<p>Thanks Switch7! I think Bennington takes a lot of time with each application, so don't worry. </p>
<p>My basic Stats--</p>
<p>~GPA - 3.3 (top 10% of class)
~ACT - 31
~Intended Major - Double Psych (Forensic) and Music (or possibly Theatre, Pre-Law, or Lit, depending on which school I choose)
~EC - Theatre, Music (viola), youth Artistic Board for a Teen Shakespeare Company, USB (Top School Gov't cabinet), Art Editor for our school Lit mag, Newspaper staff (photographer/writer), Speech and Debate team, French Club, Latin club, Honors Program, NFL.....
~APs- School just started this year, so I have English Lit and Comp and Bio2 and the rest are considered Honors level, but our school does not weight
~Ohio Grad Tests -- Perfect Reading, Highest End Adv all others
~PSEO (sort of like Dual Enrollment) - Take classes at a local college and receive college and HS credit so have 60 quarter credit hours at Sinclair College, in addition to HS credits
~Essays -- I think they were good, but wish I had chosen a different topic for 1
~Recs-- All really good
~Work and Volunteer Experience
~Other Apps -- Tulane (accepted); Wooster (accepted); St. John's (rejected); Bryn Mawr (Waitlisted); Wells (accepted); Agnes Scott (accepted); Smith / MtH / Wellseley (all rejected); Kenyon (waitlisted); Tiffin (accepted); a couple local Ohio
~Aid Pkg - Really good (our OOP will be around $14k), but my dad lost his job since we applied and we have to determine if we can truly afford it</p>
<p>any international received any decision so far!??</p>
<p>i havn't so far....</p>
<p>Student234:</p>
<p>Accepted with:</p>
<p>GPA: 3.4, but about 4.0 the past two years
EC: (This year) editor of newspaper, 2nd year editor and founder of literary magazine, community theatre, marine science club,pres. student body. (Last year) copy editor of newspaper, editor/founder lit. mag, VP junior class, community theatre.
AP: Enlish Lit, Lang, Economics (small school, not many AP's) plus several honors courses throughout the years. I also am doing this really awesome independent writing study with a published author at my school this year.
Intended Major: Creative Writing/Literature, perhaps a minor in French or theatre.
Other schools: Hampshire (accepted with virtually same FinAid ... a lot), Sarah Lawrence (waitlisted :(...), FSU and UWF.
Essays: I was pretty proud of them. I spent a lot of time.
Recs: Fantastic. My favorite part of the application haha.</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck. Just have fun with the application.</p>
<p>My S really wants to go to Bennington. His grades are not stellar - had an ugly Freshman year, though B plus student since. He is into acting. He is attending a pre-college theater program this summer and his acting coach teaches the Meisner technique. He is a very interesting kid - nationally ranked fencer, star football player until serious head injury, turned artsy-actor.
Does he have a shot if he applied ED and has a good interview? Might the fact that he is a 'he' also help? He would probably get into a decent BFA program, but Bennington - culture, politics, size, veganistic - is an excellent fit.</p>
<p>I don't think his freshman year will really hurt him, as long as he has been doing pretty well ever since. Bennington is not obsessed with grades, they are more interested in a good fit. He does sound like an interesting kid, and a good interview will definitely help. Also I think that both an Early Decision application (they want kids that really want to be there) and being a 'he' will be helpful. Good luck!</p>
<p>I had a really tough freshman year which carried into my sophomore year, but was in the honors program and kept my ECs really varied and participated fully. I also took 3 or 4 college classes a year since my freshman year (at one of the local colleges here), so I think that helped a lot. </p>
<p>I started theatre very young and that, I have no doubt, helped all my admissions issues. I did a certificate, pre professional theatre conservatory program when I was 12 - 14 and I KNOW that played into my acceptance. My mom has a theatre company and is a stage director and actor's coach so I had a lot of support (though my major will probably be Forensic Psych or pre-law!) My mom also works with several BFA conservatory programs and says they look for clear acting and personality strength -- something special about their stage performance-- in addition to what is required for admission to the university or college in question.</p>
<p>Best of luck for your son -- he seems really well rounded and an individual and that is exactly what Bennington seems to look for!</p>