<p>Eh, a 30 is equivalent to a 1980...
Hope your new score is either a 32 or 33. That would be great.</p>
<p>The average ACT score for the Class of 2012 was a 31, FYI.</p>
<p>Scores aren't -that- important, but they carry their share of weight.</p>
<p>I got a 31 on my second take. 34 English, 32 Reading, 29 Science, 27 Math. So at least it's an improvement. Does it make a difference?</p>
<p>I don't mean to be annoying, but bump...? I'm really starting to second guess myself and my chances for getting in to this school.</p>
<p>It would really be helpful if you posted all of your relevant information in this thread.</p>
<p>Okay, so don't post your info. Based on the info. contained in this thread you have a below average chance of admission to Amherst. Consider Kenyon College or Skidmore College.</p>
<p>Sorry, but I didn't have a chance to post all of my info in the 15 minute interval between posts.</p>
<p>White female
Average public school in Massachusetts</p>
<p>GPA: 102.04
Class Rank: 1/300
ACT: 30, then a 31 (English: 34 Math: 27 Reading: 32 Science: 29)
SAT: 1930 both times, retaking this weekend (Math: 590/600, Critical Reading: 660/640, Writing: 680/690)</p>
<p>All honors/AP classes when available. I took French and Spanish each for four years in high school, and I took the initiative to take AP Spanish on Virtual High School because it is not offered at my school.</p>
<p>Tests so far:
AP U.S. History: 4
English Language: 5</p>
<p>Most important activities:
Class Treasurer
President of National Honor Society
Yearbook Editor
Student Council
Academic Decathlon
I danced for 15 years (I don't anymore)</p>
<p>Volunteer work (I have enough to make it look decent):
Key Club
Soup Kitchen
MSPCA volunteer (local animal shelter)</p>
<p>I had a job for one summer between sophomore and junior years. Looking for another.</p>
<p>Various awards for excelling in foreign language, various nominations for awards, etc. Too boring to list.</p>
<p>Recommendations should be excellent (one from my AP English teacher, who is a Ph.D, and one from my class advisor, who knows me VERY well).
Essays should be good.</p>
<p>I think that's about it. For a fuller profile, click on my username, then "View Public Profile" and then click on the link under "My Biography."</p>
<p>Thank you for the...honesty.
Do you go to Amherst College?</p>
<p>No one can say for sure who a college will consider. I suggest you apply to Bowdoin and other colleges that are SAT optional along with your top choices.</p>
<p>I am an adult and a parent.Thank you for posting your profile. In light of your class rank, an AP score of 5 in English and an ACT score of 31, you stand a very chance of being admitted to Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Pomona, Davidson (a bit more conservative than your other choices) and Vanderbilt. You are in the running at all of them and should be admitted to those to which you present a compelling & convincing application. Being ranked first in your class makes you a sought after candidate. Try to avoid writing as you did in post #11. Writing with honesty & passion is good if done well; otherwise it runs the risk of portraying the writer as a bit of an annoying beggar. And you are neither. I will gladly read over any essays that you are willing to share with me. Your essays will be important, although your class rank & AP score of 5 on English will assure you the full attention of any admissions committee member.
It would help to read a more convincing and mature version of "Why Amherst?" Although, I would be tempted to ask "Why not, Amherst?!" if you were not admitted. I think that you would be a very strong candidate for admission to Pomona College.
For the most part, SAT/ACT scores are relevant in terms of satisfying a threshold hurdle to get you into the serious read pile of applications. An ACT score of 31 is strong.</p>
<p>Your transcript looks great, but your SAT scores would put you around the 25th percentile of last years enrolling class, with your ACT scores being slightly better. Aside from raising those if possible (good luck this weekend, btw, and make sure you get plenty of rest), you can't really change to much about the substance of your record at this point, which means your focus should be on presenting yourself.</p>
<p>The key fact about the application is that, since Amherst doesn't do interviews, they really only get a sense of who you are through your application. You need to use the application as a tool to present a coherent narrative of yourself. A few substantive pieces of advice on that:</p>
<ul>
<li>Organize your ECs thematically. You're involved in quite a few clubs, which can make you look like a serial-joiner if you don't present it properly. From what I can see, you have a 3 areas of interest that your activities fit into: Languages (French and Spanish for 4 years is pretty cool, as is self-studying), Volunteering (Key Club, Soup Kitchen, MSPCA, NHS), and School Leadership (class treasurer, yearbook, student council), with a couple more that could be categories on their own (dancing, academic decathlon) depending on how much time you put into them. I'm not sure what specific accomplishments/responsibilities/time commitment are associated with each of your activities, but you need to focus your presentation on the activities in which you are most interested and invest the most time and energy.</li>
</ul>
<p>The design of the common app may make it difficult for you to present your EC's the way I suggest. What I did was to include more detail in the "more information" box at the end of the common app. In your case, I would suggest creating a major heading for each of you major activities (Languages, Community Service, Class leadership) and plug your activities/accomplishments under the appropriate categories, giving them each a line or two of detail. You might also want an "Other" category, under which you can include academic decathlon and dance, unless you decide to give them categories of their own.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The 'you' you portray in your essays should be the same 'you' you portray in your ECs. Talk about your love of languages or an important volunteering experience or why being involved in the leadership of your class is important to you (Obviously I don't know if any of those things actually describe you and you know yourself better than anyone, but you get the idea). You have a bit of a handicap because none of your activities have that instant "wow" factor (except perhaps dance for 15 years), so you need to work a bit harder at showing why your doing them is essential to your character.</p></li>
<li><p>The idea of the previous suggestions is for you to give the adcoms a clear and consistent idea of who you are and what you love to do. Once you've built that up, you can also begin to incorporate aspects of why Amherst is a particularly good fit for you and what you want in a college and also why you and your passions would be a good fit for Amherst. Avoid cliches and make sure that what you write could only have been written by you (or at least, someone with very similar passions).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Great advice in the above post. You do, however, have some "wow" factor in your class rank as valedictorian & English AP 5 score. An elite west coast school like Pomona College that wants more national notoriety will like your east coast residency. Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin & Middlebury love class valedictorians as well.</p>
<p>Don't forget that Amherst superscores your ACT. What is your ACT superscore?</p>
<p>Wow, thank you for all of the advice. It amazes me how helpful and knowledgeable CC'ers are. :]</p>
<p>ColdWind: That will be the most difficult part of my application-- presenting my passion not just for any college, but for AMHERST specifically. I agree that I could never send in post 11...that was just blowing off steam. This essay requires more maturity, but I am not yet quite sure how to make it my own. I would love for you to read over my essay as soon as I can type it up. Are you sure you wouldn't mind?</p>
<p>Catfish: I love the idea of organizing my EC's thematically...I never really thought of it that way. I will definitely take your advice on incorporating them into my essays. Perhaps by talking about being a class officer, I could segue into how much school spirit I have? I don't know.</p>
<p>In my AP English teacher's rec, she said "Over lunch recently, [my name] commented 'I would give my right arm to go to Amherst College.' Please, let us save this talented young woman from resorting to this drastic measure..."</p>
<p>Haha :]</p>
<p>In my experience Tufts and Dartmouth are the two schools that most prize valedictorians.</p>
<p>PinkSummer, I don't think you need to worry so much about presenting your deep longing for Amherst. Applying ED, assuming you're still interested in doing that, automatically signals that it's your top choice school. And fortunately Amherst doesn't ask (at least they didn't last year) one of those generic "Why this college?" questions. Your Common App essay can respond one of the Common App prompts, or use the topic of your own choosing option. There's nothing to say it has to be about your passion for Amherst, although I suppose you could use that topic... although you'd want to be sure not to send it out with your Common App to any <em>other</em> schools you might be applying to in Regular Decision! ;)</p>
<p>On the Common Application, you have a 150 word limit (which can be breached, but only to an extent) to write about your most significant EC, so it's essential to be succinct yet comprehensive (allusions to other important, related ECs to make one clear point about your character/personality).</p>
<p>I agree with 'rentof2 that applying ED sufficiently demonstrates that Amherst is your top choice. Therefore, expressing your burning passion for Amherst is not your top priority. You should pay attention to emphasizing your uniqueness and the uniqueness of your experiences in your personal statement and supplemental essay.</p>
<p>Your rank is very significant, and your ACT is fine. Stop fretting.</p>
<p>P.S. I'll take your 5 in Language and raise you a 5 in Literature ^_-</p>
<p>The deadline is so soonnn</p>
<p>And thank you for all of the responses!</p>
<p>I got the results for the October SAT...they improved by a lot! :]</p>
<p>Math: 630
Reading: 730
Writing: 770
Essay: 10</p>
<p>Does this help me much?</p>
<p>That definitely puts you squarely in range.</p>
<p>Make sure your essays rock.</p>