Do I even have a chance?

<p>Recently fell in love with Reed College for many reasons. The area, the community, the honor code, the students actual love for learning rather than attempting to look good on paper. Im really worried that I won't get in. 3.47 unweighted GPA. Rigorous courses, almost all the AP classes that my school offers. Alright SAT scores 2000. Didn't take the ACT or any subject tests. Only extra curricula's are sports, and jobs. Will applying early decision 2 up my chances a lot? Should I even bother?</p>

<p>The unweighted GPA is low and the SATs are roughly 40-45 percentile. You certainly have a chance if you write a killer Why Reed essay.</p>

<p>Reed is known for giving students with not that stellar scores a chance at what they have to offer. Just make you sure you convey that you really do want to go there, and yes, I’d apply ED II if I were you.</p>

<p>Speaking of ‘Why Reed’ essay, how long should it be? I know that there is no maximum or minimum amount of words, but I wonder if my ~250 words will be enough. What do you think?</p>

<p>Your GPA is on the low end but thats not the most important thing to Reed-- at all. Reed wants to see individuals who break out of the mold and have a different sort of mind. Your SATs are NOT 40-45 percentile… its 2000 out of 2400 still, right? If so, 2000 is around 90-95 percentile.</p>

<p>Apply early decision… if you haven’t visited, definitely do. 250 words is VERY VERY short for an essay… the point is to give them a better idea of who you really are and they aren’t going to get much of that in 250 words.</p>

<p>^^ Hello, Willow. Are you awake?</p>

<p>OP’s 2000 is 76 points below average at Reed. See [REED</a> COLLEGE ADMISSION STATISTICS](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ir/admission.html]REED”>Admission Statistics - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>

<p>However, OP’s grades are far below the entering class average GPA of 3.9 (or 3.85 +). In fact, OP’s 3.47 just falls in the bottom 12% as per the most recent Common Data Set (CDS) [Reed</a> College 2010-11 Common Data Set SecC](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ir/cds/cds1011/cdssecc201011.html]Reed”>Reed College 2010-11 Common Data Set SecC - Institutional Research - Reed College). Further, grades are listed as a “very important” admission factor on the CDS whereas standardized test scores are “important.”</p>

<p>OP states: “Im really worried that I won’t get in.” OP should realize that Reed is notoriously more difficult to graduate from than to be admitted to. Indeed, its graduation rates are well below that of other top LAC’s where graduation rates are over 90%. [Reed</a> Magazine | Graduation Rate Hits 70%](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/reed_magazine/march2012/articles/eliot_circular/grad_rate.html]Reed”>Graduation Rate Hits 70% | Reed Magazine)</p>

<p>ED2 is unlikely give OP any advantage. OP should explore other LAC’s like Oberlin, Grinnell, Colby, Bates, Whitman, etc., which have slightly different cultures and surroundings, as reach schools. Even, if OP were admitted to Reed, attending may not be in his/her best interest.</p>

<p>“OP should realize that Reed is notoriously more difficult to graduate from than to be admitted to.”</p>

<p>How is that measured? Percentage accepted vs. graduation percentage? Application effort vs. graduation effort? To be sure, the Reed workload is heavy.</p>

<p>“Even, if OP were admitted to Reed, attending may not be in his/her best interest.”</p>

<p>Reed won’t admit anyone who hasn’t already shown that they can handle the workload. The first question Reed asks is: Do you have the academic wherewithal to make it in this rigorous environment?</p>

<p>My daughter had several friends who transferred out of Reed.
It is a very small school, and students may decided that they ultimately want to major in something that Reed doesn’t offer. Like astrobiology.
Or they might decided that even though Reed meets 100% of need, it is still too expensive, especially if they are still looking at years of schooling.
And some also decide that they want a little more free time.</p>

<p>She also had one friend who missed her boyfriend, transferred sophomore year to the same university, but then transferred back the next year to Reed.</p>

<p>Hi, I’m applying for Early Decision I this year. I find out whether I got in or not on the 15th, so I’m slightly freaking out. Have you visited Reed and interviewed? That’s rather important to them. If you’re willing to pay the application fee and you really put as much effort as you can muster into your Why Reed essay, then absolutely apply. It’s an incredible school - so much so that I have no idea what I’m going to do if I don’t get accepted. I’ve been reading threads from people who applied years ago, and people with your grades and scores have gotten in. But you need to prove to them how much you want to be there, with a stellar essay.</p>

<p>[Reed</a> Magazine: My Essay](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/reed_magazine/autumn2006/features/my_essay/index.html]Reed”>Reed Magazine: My Essay)</p>

<p>Now, these essays are amazing. And there’s a reason that these were put on a pedestal. But while my essay was not nearly as well-written as these, I think they gave me perspective, which allowed me to tap into higher-level writing. Hopefully they do for you as well. =)</p>

<p>I hope to see you at Reed - good luck!</p>

<p>In response to the OP, I think you should “bother” applying, and I’d recommend applying ED2 if you’re able to put a solid application together by then. It would at least show that Reed is your top choice and that you are very eager to attend. Your grades and SAT scores aren’t bad enough to outright disqualify you, especially if you are taking a rigorous course load at a challenging school. Maybe you could handle Reed, maybe you couldn’t-- but instead of doubting yourself, why don’t you let the admissions committee see what they think?</p>

<p>Others are right in suggesting you focus on the Why Reed essay, because it gives you a platform to talk about how much you love Reed, what a great fit it would be, etc. and hopefully a chance to set yourself apart from other applicants. </p>

<p>Also, I’d recommend visiting and scheduling an interview and tour on campus if you can (and haven’t already), otherwise see if you can interview with an alum or admissions counselor in your area. If you know you’d be good at certain SAT subject tests, then perhaps you could try taking a few of those as well-? Though maybe the results wouldn’t be released in time… </p>

<p>This is also a good article that explains Reed’s admissions process, if you’re interested (yes I know it’s a little old but I don’t think it has changed too drastically): [Reed</a> Magazine: Many Apply. Few are Chosen. (5/5)](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/reed_magazine/spring2008/features/many_apply/5.html]Reed”>Reed Magazine: Many Apply. Few are Chosen. (5/5)) </p>

<p>Long story short, don’t give up on yourself just yet. Do whatever you can to put together the best application possible and see how the chips fall this spring. Good luck.</p>