<p>I'm curious as to some input about whether I would be a worthy candidate for Reed. I'm pretty nervous about the process and I've only just started looking into the school. It seems like it would be perfect, but I'm not sure. I'm very aware that my acceptance depends on a number of different qualifications and criteria. For the record, I haven't started my personal essay or my Why Reed essay. I'm 18, seven months out of college, and I've been seized with the motivation to get my education underway. </p>
<p>My grades in high school were actually very good for a while. I was an Honors student, and started AP classes but had to transfer to a contract school due to excessive and quite annoying illness in the middle of Sophomore year. In my junior and senior years of high school I attended a community college via a program called Running Start. I graduated with my A.A. degree (thus making me a transfer) with a 3.6 GPA.</p>
<p>To be blunt, my ECs suck. During high school, I was frequently sick and really had no time to do anything but my homework. When I got healthy, I went to college, but was also working. I've done some volunteer work, but not very much. I've never been a part of something bigger, but I'd like to. </p>
<p>The more I write this, the more discouraged I get, but I'd like to try nonetheless. I have a lot of interests and I think that Reed would be the environment in which I could not only express myself effectively, but also grow as a person. Would an extremely well-written personal statement combined with a riveting Why Reed? be enough? (Not that I'm necessarily capable of producing these things, but in an ideal world it would be cake.)</p>
<p>Thanks for your time and thought and such.</p>
<p>Dude, don’t be discouraged at all. You have an awesome story. You worked your way through community college, getting very good grades, after battling an illness. You know how many extracurriculars I had on my application last year? Zero. Yeah, I didn’t write down any. Not even any work. They accepted me because they saw that I had the most important trait of a potential reedie: a genuine love of learning. It sounds like you do too.</p>
<p>The only thing I would be concerned about is that I wouldn’t want to transfer to reed. I would want to start as a freshman to get the whole experience. good luck, whatever you decide to do</p>
<p>You should definitely give it a shot. Don’t worry so much about whether you’ll get in, just craft the best app you can, with well written essays, etc. like you mentioned. I would do an interview (on campus if possible) because then you could explain your somewhat unique situation in person.</p>
<p>I don’t think the lack of ECs would rule out admission for you. And btw the job you held during hs can be considered an EC. What do you like to do in your spare time? What sort of ECs would you do if you had the opportunity?</p>
<p>Have you contacted admissions about the situation with you getting your AA in hs? Did you simultaneously get your hs diploma? Sometimes Reed can be picky about counting college credits taken in hs towards your Reed degree (like if they counted towards your hs grad requirements). There is a chance you may still have to apply as a freshman since you haven’t formally entered college since completing hs, but you should definitely check with admissions!</p>
<p>(As a side note, have you taken the SATs or ACTs?)</p>
<p>I got a 1990 on my SATs and I did get my high school diploma and my A.A. simultaneously. Within a few months. 
I am pretty excited about applying, but I don’t know where to start.</p>
<p>Starting by calling admissions and figuring out whether you would apply as a transfer student or as a freshman.</p>
<p>I think transferring to Reed doesn’t disadvantage you in terms of getting the “full experience.” All the people I know who are transfers practically embrace the school and enjoy their time here more than some of those who have been here since freshman year.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone else too. It’s all a matter about fit and having the right reasons for wanting to go to Reed. You gotta show your passion for learning and how badly you want it! Good luck!</p>