Dartmouth Early Decision Chances???

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
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<p>Hi, I'm applying to Dartmouth Early Decision. Any idea what my chances might be?</p>

<p>I go to a well known high school in Philadelphia and I commute from New Jersey every day.
GPA = 3.9 unweighted in mostly honors and AP classes (7 courses a semester)
SAT = 800 math, 700 reading, 720 writing
SAT II = 770 Math II, 680 US History</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
I play 7 instruments and take both jazz and classical lessons. I have been in multiple jazz bands and tutored my deaf peer in music theory class.</p>

<p>Rowing - on the top lightweight boat at a school with a well known rowing program (won nationals last year, 4th at Henley). The former Dartmouth Frosh Coach went to my school. He already put my transcripts through addmissions, but no longer coaches at Dartmouth. I trained with a national team rower this summer. I have won medals on the local and national levels, and got the coach's award last year.</p>

<p>Lacrosse - Freshman/JV/Tristate select team</p>

<p>Football - Frosh</p>

<p>Cross Country - JV</p>

<p>Service - Went on a service trip to the Mexico/New Mexico border, habitat for humanity, Safe Ride (a student established/run organization that drives students home when they feel that they are not in a good state to do it themselves), and various other things/races done with my crew team</p>

<p>Work - worked at a surf shop freshman year</p>

<p>I took a Neuroscience course this summer at Emory, and I'm taking AP Biology this year...</p>

<p>Honors/Awards:
Academic 1st honors
Honor Roll
National Honor Society
Gold medal - National Latin Exam
AP Scholar
Honors Jazz Band
(various sports medals and coach's award)</p>

<p>I'm spending a lot of time on my essay (it's about a friendship that fell apart but that I still think of fondly...)</p>

<p>My guidance counselor and 2 teacher recs will all be superb. My Peer evaluation I hope will also be great.</p>

<p>Again, Early Decision but not a recruited athlete or legacy.
Chances?????? thanks</p>

2

<p>Sounds great! (but what do I know. I am Swedish and I have only been interesting in going to college for a month or so). I will apply next year. I will probably have a better GPA (hopefully 4.0) but my SAT practice tests are not going very smoothly :(</p>

<p>I like your honors and awards, but the topic of your essay is maybe not the best. I have heard that you should write about something that keeps you motivated and gets you going :P</p>

<p>Still sounds as you have great chances of getting in, but who knows what can happen?</p>

<p>ps. I play jazz on my tenor saxophone! What is your main instrument?</p>

3

<p>My main instrument is the piano. My essay does do just that (keep me motivated). I feel that it is just important to stay possitive in the conclusion. Thanks!</p>

4

<p>somebody please help?</p>

5

<p>the instruments are cool but ur standardized testing is low</p>

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<p>Have you contacted the current coach? Looks like you would have a good shot if recruited. Scores being the weakness but nothing rowing for them won’t get them to overlook.</p>

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<p>I have contacted the coach. I am not being recruited, but he said that he does have me on a list of special interest candidates. Does that help?</p>

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<p>I really don’t understand all the hubbub with test scores. You know how many questions you probably answered incorrectly on the test? Probably 10. Is a person who answered 5 more questions correctly on the same test really that much smarter than you? I mean, how much smarter is a kid who scores a 2300 than a kid who gets a 2200 or a 2100. SATs are only used as a check. Schools want to make sure that you are able to handle the course load of the college (they don’t want to accept people who are going to fail out). Obviously, if you are scoring higher than 50% of the people at Dartmouth, then you are academically qualified for their school. Officers will probably spend about 30 seconds looking at your scores before moving on to the next thing.</p>

<p>An admissions officer told me that Dartmouth doesn’t accept people because they are great students, they accept kids because they’ll add something to the class. They routinely reject people with high stats for people who would add things to the college.
So what do you add, who are you as a person? What makes you different? Use your application to state a case for yourself. Give them reasons to accept you.</p>

<p>I think your test scores are fine. I don’t see why it would get you rejected anywhere.
Are you really good at music (like conservatory level?) That is something I would play up, especially if it’s a passion.</p>

<p>BUT, what do I know?
Maybe the admissions officer lied and they really don’t care about having a class that fits. Maybe Dartmouth is only after accepting people with 2350+ so they can raise the ranks of their school.</p>

<p>I’m just a high school senior applying to colleges like you are, I guess you can take my advice/rant with a grain of salt.</p>

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<p>xdancingatdiscos is right, your testing is definitely not weak. It’s more on the low-side, but you past the mark that Dartmouth cares about. Anything more would look better, but really wouldn’t be beneficial. I think your ECs are excellent, and you should have a great shot. Not having any musical awards did surprise me, however.</p>

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<p>thanks a lot. That is what I’ve been thinking – Is a 2220 really that low? I don’t think so. As for the music, I don’t have any formal awards. I was the pianist in the Honors Jazz Band (a position that required an audition) and I interned at a local recording studio. Other than that, i don’t know. I’ve played in up to three bands at a time. I’m wrote my extracurricular essay about music, so hopefully addmission will understand how important it is to me.</p>

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<p>A 2220 is fine… it’s what I have! </p>

<p>I’m applying ED as well; wish you the best of luck!</p>

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<p>2220 is 4 pts above median score for admitted students…but this median for the whole applicant admit pool can make one overly confident as its including legacies
(12-14?), recruited athletes (10?), URMs(19?) which totals about 42% of Dartmouth freshman admits. With a relatively small entry class the median could be 50 to 60 points higher median (2280) for non-hooked vs, hooked (2160?). Just a total guess nut a warning on than overall median SAT.
But hey----SATs are not your whole story right? Also did you notice they like to post the median and midpoint for all accepted students overall as its higher but of corse many RD kids run off to “greener” pastures as ED kids know where they want to go. </p>

<p>IMHO where people do righteous things (?) that ought to make a solidly committed ED applicant’s 2220 look like at least a 2270 for being savvy enough to pick the best school no? I do not think anyone applies ED with idea of, well then at least I am sure I got into one great school. Too many variables for that crap shoot unless its an impulsive or emotional decision, <em>or</em> one based on solid convictions, visits, research that you really want to go to Dartmouth.
And if I recall you are the guy who is a lock as you have the insanely great resome on every other part of app??? Alas mister short term memory (me) just reads the last post-anyway and works up a lather-lol-hope the general thoughts were helpful to someone.
wlm-nomore</p>

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<p>I give you a 38% chance-not bad right. But I am no handicapper but I think you have some things going for you even if your not recruited Your knowing the crew coach is a help, you say you are not recruited yet your crew one state title so you are an athlete? Did you put in a special indication of being an athlete? They know anyway so its a plus just not sure how much of one. You must at least be 'desirable" as they can’t fill every team with full recruits can they?
I think your APs and GPA look good, SAT as you said could be better for non-hooked its maybe 50 pts. low, the SATII also could have helped if you took one more and got a 760 on both highest 2 scores you would have had a 76 for that number in your AI instead of a (770+680=1450/2*10=72.5, The goal is all your AI numbers should be 75s and up as non-hooked (or hooked for that matter, nobody wants to come in weak). So a 2250 ST would have got you 75 for SAT number 2220 gets you 74 (see not such a big difference when its scaled down but decisions can come to single points SOMETIMES! Usually the overall admit folder would decide not the one point. So you have a 146.5 going in waiting to add your CRS. If your GPA is not weighted hope they weight it as if it weights to 4.2 or 4.3 which it easily should with all the APs your CRS your HS if it does NOT report rank could land you a 78 to 80 giving you an Ai of 222.5to 226.5 which I think in Dartmouth is a 6 or 50% admit. BUT! If they do rank, it will be may be harder but guessing if you aced most of the APs you may be in top 5 or so (really important if they rank to grab that it could help you know much better your chances), so it could be say 74 which would give you AI of 220.5 which I think is a high 5 or low 6-anything that makes 6 is what you want as in general the admit rate is around 50 percent. w/o the full info I stil think it was smart to apply ED and that extra 3 percent for non-hooked might just get you over the hump as you seem like a pretty solid admit near a 6 but not sure on your ECs 100 percent…mostly looks like 40-50 percnt shot-I hope. Good luck sjp-sorry to chime in late and maybe confuse you more. If you get deferred retake your SAT 2s and try to nail both of them and think (only think) about taking your SAT1 as you can easily get the writing up 50 tp 60 points with study–the reading not as easy but worth a shot. wlm-nomore</p>

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<p>rejected 10 char</p>