<p>So I did the Early Evaluation shindig for Wellesley, and found out that I'm a "likely" candidate. For those of you who don't know, Early Evaluation (EE) is a program where you submit your app a few weeks early and in mid-February, you receive a letter telling you whether you are likely, possibly, or unlikely going to be admitted this spring. They don't give percents for how many "likely"s are admitted, but the generally acknowledged wisdom is that if you receive a likely, you're essentially in (unless you fail all your classes or what not). After all, the "likely" letters included invitations to the Spring Open Campus, which is held after they send out official acceptances. </p>
<p>My question is this: does this likely tell me anything about where I stand with Smith? I get the feeling Wellesley and Smith are similar as far as what they're looking for in students, and I would love to know if my Wellesley "likely" translates into even the slightest heads up of what I can expect from Smith come late March! While it's a relief to know where I stand with Wellesley, Smith is by far my favorite, and it'd be even nicer to know where I stand with them.</p>
<p>It’s true that Smith and Wellesley are similar schools and they’re probably looking for similar things in terms of academic prep (most important part of your app). So it’s probably a good sign. However, it’s hard to say if it’s a lock because of other factors that can influence acceptance. Academic prep is the big thing, but there’s also a lot of little factors like geographic balance, socio-economic balance, how many spots are available and so on that affect the process, so it’s hard to know if the way one school evaluates is exactly teh way another would do it. </p>
<p>But that being said, it is a good sign. :-)</p>
<p>I think a Wellesley “likely” makes it extremely likely that you’ll be admitted to Smith. Just yesterday I finally took down the “Wellesley 2008” magnet off our refrigerator (because the “message” part was peeling off from the magnetic backing)…I have a soft spot for W because the “likely” eliminated so much stress. D’s first words were, “Oh good, I don’t have to go to <name of=”" safety=“”>." </name></p>
<p>I think with a W likely you might also be in the running for one of Smith’s awards, like STRIDE, which would give you an early tip off…I think the STRIDE letter came something like three weeks early. Likely doesn’t mean you would be but lack of Likely makes it unlikely you’d be in the running…if you can parse what I mean.</p>
<p>To be bluntly honest, I think Smith is a bit easier to get into Wellesley.</p>
<p>This isn’t to say that Wellesley is a far superior college than Smith; I think they’re both amazing schools that offer rigorous education blah blah, but Smith is a little easier on the admission part. </p>
<p>I figured that although there’s no way it could be a for sure thing, it’d at least be a good sign. So thanks for the reassurances. Although you’ve all been in my spot before, I figure it’s worth saying that even the smallest reassurances are wonderful things at this point in time. :]</p>
<p>TD–I get what you’re saying, and I hadn’t even thought of that. I would absolutely love a STRIDE, though I know it’s not terribly likely. I’ll be compulsively checking my mailbox now, praying to G-d for a letter. I’ll blame the frost bite on you!</p>
<p>I agree with Hellomancy about Smith being easier to get into that W but that also meaning nothing about respective quality. I’ll risk saying in this backwater thread that D, who was accepted to Smith, W, and Barnard, chose Smith. I think all of our family thought was a great fit and you could hear an almost audible “click” every time D visited. (Not to mention during decision period in April when she was checking out both W and Smith for the final time…it was a drizzling overnight at W and I picked her up on a drizzily morning at W…halfway to Northampton we burst out of the clouds and into blue sky and sunshine…a sign! a sign!)</p>
<p>But mulling things over after she had graduated, D said she would have done fine at W but that W would have reinforced some tendencies that don’t need reinforcing and that Smith was better for her as an all around person. Note: this would not necessarily be true of every applicant, it’s merely true of my D and when she articulated it I could see what she meant.</p>
<p>Congrats, LaMariposaAzul! I didn’t end up getting one, so what TD said was true: a Wellesley likely may indicate your in the selected group or it may not. :]</p>
<p>I got a likely letter for Wellesley, accepted to Bryn Mawr, and wait-listed at Smith. If you got a likely, clearly you are qualified. However, its clearly about more than that.</p>