 90% of the students do not get in.