<p>I go to one of the top HS in the nation, and we send approximately 50% of our grads to Ivy League schools, and many others go to great schools like uchicago, mit, stanford etc. My first choice is Amherst, and I’m dying to go. I would say I’m a solid academic 2, but I don’t know if that will be enough. I’m hoping my school’s reputation will help me out. Does anyone know how much amherst values the reputation of your high school? On a scale of 1-5, how important is it? My counselor’s answers to my questions leave me confused and frustrated:(</p>
<p>dear god i hope not too much because my high school sucks (we've sent one kid to one ivy in the past 4 years (upenn))</p>
<p>if they do weight it high, i can kiss my admission bye-bye</p>
<p>When looking at the list of the students admitted and matriculated I saw there were kids from all over. However, there were a few schools that had a good number, so I think it just depends. Some schools are known to all colleges, and based on their experience with them, they might tend to go for more kids there, but they also want diversity. D was the first and still only from her HS.</p>
<p>As far a HS rep goes it certainly can't hurt.
Personally, I came from a HS that had actually just been built about 5 years earlier, and I was part of the 2nd graduating class ever. What that meant for me was that my school has zero reputation, had only sent one kid to an ivy (cornell) in the class before mine (my class had one go to columbia, and the class after had one to dartmouth).</p>
<p>I think that being a really bright spot at a low rep school could be just as advantageous as a high rep school. Kind of shows how you've beaten the system, I guess.</p>
<p>"I think that being a really bright spot at a low rep school could be just as advantageous as a high rep school."</p>
<p>This was the situation with our eldest S (Amherst College '05)</p>
<p>You're talking here about a school with depth and heart, looking for the real person. I don't think anything external (top or bottom hs rep) either gets you in or keeps you out. So, if your GC's answers are confusing/frustrating to you, perhaps that's because there is no categorical answer. They're admiting the student, not the high school.</p>
<p>Good luck to all hopefuls. If you get in, you are equally worthy to another several classes full of students whom the college must decline, having fewer than 2,000 students in all 4 classes. Is it l800 these days? If so, that means just 450 frosh, with applicants from around the nation and globe. They want to admit some lower/middle-class students, too, and maintain their historic commitment to underrepresented minorities. Crikey, it's hard to get in there, but should NEVER be taken personally if you don't get in on April 1, particularly at Amherst. Best wishes and my heart is with you.</p>
<p>just some personal insight---i don't think anyone has gotten in to Amherst from my school before ( i know 1 applied last year) and we have only ever sent a few kids to Cornell, but this year my friend was accepted via Questbridge and i got an EW...so it doesn't really matter as to the reputation of your school ( i'm sure a good rep helps) , its the applicant</p>
<p>I agree with what the other people have been saying. Although I come from a fairly wealthy school, our academic reputation is less than stellar; we have had one person go to Amherst, but he has also been the only person we've sent to any school better than Rice in the past 3-4 years. Almost all the admissions reps/officers that I've talked to have told me that they don't care how strong your high school was, or necessarily how intense your high school courseload and preparation was, but rather how much you took advantage of what your school had to offer. The reputation of your high school is ultimately inconsequential, or else you'd be pretty much screwed depending on where you lived!</p>
<p>I doubt Amherst has heard of my current high school in China, even though we have the IBDP, I mean in apps my school is "uncoded high school" while lots of other Shanghai schools have codes, oh well....</p>
<p>Don't worry. There are kids who go to no-name schools who are at Amherst right now. D knew a student who went to a rural hs without any AP's and only one year of Latin, so kids had to go on-line to get second year and more. Amherst looks at your school, sees what it has to offer, and determines if you challenged yourself by taking the most difficult courses possible. But on D's student directory of her class, there were a few schools that were more heavily represented. I think that is because those schools have top reputations, and more kids apply from there than do from other schools. D is there and she came from a brand-new school, (unknown reputation) the first to apply, let alone be accepted, and no one else for 2 years. So, please don't think that your school will be the only reason you are accepted or rejected. They look at many factors.</p>