How are my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Swarthmore College
1

<p>I'm applying early decision to Swarthmore....</p>

<p>I'm a white male, and I live in New Jersey.</p>

<p>My GPA is 4.0 UW, and my school doesn't weigh GPA. My school also doesn't do class ranking because it's EXTREMELY small (there are only 16 people in my grade). I am taking 5 AP classes this year, and I took 1 AP class last year. The only AP scores I have as of now are a 4 on the English Language and Composition, but the school didn't offer any other APs last year, except AP Bio.</p>

<p>My SAT is 2180 (700 CR, 750 Math, 730 W). For the SAT II's, I got a 600 in French without listening, a 760 on the Math Level 2, and a 740 on the Math Level 1.</p>

<p>My interview went FANTASTICALLY.</p>

<p>My main recommendations will probably be very good, but not stupendous. My arts recommendations (I have 2) will be stupendous. </p>

<p>I submitted a music supplement with 2 pieces that I wrote (a piano quartet and a piano duet), plus an extra funny song about why Swarthmore should accept me.</p>

<p>I think my essays were good, but it's hard to evaluate them myself. My main essay is about classical vs. rock music, and how annoying it is that society considers classical to be intellectual and rock music to be unsophisticated and shallow. In my "Why Swarthmore" essay, I talked about the other schools I was looking at before Swarthmore, and how Swarthmore is the best of those schools without any of the bad.</p>

<p>My facebook account has a lot of profane humor (I find it funny). I hope they don't check it or care that much.</p>

<p>For work experience, I got a commission to write a christmas piece of music for a chorus. I have also done music tutoring for 2 years. And I've done babysitting for the past few months.</p>

<p>For community service, I've done 210 hours volunteering at a music school, I've done 75 hours counseling mentally disabled children, and I've done 25 hours of volunteer work with the New Jersey Choral Society. </p>

<p>For sports, I did track in 9th grade, cross-country in 9nth and 10th grade, and tennis in 11th grade. </p>

<p>For music, I took piano for 9 years, composition lessons for 2 years (at Juilliard), and drums for 1 year. I also took voice lessons for one summer. I also wrote the music and lyrics to a musical comedy for Student Stage at my school, and it was performed last June. I went to a jazz camp, a 4-week long music sleepaway camp, and most recently, a 1-week sleepaway camp for Young Composers at the Cleveland Institute of Music. I also was in a chamber group at a local music school for 1 year. I played synthesizer in the school pit band for the musical. I've been in the Friday Rock Band at my school for 2 years. And I did a project this year where I worked with the lower schoolers to set some of their poems to music. And right now, I'm working on music to be played at the Blaze Halloween Festival next October. </p>

<p>For other extracurriculars, I took a course in Abnormal Psychology at Brown University this past summer.</p>

<p>I haven't really won any awards besides "Student Volunteer of the Year" at the music school I volunteer at, and one award of distinction in French. And I got a perfect score of 100 in my NYSSMA auditions.</p>

<p>So, what are my odds of getting into Swarthmore early decision?</p>

2

<p>So funny that you mentioned facebook.</p>

3

<p>bpkap:</p>

<p>I'm no expert so my opinion is worth about what you pay for it. Don't let me get your hopes up or dash them on the rocks.</p>

<p>With that caveat out of the way, I like your chances. I like your chances because you are so hard-core focused on music, with everything you do revolving around it in some way. Swarthmore wants some passionate students who go "all in" on a particular love. </p>

<p>As you probably know, the chairman of the Music Department at Swarthmore is a fairly accomplished composer. A composer freshman would be a good slot for the admissions office to fill. Your list makes it easy to picture somebody totally involved in the music scene at Swarthmore, from rock bands at Olde Club to writing the score for a musical or a piece for Orchestra 2001.</p>

<p>Totally one-sided applications that present a vivid personality or interest are often the easiest for the admissions office to wrap their arms around. Your GPA shows that you can handle the academics while pursuing your passionate interest, which is always a plus. And, you have to figure your "Admit me" song is the talk of the admissions office.</p>

<p>Good luck. I'm hoping everyone here gets in ED. Historically, the success rate of College Confidential ED applicants at Swarthmore is very high. Well over 50%.</p>

4

<p>I think it's great that you wrote a song about why they should accept you...I want to hear it now.
I agree with interesteddad said about your focus on music. I'm hoping writing can do the same for me. I envy your musical abilities. I play piano (poorly) and that's about it. (But some friends and I are writing a musical this year! I'm co-writing the script and lyrics and leaving all that composition stuff to the kids in AP Theory.)</p>

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Gosh, I hope so, 'cause I applied ED too. Good luck to everyone!</p>