Do I have a chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>Hi everyone!</p>

<p>I really want to get into Dartmouth next year (I'm Class of 2011 in high school now), but I'd like to hear some advice/opinions on whether I have a chance of being a future Dartmouth student. </p>

<p>I'm planning on ED-ing!
Please be honest and frank with me! Haha :)</p>

<p>International student currently studying in a private international school in Shanghai
GPA: unweighted 3.90 out of 4.0
SAT: 2130 -Math 780 CR 670 W 680
(I'm definitely retaking the SAT, it will be my 2nd time and hopefully the score will improve)</p>

<p>SAT II: Math i 770, Math ii 790, Chinese 770, US history 710
APs: USH (5), Chinese (5), Micro (5), Macro (5), Psych (5), Eng Lang (4)
School doesn't rank</p>

<p>Senior year workload: Four APs, 1 IB and Orchestra</p>

<p>ECs:
Afterschool orchestra since sophomore year (principal violist throughout)
Participated in numerous international/regional orchestra since freshmen year
Tri-M Honor Society (music and community service, got officer position for next year)
JV/Varsity Badminton for 3 years (1st in doubles for regional, JV captain this year but also got moved up to Varsity this season :))
Been in five Habitat for Humanity trips since sophomore year
Academic quiz team since freshmen </p>

<p>Award:
High Honor roll since freshmen
Academic distinction for my classes in chemistry, music, math etc..</p>

<p>I'm planning on getting recommendation letters from my counselor who I think knows me pretty well, my psychology teacher (I did really well in the class), my chemistry teacher, and maybe a supplementary rec from my music teacher who has been teaching and conducting me for several years. </p>

<p>:D AHH I can't wait for senior year to begin....</p>

2

<p>Hey there i wish you the best of luck. alright I’ll be completely honest with you. I’ve talked to my fair share of admissions officers and have a good feel for Dartmouth especially. I just was admitted ED to the Dartmouth class of 2014 and will be attending this fall. Your record is stellar, but that’s nothing new to any ivy league admissions officer. Your course rigor is obviously excellent. The grades are there and you have the great AP scores to back that up. Great extracurriculars as well. The area you do need to improve on to give you the complete resume (and trust me…you need a complete resume to get into any ivy league school) is the SAT. You should aim for a 1500 composite at the least. Writing isn’t very important to admissions. What you need to do is buy the Kaplan Critical Reading book and complete it thoroughly (no cheating) so that you can get that score above 700 AT LEAST. An 800 on math would look good too. If you get the 1500 on the SAT then your looking good.</p>

<p>Other factors that do play a role in admissions is your ethnicity, especially if your a minority. I’m assuming your Asian? I’m assuming your also not a legacy which would also help…</p>

<p>Given the information you’ve given I would say that you have a small albeit good chance of getting admitted ED, do not despair though. If Dartmouth is your number 1 school (which it should be trust me, its beautiful in Hanover), then ED is still right for you. Because it shows the committee that Dartmouth is your number 1 choice, and more than anything colleges want applicants who want their school the most. An interesting side note…400 people get admitted ED to dartmouth, about half of these admitted are athletes and legacies, then the rest are the cream of the crop candidates.</p>

<p>My estimation on your chances…I’d say there is a 1/4 to 1/5 chance you get admitted straight early decision. I’d say you have a 1/2 (50%) chance or probably even better of getting deferred and then admitted, which is a spectacular chance for any ivy league. With an application like that…i truly believe your one of the best candidates. If you get that SAT (especailly CR in the 700’s) in the 1500 range…I’d say you’re getting in (probably cream of the crop i was talking about above)</p>

<p>Best of luck, enjoy senior year.</p>

3

<p>you’re in school in Shanghai? Which international school?</p>

4

<p>If you bump up your CR and writing scores (which I’m sure you can do with some practice), I think you have a great shot.
One note I don’t think jcm touched upon - strive to write a great personal essay on your application. If English isn’t your first language, I’d highly recommend you find at least one native speaker who can read over your essay and check for silly little grammar glitches that might take away from your piece’s overall effect.</p>

<p>Good luck!!
<3 another dartmouth '14</p>