Last night, I was deferred ED 1 from Hamilton College, and I’m absolutely gutted about it. I know that there’s even slimmer of a chance of me getting in during the Regular Decision round, so I basically feel that I must give up and move on at this point, unfortunately.
Hamilton is still my top choice because of their strong departments in my multiple passions- writing, government, Spanish, and music. Their emphasis on writing across all departments drew me to the school in the first place. Also, I love the lack of a core curriculum because it means that I could forge my own path and take classes with students as invested in them as I would be. I toured on a special Junior Preview Day last February, met with admissions officers at Hamilton, had an email dialogue with my region’s rep and even got him to visit my high school, and I interviewed with an alumna. I put everything into my application and essays. There’s really nothing more I could do, which saddens me.
I have a 3.8 UW GPA from a very competitive New York public high school and a 32 ACT. I have already gotten into Purchase College and Binghamton University EA.
Can anyone recommend schools that I should consider, ones that in any way resemble Hamilton, and places I could actually get into? My personal confidence has really taken a beating because of this.
My remaining list is as follows: Northeastern (EA), Franklin and Marshall (interviewed), Lafayette (legacy and interviewed), Bates (have a connection on the Board and interviewed), Brandeis, Skidmore, and Tufts (I know there’s no way in hell that I’d be accepted, but I still wanted a reach).
My D’s friend who didn’t get into Hamilton ED ended up at URichmond and is very happy. And if it helps, my D recently graduated from Lafayette and absolutely loved it.
I think you will fare fine with the ones on your list already, and it is possible that you will be accepted RD at Hamilton. Write and express your interest, add anything new that enhances your application, and request they continue to consider you seriously. While you’re wise to be thinking about other options, it’s not necessarily over for you at Hamilton.
If you want to add a couple, you have some good suggestions above.
Have you considered Oberlin? My son loved it, as well as Hamilton, and struggled deciding where to apply ed. They have a lot in common! Good luck to you. Remember, it is what you do in college, not where you go, that really matters!
I would second Oberlin. My daughter was torn between ED at Oberlin and Hamilton but ended up choosing Oberlin and is excited to be joining the class of 2021. Her focus is creative writing and they have a great program for that as well as lots of opportunities to be involved in music. They also have a great 4-1-4 schedule with Jan term classes or projects that are student driven, which allows you to be creative and build opportunities that work for your diverse interests.
Either way, you have lots of great choices. I’m a Bates alum and loved my time there too but it’s definitely less of a creative place than Oberlin (or Hamilton). My daughter and I also visited Lafayette because it was on her list. They are looking to bring in more students like you who are focused on creative pursuits but my sense was that much of the campus isn’t of that vibe - which is good and bad.