Early Evaluation Chances (update)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Wellesley College
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<p>I'm applying early action to Wellesley. I haven't visited the Wellesley campus either because of extenuating circumstances, but I have practically everything available online and on the brochure.</p>

<p>SAT I: 650 M 700 V 610 W (these are my December SAT scores)
SAT II: 460 Spanish. 530 Literature. 620 Math IC</p>

<p>GPA: 4.3 weighted (upward trend in grades from 9-11th grade)
AP Psychology: 4</p>

<p>Senior Courses:
AP English
AP Spanish
AP Government
H. Physics
H. Research
Calculus
Religion 12</p>

<p>My first language is Korean. I'm a US citizen. I live with a pastor's family, and my family lives in S.Korea. I've transferred highschools 3 times.</p>

<p>I'm the president of my Spanish club. I started a club called Babel Tower (mulicultural awareness club). I'm not an NHS member because I haven't been at any of my highschools long enough.</p>

<p>I play in the Greater Miami Youth Orchestra (first violing - kind of the typical asian thing to do, I know)</p>

<p>I tutor ESL students the pastor recommends me. (Korean-English, usually)
I volunteer at this Hispanic organization called Su Casa.</p>

<p>I am not involved in any sports because I don't have transportation after school.</p>

2

<p>Why are there no posts? Please anyone! Give me some feedback~</p>

3

<p>I got in with higher scores but lower gpa. The satII are low. I think these things are obvious and you don't need me telling you. I think as of now you need a stellar essay and a good resume if you need one. Interview wouldn't hurt to personally explain your circumstances. I didn't apply for NHS because NHS is a useless and purposeless club at my school.</p>

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<p>As people've already told you, it's the sat iis that are your real weakness--but all the same, your grades are excellent and should do much to mitigate that, especially since you've taken such tough courses.</p>

5

<p>I would not be optimistic. Contemplate this: if an applicant has similar grades but better scores, who do you think the Board of Admissions will take?</p>

<p>You may need an absolutely killer essay. I doubt you'll get a "Likely" EE letter. Hope for a "Possible" and then admittance when crunch time comes.</p>

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<p>Thank you for posting. Yes, I absolutely lament my SAT II scores. My SAT I's aren't impresive either. I didn't take the right course track when I first immigrated here. I didn't take AP US history, for example. I could've gotten a high score on the sat ii for that. I am certainly not optimistic for a likely. Although I am a bit hopeful. I am not certain on what a killer essay entails. All of the applicants for Wellesley write killer essays I'm sure. I don't know how I can make mine more unique. I will send a cover letter concerning my immigration. (I'm pretty sure that's overused also). I'm really frustrated as to how I can stand out among so many qualified applicants. Especially in the early evaluation pool, as is everyone I guess.</p>

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<p>Also...concerning my sat i scores. :( umm...my lowest verbal score was 470 at first. I don't know how that jumped to 700. They do see all the scores, don't they? I'm afraid they'll think that 700 was a fluke.</p>

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<p>TD, is there any particular reason to be discouraging in this case? Though she doesn't have the <em>best</em> chance, she has a chance, and a good one at that.</p>

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<p>They do look at your best scores. They won't see a 700 as a fluke, they should be impressed with the improvement. They see all of your scores, but only consider the highest scores from each subject.</p>

10

<p>So I guess it all comes down to the essay, huh? Can you tell me what a "killer essay" entails? I've looked at the online Wellesley essay samples. Would they consider those essays "killer"?</p>

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<p>sry this is the site i found the killer essay
<a href="http://www.quintcareers.com/collegegate9.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.quintcareers.com/collegegate9.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Also, should I write an eloquent essay due to the unpretty 610w? I want to prove I can write a mean essay...or is it better to write simply to get my points across? afterall they read hundreds of essays everyday. Doubtless, they'll be tired of applicants writing overly primped up essays.</p>

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<p>Rhea, this is my fourth cycle on CC of watching applications, deferrals, denials, etc. </p>

<p>If you go back through the archives, look at What Are My Chances (ugh!) or individual schools for queries and then look at actual results, you will see that as an overall pattern, students are waaaaay too optimistic about their peers' chances. </p>

<p>H20, the best essay is the one that conveys you as a real, breathing person, who you really are. So many essays, understandably, fall into a formal facade designed to impress an admissions committee. It's almost Zen: impress the admissions committee without trying to impress them. I do recommend Harry Bauld's book about college application essays...it at least makes you aware of a number of the common traps in selection of topic. A lot of the other books out there are rubbish.</p>

<p>At many colleges they won't see anything but your top scores: some clerk is inputting them into an easy-to-read form for fast review by admissions officers. They'll notice the improvement only if for some reason they start digging into the file. If you read some of the anecdotal reporting in places like THE GATEKEEPERS, corroborated by other testimony, the average admissions file gets about 15-30 minutes of attention. A lot of <em>that</em> is spent in close reading of the essay, the recs, the narrative parts of an application. They're reducing you to a number, a Yes/No/Maybe, as quickly as possible, with notes to bring up when your file is discussed in committee, assuming it's neither an Auto Admit or Auto Deny.</p>

<p>The one good thing in <em>this</em> particular case is that, imo, Wellesley has one of the most humane, thoughtful admissions groups around. (Stanford is another.) They realize it's stress, they do their damnedest to treat you as a human being, and their Early Evaluation process is something I wish more colleges would emulate...it's fair to the student, if brutal when you get an Unlikely or even a Possible (about a 1/3 chance, if I recall correctly).</p>

<p>Last of all...good luck.</p>

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<p>15-30 minutes??? That's understandable, but still quite short. Yes, I adore Wellesley for their "humane admissions process". So if brutal 1/3 chance you say? I truly hope so. </p>

<p>I can portray the real me in a pretty essay and simple essay. I'm just not sure which one they'll prefer. My natural voice is one that's more solemn. I wonder if they'd think me dull if I wrote like the real me. </p>

<p>I'm writing a 4-5 page coverletter on my educational career because I believe it's quite unusual. They could never know what kind a person I without this supplement. Do you think they'd read it?</p>

<p>Also, thanks TD. You've comments have been very informative on all the posts you've put up so far.</p>

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<p>Is Wellesley your first choice?
Because the college is probably not the best fit for you.
If however, Wellesley is your dream school, then by all means, good luck, I suppose.
I have to say I agree with TheDad though. I wouldn't be optimistic either. As others have pointed out, your standardized testing scores truly need to be higher. Also, your ECs are probably lacking as well. Finally, if you can,... make sure your essays are good, and be sure to research other schools, too.
Again, Wellesley is probably not your best bet. Don't lose all hope though... college admissions nowadays is certainly not the most predictable institution.</p>

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<p>Is it truly because of my sat ii scores? I have other ECs I haven't named. But as mentioned before, my ECs are limited because I don't have transportation. Yes, I've started a couple clubs, like everyone else has. But I also have about 200 community service hours. I know that's not nearly as impressive as the 1000 cs hours that cc'ers have but it's better than the minimum. I've been through a lot my 3.5 years in America, and I'm extremely determined to get the best education possible. I believe Wellesley can provide me the best education. So obviously, my first choice is Wellesley. I really wasn't aware how crucial standardized test scores are in the admissions process. I'm REALLY hoping my cover letter and essay will pull it through. I'm apologize if I sound like I'm complaining about my circumstances. It's just that I'm very tired at this point.
After Wellesley, my second choice is NYU. Any thoughts on that?</p>

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<p>Alright, even if each of your SAT Subject Tests were 100 points higher, they would still be weak... yes, including that math one, because a decent score for the Math IIC (or for a math ap exam) would help you have a solid fighting chance.
But to put aside the standardized testing, let's talk ECs. First, it's not about the number, it's about the depth. Yes, you're the head of a couple clubs - okay, but do these activities truly demand time, commitment, and leadership on a weekly or even daily basis? Plus, are any of these ECs things you've done for say three or four years now? I know you've switched high schools, but you mentioned viola... How long have you been playing? Are you the first chair of the highest group of that youth orchestra? (I ask this because my local youth symphony has several groups. In other words, it's no big deal if one is the first chair of the lowest-level group.) Have you participated in competitions? Won any awards for viola? Oh by the way, submitting a tape of your playing to Wellesley would help if you're good.
Also, cs hours / work experience such as your tutoring are good to have but it's practically a must-have when applying to the most selective colleges these days. I really don't mean to be cynical or anything at all, but I really think that's true. But you have it, so not bad there :) On a similar note, your grades appear to be fine as well...
Anyways, I don't think a cover letter is necessary. Just have your counselor explain it in his/her recommendation. Finally, I don't know about NYU chances because it wasn't a school I considered. I do know that it's not easy to get into, and I know that it is a VERY different school from Wellesley... but you probably already knew that.
Sorry about the long post and good luck with applications.</p>

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<p>H20, why NYU as your second choice? It's <em>completely</em> unlike Wellesley, in almost every way imaginable. I have a hard time coming up with parameters of "fit" for you that would include both schools.</p>

<p>Fwiw, I wouldn't be much more optimistic about NYU as they have become a "hot" school as some of the other, more highly ranked schools, have become ridiculous in terms of chances for admission.</p>

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<p>If you'd like, I can send you my resume jje06. </p>

<p>Yes, my ECs take up a considerable amount of time. The activities I've listed on this board aren't everything there is. I've been commited to 4 of my ECs more than 4 yrs. Everytime I transferred I made sure to create the same clubs I created at my previous schools. No matter how corny this sounds, they are a big part of me. My tutoring Korean and Hispanic immigrants really is from the heart. After all, I am one also. </p>

<p>I played the violin for over a decade. I'm first violin for the Greater Miami Symphony Orchestra (I know this isn't much since many asians play the violin or piano). No, I haven't won any awards because I did not have transportation for tournaments. Btwn, I have to walk a few miles to get to orchestra practice.</p>

<p>I completely agree w/ your comments on my standardized test results though. I really can't do anything about that. I just hope the admin officers would put more emphasis on my gpa. </p>

<p>I am aware that Wellesley and NYU have completely different characteristics. If you're talking in terms of atmosphere, I can survive in both because I've had experience in both. I've learned with classes as small as 4 and classes as large as 45. From what I heard, Wellesley and NYU both have great international relations programs, which is what I want to major in. I love both suburbal and urbal atmospheres. I know teacher-student relationships are quite impersonal in NYU, but I can survive with that. Having stayed in a public school with more than 2000 students in one grade taught me well. On the flip side, having learned in a private school helps me realize how valuable it is to have a passionate, supportive teacher. </p>

<p>There are many applicants who are considering both Wellesley and NYU. I don't see how both can't "fit" to me. </p>

<p>jie06 please don't apologize for putting up a long post. I really do appreciate it. </p>

<p>Happy New Years everybody. </p>

<p>I am not optimistic about my chances for NYU either, I assure you. I know my standardized testing fits within the average, and my gpa is a little above average, but I know the number of applicants for NYU are HUGE. But I was wondering if the other factors on my application (ie: second language eng, living apart from parents, 2/3s life in Korea) would help me stand out.</p>

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<p>No, that's okay- I don't need to see your resume... Anything I say or predict really won't have any effect on the admissions' final decision. Happy New Year's</p>

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<p>Ok thanks :) </p>

<p>I spend way too much time on cc. i should be revising my essays.</p>