do you think this could work?!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Lafayette College
1

<p>Hey I was wondering if this looks like what Lafayette tends to like for music/anthropology or other majors: </p>

<p>*GPA: 4.09 weighted (going to rise)
3.82 unweighted (same)
*Rank: 31/317
*SAT: (they're not fair)..writing 610, crit reading 520, math 550.
*ACT: Taking it June 10th.
*9th grade i took almost all honors (I have 2 B's on my transcript and 1 b+), 10th grade i took 2 honors but got A's across the board, this year (11) i took 1 ap and 4 honors and have all A's. Next year, I am taking 4 AP's (2 AP and 2 ap weighted honors) and 1 actual honors class.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars/interesting facts:
*People to people student ambassador program (summer of 2002)
*GLSEN board member (helps teach others about diversity--only high school board member)
*junior mendelssohn choir (2 years i a row, and soon to be next year!)
*voice lessons (past 2 years)
*piano lessons (11 1/2 years)
*cantoring for my rabbi for high holidays
*jazz choir (including a performance at PNC park, Pittsburgh's baseball stadium--soon to be 2 years)
*chamber choir (most elite choir in high school-soon to be 4 years)
*County chorus
*District chorus
*I am part of the Social Action Committee at my temple (plans/puts together blood drives by red cross, meels on wheels, etc.)
*Played piano for high school orchestra in 9th grade
*Classical Singer competition
*National Honors Society
*Played piano/sung in numerous nursing homes for the past several years.
* (I might be writing for the local "free" newspaper to get experienced w/writing).
*Anime Club in 9th grade.
*Played piano @ pilgrimages @ many churches for the holidays.
*I will be doing an apprenticeship w/Pittsburgh Opera (for high school students) next year!</p>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

2

<p>Jeremybeach,</p>

<p>I see that you have posted your stats on the boards of numerous college and universities. Even though I do not entirely agree with this practice, please promise me that you will take all responses (including mine!) with a grain of salt. Very few people know what they are talking about on these message boards.</p>

<p>Before I begin, please keep in mind that I have no hand in the admissions decisions here at Lafayette. I only work in the office and see/hear what goes on. My guess as to your chance of admission is simply my opinion based on what you have presented in your post.</p>

<p>Also, I notice that you may be under the false assumption that colleges have different admissions requirements depending on an applicant’s prospective major. Please be aware that this is not so. Lafayette admissions officers look for strong students for ALL majors. They do not “tend to like” certain students for certain programs!</p>

<p>With that said...</p>

<p>Your GPA of 3.82 is just fine…it puts you square in the running! Please know that the admissions officers recalculate each applicant’s GPA according to our grading system (A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.4, B = 3.1, etc.). They do not really consider the weighted GPA since weighting systems differ dramatically by high school.</p>

<p>Your rank is excellent. It places you in the top 10% of your high school class. On our website, the class profile for the Class of 2009 states that, “Of those accepted candidates who reported a class rank, 62 percent were in the top 10th.”</p>

<p>I know that the SAT’s really aren’t fair, but they do play a part in the admissions process, nonetheless. Did you consider taking a review course (Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc.) to possibly raise your scores? The average SAT score for an incoming student is 1280 (for the old SAT…just don’t consider the writing portion!). For the Class of 2009, SAT scores of the middle 50 percent were 610-700 Critical Reading and 640-730 Math. Your scores are obviously below the 50th percentile for Lafayette students. Just be aware that, last admissions cycle, 99 student were admitted with Critical Reading scores in the 500-540 range, and 152 students were admitted with Math scores in the 550-590 range (keep overlap in mind when reading those statistics!).</p>

<p>Even though the SAT is not the only consideration, you could do many things to raise those scores quickly. The SAT is NOT a test of intelligence…it is a test of how well you take tests. Get help studying for it! You can raise your chances of admission most efficiently by improving those scores. There is still time!</p>

<p>Maybe you will fair better with the ACT. It has been shown that “artsy” students and athletes tend to perform better on the ACT than SAT. Who knows…you might fair much better on that test, so I am glad to hear you are taking it!</p>

<p>You are taking those AP courses, and that will prove crucial in your decision. Even if you do not get all “A’s” in those courses, you are showing the admissions officers that you wish to challenge yourself academically. The rigor of one’s courseload and how well one performs with that courseload is, hands down, the NUMBER ONE consideration for admission into ANY college or university.</p>

<p>The extracurriculars that really strike me are the ones relating to singing and playing the piano. The rest seem unimportant to you, and just serve to divert my attention away from your real talents. Be sure to stress all of your “musical” experiences, and downplay the “filler” in your application. </p>

<p>The essays are your opportunity to distinguish yourself from the pack, your chance to shine, and I hope you take advantage of that opportunity! The essay, more than any other part of the application, separates the "ADMITS" from the "REJECTS". The subjects of the essays doesn’t matter...what matters is how you approach those subjects. You have a great subject with all of your “musical” experiences, so take one very specific moment and expand/reflect upon it!</p>

<p>You are a very strong applicant academically (GPA, rank, transcript), but you are held back by those SAT scores. Even though they won’t keep you out of a place like Lafayette, they will definitely NOT help your case. Your extracurriculars are fine as long as you stress your musical abilities. From now on, worry about keeping your grades up and RAISING THOSE SCORES!</p>

<p>It is so hard for me to put a number on your chances of admission into Lafayette, but here is my most educated guess at this moment in time: 30%. If you were to apply Early Decision, I would say: 50-60% (no joke!).</p>

<p>This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but I try to be as honest as possible with my evaluations. There are things you can do from now until it is time to submit your application. GET TO IT!</p>

<p>I wish you the best. If I can help you with anything else, just shoot me another message.</p>

<p>J</p>

3

<p>wow, that was amazing! lol. You know what, I didn't expect to hear bad or good.<br>
If I have the bad, then I can know what my weaknesses are (which, of course, are the SAT/ACT...and unfortunately, i took the ACT's yesterday..i happen to be an "artsy" type but lol i thought it was just as hard, if not harder, than the SAT's. who knows i just might suck @ standardized tests..)
OH...I did have a tutor for 5 months for the SAT's!! And I did decent on the practice test, but when it actually came time to take the test i sort of panicked b/c i was nervous...it was MUCH worse on the ACT's..i actually felt like crying after i finished (which i barely finished) b/c the time constraints are so crazy. But, i am planning to take the sat subject tests, and hopefully i'll get 650+ on the ones that interest me (which are very few haha)</p>

<p>But, thank you so much for the analytical look into my ... presentation ?lol. I appreciate it, even if you don't work for admissions (and I don't want to ask admissions officers, b/c i'm a coward like that). oh well. </p>

<p>I was also wondering, though, if you take AP classes outside of school (b/c i just got word from my counselor they cancelled one of the ap's i was signed up for--meaning i'm only taking 1 AP), would lafayette take a look at how you did in those? even if they didn't count towards your gpa (Since they're online)? Thanks in advance!!</p>

<p>Jer</p>

4

<p>Jeremy,</p>

<p>A lot of students are just not great standardized test takers, and that is the truth of the matter. It seems that YOU are your own worst enemy when it comes to taking tests. You need to try to calm your nerves before going into the test center. Maybe you should consider taking up yoga or learn to meditate? If what you tell me is true, you just need to “get in the zone” and realize that these stupid tests aren’t the end of the world.</p>

<p>Did your tutor make you take “real” practice SAT’s with accurate time constraints? You need to make yourself believe that the practice test is the real thing. As it is right now, your scores do not accurately represent the extent of your “intelligence”.</p>

<p>The ACT didn’t go so well, huh? Again, you have got to get over your nerves if you expect to get 650+ on your SAT Subject Tests. Even if you knew everything for a particular SAT II, it wouldn’t show in your scores because you and I both know that your nerves would get the best of you.</p>

<p>Even though you should not be bothering admissions officers by asking about your chances of admission, do not EVER feel uncomfortable calling them up if you have any specific admissions questions before and after submitting an application. Don’t be a coward. Get over it!</p>

<p>If you take an online AP, all colleges will look at your final grade as long as it is in the form of an official document such as your academic transcript. You should really conclude your AP course by taking the AP test to prove to admissions officers that your course was rigorous and followed the AP curriculum. If you think you can get at least a 3, and feel adequately prepared, take the AP test for ALL of your AP classes.</p>

<p>Listen closely when I tell you this: if you are truly interesting in attending Lafayette College, make as many contacts with the school as possible. Each time you make contact, a note is made in your admissions folder because it shows interest in the college. Ways to “make a contact”: take a campus tour, attend a group information session, have an interview (either on or off campus), email your regional admissions officer with a good question, or stay overnight with a current student. A really strong applicant who does not take the time to visit the college will often be rejected because he/she did not show excitement about the prospect of attending Lafayette.</p>

<p>If you REALLY want to get in, think about applying Early Decision. By doing this, you increase your chances of admission exponentially because, if you are accepted, you MUST attend Lafayette. This looks great for our yield statistic published in the U.S. News & World Report “Guide to American Colleges” and works to increase our college’s ranking.</p>

<p>Think about what I have said in this post, and get to work. There is A LOT you could be doing to increase your chances of admission.</p>

<p>All the best,</p>

<p>J</p>

5

<p>Jeremy,</p>

<p>I forgot to add this on to my previous post, but you really should take a visit. I am sure you were planning on taking a tour around the campus in the fall, but I would just like to extend an offer to you.</p>

<p>As you might know from my previous posts, I am a tour guide. It would be an honor to give you (and your parents) a personal tour. When I get back to campus in late August, I'll send you a private message letting you know what times I am available.</p>

<p>Since you live just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, I hope this proves to be a possibility for your family. I get good vibes from your post, and believe you would benefit greatly from a one-on-one tour.</p>

<p>J</p>

6

<p>WOW~You seriously take so much time to write. THat is amazing! hehe</p>

<p>Anyways, it's not that I get nervous before the SAT's (i don't...i always think i'll be fine)...it's only when the sat proctor says "turn to section 1 and begin work"...i'm fine until i look at it and then i think to myself, "geez..i better do well...oh no don't know this (and i do)...looks like college is down the tubes." that's somewhat what i think..just a sample..many more thoughts (sometimes a little more..vulgar..than that can come through lol. ) </p>

<p>But, I really hope I can just do well on the subject tests i need to show colleges i'm not sleeping through these (Which i don't)...but my dad (great resource--not) tells me it shows a lack of commitment.oh well lol.</p>

<p>But, you know what, thank you a lot for taking the time to respond and such. </p>

<p>Woah :) that would be awesome if i could get a tour--if i coudl convince my parents to go. but the thing is, idk if lafayette is my #1 choice. i'm considering it, but i unfortunately hold other colleges a little higher...but it's just me, i have to realize my potential which may not be at any ivy lol.</p>

<p>Thanks for the great posts and well, who knows, i might just pop up at lafayette soon!</p>

<p>jer</p>

7

<p>Jeremy,</p>

<p>This past Friday, I spent 1/2 hour talking with three of the music professors at Lafayette. I was handing in my son's card expressing his interest in choral singing and they practically pounced on me wanting to know about his background in singing. They were so excited to hear about all of his vocal experience which is similar to yours. He has no plans to study music but they were enthusiastic about being able to convince him to take some theory classes in future semesters.</p>

<p>Since you are thinking about music as a possible major, I think they will be excited about your extensive music background. My suggestion to you is that you go to visit Lafayette, but before you go make appointments to meet with the new choral director (Jennifer Kelly) and some of the other faculty members in the music department. You may also want to arrange to audition (although I don't know anything about how Lafayette deals with prospective student's auditioning). If you get a good feel from your meetings with the music department ask them to contact admissions to express their interest in having you as a student. Many of the students from my son's high school choirs met with choral directors at their top choice schools even if they weren't planning on majoring in music. Even the validictorian of his class made sure to meet with the music department at his top choice Ivy. My son met with the outgoing choral director at Lafayette and on a subsequent visit he participated in a choral rehearsal. If you make your arrangements directly with the music department make sure you stop off at admissions and fill out a contact card indicating with whom you were meeting.</p>

<p>You really need to consider taking the SATs again this fall. In my son's case he went up by over 100 points (in verbal) despite the fact that he did very little to prepare over the summer, compared with his prior try when he had just finished a review class. He was actually satisfied with his first set of scores. The only reason he sat again was because he was getting much better Math scores on practice tests. He went into the test not expecting to do any better on the verbal portion but found that everything in that section came easily to him that day. You just never know what's going to happen when you sit for the SATs so its worth giving it another try.</p>

<p>I will caution you though that your music background, strong as it is, is not a sure ticket into schools where you would be at the bottom of the range for the standardized tests. Another choir member at our school (with good stats, excellent ECs but with SAT scores similar to yours) was not accepted at his top choice school despite high recommendations from that school's music department supporting his acceptance. That school was one that many Lafayette students would have considered a safety. He had participation in National, All Eastern, All State and Regional choirs to his credit (along with extensive performance experience in musical theater and choral groups).</p>

<p>Based on your other posts, you have an extensive list of schools that you are considering. You need to do a reality check. Look at the stats posted by the kids that have been accepted. Look carefully at each schools SAT/ACT ranges for kids accepted into the class of 2010. Keep in mind though that many of the students at the lower end of the range are recruited athletes, legacies and under-represented minority students. The students that we know who used their music background to boost their acceptence chances at schools such as most of those on your list, had M+V SAT scores 250 to 400 points higher than your current M+V scores. That doesn't mean you shouldn't apply to your dream schools but you really need to also apply to schools where your scores are well within the 50th percentile.</p>

8

<p>Jeremy,</p>

<p>I wholeheartedly agree with what joinville has to say. Again, I highly encourage you to visit Lafayette and meet with a few professors if possible, even if Lafayette is not your first choice school at this time.</p>

<p>J</p>