<p>I am a junior in western newyork. I want to visit smith, becuause i love it, but i dont think i could get it. I have about a 3.5, a job, volunteer, very involved in school (positions/clubs). A am in a few advanced classes. This year im talking my first/olny ap us. this is my third year of math, english, science and history. I plan on taking four. I have 1 year of spanish and droped out the next year, i plan on taking my second next year. I go to a very hard school. I know i am average, but i have a life, i am not a brainiach. A just ttook the psat so i dont know what ill have. All i want to hear is that i cant get in and they don take chances on people more than imperfect. Or that i have a small chnace, and what i could do to imporve them.</p>
<p>????</p>
<p>I don't know what you're hearing from whom, Whitney, but you're wrong about Smith not taking people who aren't perfect. A 3.5, particularly from a tough high school, is fine.</p>
<p>More to the point, Smith admissions very much uses a "total picture" approach.</p>
<p>I'm not admissions, but I'd say you have a chance. Smith is not about perfect.</p>
<p>Whitney,</p>
<p>When I was at Smith this fall for family weekend, one of my daughter's new friends said that Smith "had taken a chance" with her, and she wasn't about to let it down. What kind of chance? I don't know. Maybe her SATs were weak, or maybe she had a bad sophomore year, or maybe . . . it could have been anything. The point is, as TheDad points out, Smith looks at the total application, not just a small part of it. Women who attend Smith have demonstrated potential and passion, but not all are super-achievers (although they are there, too.)</p>
<p>I suggest getting the best grades possible this year while continuing with volunteer work and leadership positions.</p>
<p>Nothing bothers me more than a defeatist attitude. Work your butt off for the rest of this year and senior year, and see where it takes you. You still have two SAT's to take, and at least one AP test. Plus, these scores aren't the end all and be all at Smith. Sure, it's a tough school to get into. However, knowing that should only make you work that much harder for it; if it truly is what you want. Visit first, talk to students, talk to parents (like us) :) We usually will give you an honest opinion, even if it hurts sometimes. Hang in there, kid! It won't come to you, you will have to work for it.</p>
<p>thanks guys. thats good to hear. your deffinatly motivation. i just got offered to be on national honors society and my marking period grade was a 92. thank you very much.</p>
<p>are you a shoo-in? no. are you going to get in? hard to tell without knowing about your essays, standardized test scores, interview, recommendations, etc. </p>
<p>smith is definitely willing to take chances on people--but they tend to take chances on people who are motivated to work very hard to overcome whatever obstacles they've encountered, and who are passionate about academics (even if they don't know what subject they want to study, or if their grades don't reflect their passion). </p>
<p>so i'd say that the most helpful thing you can do to increase your chances of being accepted is let your desire to learn and excel shine through in your application. of course, if you read this and realize you don't want to work hard in college and you plan to focus more on "having a life" than studying, you might want reconsider Smith. I don't mean that unkindly; just that there are other schools that might honestly be a better match for you, as Smithies do tend to study a lot and the social scene is somewhat low-key.</p>
<p>thanks a lot. i will, i plan on trying harder than all my other years. anyone know if national honors society helps?? i just recieved a membership invitation.</p>
<p>Sure it does, but minimally. Just about anyone else applying to Smith who has access to NHS has done so.</p>