I know it's a REACH -- but is it too much of a REACH??

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>This is for RD. I appreciate anyone has takes the time to read this and provide feedback!!</p>

<p>State: North Carolina
White Male
Competitive Public High School (sends some grads to top schools)
Unweighted GPA: 3.83
Weighted GPA: 4.71
<em>extremely difficult course load (10 AP’s and 14 honors classes by the time I’ve graduated)
Ranking: 12/600 (top 2%)
SAT I Scores: [ul]
[</em>]760 Math, 610 CR, 690 Writing – 2060 (I know my CR is low; the downfall of my application?) [/ul]
SAT II Scores: [ul]
[<em>]Math 2 – 750
[</em>]US History – 670 [/ul]
AP Scores:
[ul]
[<em>]Human Geography: 5
[</em>]Statistics: 4
[<em>]English Language: 4
[</em>]US History: 4
[<em>]Environmental Science: 4
[/ul]
Notable Senior Year Courses:
[ul]
[</em>]AP Calculus AB
[<em>]AP Calculus BC (my school makes you take AB/BC as a year-long course)
[</em>]AP English Literature
[<em>]AP Physics B
[</em>]AP US Government
[/ul]
EC’s (i'm very involved in the first two):
Habitat for Humanity Club: 11, 12
(Co-President 12th)
(Organized canned food drives/clothes drives, and collect cans that are recycled - proceeds go straight to Habitat for Humanity)
National Art Honor Society: 10, 11, 12
(Historian 12th)
(Lead Designer of wall mural at school-11th)
National Honor Society: 12
Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society: 11, 12
Junior Classical League (JCL): 10, 11, 12</p>

<p>Honors/Awards (Lacking here?):
2009 NAWIC CAD/Architecture Competition (1st in District ($300 scholarship); Commended at Regionals)
Artwork chosen to be shown in student art exhibit
Artwork chosen to be the wall mural at school
AP Scholar with Distinction
National Society of High School Scholars (2008-present)
Lamp of Knowledge Award (9, 10, 11)
Honor Roll (9, 10, 11) </p>

<p>Community Service:
Habitat for Humanity: 100 hours (outside of school club volunteering)
Volunteering that is ART-related: 30 hours </p>

<p>Summer Programs:
2009 NCSU Design Camp</p>

<p>Essay: good, but not outstanding.
Recs: the 2 teacher ones are amazing, or so they say (both said I'm one of the better students they've ever had in over 20 years of teaching); the counselor one should be about the same; my friends says the peer rec is really really good!!!</p>

<p>I applied "undecided" if that matters as my first choice, and Art History as my #2. After first semester, my UW GPA should improve to a 3.86 and my W GPA to a 4.82 (will make straight A's in 2 AP classes and 2 honors classes this semester). I've tried to have my application focus on my dedication to Habitat for Humanity and Art. I know my CR reading score is low but I've made an A in two AP English classes, does that help? I understand that Dartmouth is a reach, but is it still reasonable...or is it completely not going to happen?</p>

2

<p>The SAT I is probably your only week point, but that’s not going to make or break you. It’s a very holistic process and SATs are only a small part of the pie. So no, I definitely do not think it’s a huge reach.</p>

3

<p>Sorry, too much of a reach given scores. The concept that they don’t make or break you is simply incorrect.</p>

4

<p>It’s a high reach but it’s a reach for everyone. I think it’s worth applying because you never know. If you have good essays and recs then you should go for it</p>

5

<p>610 is really low for D unless you are hooked, and even then it’s very low. On the other hand, you did get a decent AP score…I think your interests are a little different, which is attractive. You sound to me like a candidate who needs a killer essay.</p>

6

<p>A very big reach, unless you are an international student who picked up English as a second language when you were 15.</p>

7

<p>I agree with hmom5 unless you are hooked. IMO your CR score is low score even for a
recruited athlete, unless it is a helmet sport. That said, stranger things have happened so good luck !</p>

8

<p>ugh i feel ya… critical reading is the downfall of me :(</p>

<p>Still, I like to think that it wont be THE one determining factor on your acceptance… maybe selfishly haha.</p>

<p>I think they’ll appreciate your “rigorous course load” and high class ranking. I think you have a shot.</p>

<p>good luck!! chance me if you get a chance!!
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dartmouth-college/826950-chance-rd-please.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dartmouth-college/826950-chance-rd-please.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>It’s definitely a sizable reach but worth a shot.</p>

10

<p>definitely a reach, but not an outright waste of the application fee. so much of it is in the way you present your application. for example, weed out extraneous and weak-sounding recognitions and EC’s such as NSHSS. nail the essay. have plenty of matches and safeties. from the sound of it, you’re going to end up at a great school regardless of what happens. good luck!</p>