High Stats, average ecs

Colleges and Universities A-Z Swarthmore College
1

<p>Hey, a few of my friends, who apparently are too lazy to register at CC, have asked me to post their stats and chance evals. So, if you don't mind the long post, I'll do it for 3 of my friends. What all three are concerned about is their lack of committment to extracurriculars and no real hooks. They do, as I'll admit, have amazingly high stats. </p>

<p>James:Colleges: Williams (top choice), the ivies, Swarthmore
GPA 4.5
New SAT: CR. 780, Math 800, Wr 700
SAT II: Bio 800, US history 800, Math IIC 800
APs: World History 5
Awards:
National Merit Commended
RPI Computing Medal </p>

<p>EC's:
Science Olympiads: Junior Year (1 year, just joined)
Varsity Volleyball Junior year (1 year, just joined).
Spent summer of freshmen year doing camp counseling</p>

<p>Taylor: Colleges: RPI, Cal Tech, MIT, Cornell
GPA: 4.2
New SAT: CR 700, M 760, Wr 690
SAT II: IIC 800, US 800, Physics 780
APs: World History 5
Awards:
not that I know of</p>

<p>ECs:
Science Olympiads: 10th grade went to states bronze, 11th grade went to states silver, vice president.
Spent 2 weeks at RPI summer of sophomore year taking a class</p>

<p>Kyle: Colleges: All the ivies, MIT, Cal Tech
GPA: 4.5
New SAT: 800M, 750Cr, 700 Wr
SATII: World History 760, IIC 800, Chemistry 79
Awards:
Dartmouth Book Award
National Merit Semifinalist</p>

<p>Ecs:
Chem Demos club member
Boy Scouts troop leader (no idea really)
Spending this summer taking a computer class at RPI</p>

2

<p>Based on the very limited information you have provided, I would say that James has just about zero chance of being accepted to Swarthmore. His EC interests are just too shallow, to the point where I don't even see an essay topic of any merit.</p>

<p>His very high SATs and strong GPA might get him a courtesy waitlist, but I doubt it.</p>

<p>All three need to seriously broaden their college lists. It is extremely difficult to get into places like Havard, Yale, MIT, Cal Tech, Swarthmore, and Williams based on test scores alone. If anything, very high test scores combined with an uninspired total package with kill their chances at these schools, relative to an applicant with lower test scores that has shown a real spark of interest in something.</p>

<p>There are schools that focus more heavily on test scores and would be more likely to accept dull applicants with lofty scores, but the colleges you have listed aren't notably among those.</p>

3

<p>I wouldn't go such extremes. Posing other's stat can sometimes miss important small pieces of information. We don't know their personalities and we don't know what they might reveal in their essays. </p>

<p>I personally feel that although most elite colleges claim to weigh different aspects of students, score is still the fundamental knocking block.</p>

<p>They do need to show that they are unique.</p>

<p>I actually think they have a significant smaller chance at williams than at swarthmore, as williams gives more weight to sports, art, etc.</p>

4

<p>Is it possible to have significantly less than 0% chance?</p>

<p>One year of science olympiad as the only extracurricular is not going to budge the meter at Swarthmore.</p>

5

<p>Yes, the 'Why Swarthmore' essay has to be focussed and well-written for James to be considered. And the essay has to show some passion for something. Swarthmore will not admit high stat kids, just like that.</p>

<p>That explains why my son got in last year with good stats, but not top 5% of the class, great essay and some good ECs but no one this year from the same high school to Swarthmore even though they were top 1% of the class (or maybe even val/sal, I don't know) with SAT in the close to 1600 range. Swarthmore is very selective...people often forget that and they are looking for a fit in their small community.</p>

6

<p>When I think about it...my son's ECs were not spectacular either. I am sure they get a lot of kids who were editors of their school newspaper. It had to be the essays.</p>

<p>As Interesteddad's daughter's hook was community service and being very good at it, on top of being salutorian of her class.</p>

<p>The high stat kids who get rejected from Swarthmore are mostly the types that blanket the ivies and top LACs with applications without thinking about each. Then they go about scratching their heads as to why their spectacular academics did not get them in.</p>

<p>And did I mention how very grateful I still am (and my son as well) for the fact that he got in? :)</p>

7

<p>Agree with ID and achat that there are no obvious hooks in the ECs, as you've presented them. </p>

<p>However, are any of these guys interested in engineering? Looks like they might be. Swarthmore has a strong but limited engineering program that it's very committed to but doesn't have overwhelming numbers applying for. </p>

<p>I note that Kyle and Taylor both took a summer class at RPI. Was either an engineering-related class? Has either of them had a summer job in something related to engineering or gone to one of the established engineering summer camps (e.g., Michigan State)? If so, then they could put together a credible application as a would-be engineering major, which would get them into a different, much smaller pile, if nothing else. (The one problem Swat runs into and is very aware of is would-be premeds trying to pass themselves off as would-be engineers.)</p>

<p>The other key, as ID and achat, suggested is fit. The interview is very important, as is the Why Swarthmore? essay. They want students who know Swat and want it for its idiosyncracies, not despite them, and not just because of its USNews ranking.</p>