<p>The thing is that I think I have a pretty good chance, maybe of becoming a TASPER. Maybe. I also really want Dartmouth, nothing else. 
I have looked at Williams but again it’s not Dartmouth. I also have a lot of service hrs and I’ve been playing violin for 10 yrs and in orch for 3 years… but that doesn’t make a difference, does it? Also the fact that I’m Indian doesn’t help either. :(</p>
<p>Williams is about as difficult to get into as Dartmouth, anyway, and because it is smaller the decisions are if anything even more unpredictable. Have you considered Bowdoin? How about Rice?</p>
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<p>While Dartmouth is a great school, it is not the only school. There are a number of great schools where you can be happy and get a great education. I really really hope that you have a set of RD schools and are working on those applications. If you get in to Dartmouth, great you can have a shredding party. If you don’t get in I am afraid that your head will not be in the game as far as getting your other college applications together.</p>
<p>In addition to sybbie’s note, your maintaining this attitude "I also really want Dartmouth, nothing else. "</p>
<p>is fraught with disaster potential. You’ve been continually told your chances of an offer from Dartmouth are almost non-existent at worst or under 10% at best. Yet you irrationally plow forward with this mentality.</p>
<p>“The thing is that I think I have a pretty good chance” – not based on any evidence you’ve proffered to date.</p>
<p>Hoping to be on a wait list as some sort of validation? Your desperation is very worrying. You’re set up for a huge let down.</p>
<p>You say you’re fraught with worry about your chances. You control that. To minimalize that worry, you need to cut loose the emotional obsession w/a single school and focus on reality. Only by doing this can you correctly place your Dartmouth candidacy in its true light: it’s a far-off dream which most likely won’t come to fruition but would be joyful if it did. But the rest of reality requires you to not flush away your achievements to date by initiating a realistic college search and application process. That means assessing other likely colleges.</p>
<p>Look. To be as blunt as possible. Been there, done that (well, not Dartmouth but another Ivy). It ain’t all dat. And if after all this, you still feel it’s the beginning and end of your value as a person – then you’re confirming REALLY aren’t Dartmouth material. The irony is most viable Dartmouth applicants are the sort who validate Dartmouth – not the sort who are validated by Dartmouth.</p>
<p>OP, I meant to say above that I think D looms far too large in your mind, possibly because your sister went there. It may be the only non-Texan college to which you have significant exposure. (I know you mentioned that your father went to MIT, but presumably you already know that MIT isn’t for you.) </p>
<p>As great as D is, there are MANY other great schools out there at which you can not only get an excellent education, but have a tremendously enjoyable 4 years. For your own sake, PLEASE start looking at them. You are a junior. Put together a reasonable list, and go on some college visits.</p>
<p>I interview for Dartmouth. I’ve never seen anyone admitted without a “hook” outside of the top 10% and an SAT below 2200. Just my two cents. Objectively looking at your application I think its going to be almost impossible unless you can get in the top 10% and boost the SAT to a 2250+, probably closer to a 2300+. Even then its far from certain.</p>
<p>So, Dartmouthgirl, you clearly need some safer alternatives. Fortunately, we’re all here on a message board about college.</p>
<p>What is it about Dartmouth that appeals to you? Obviously, only Dartmouth is Dartmouth, but there are a lot of other colleges that share many of Dartmouth’s qualities. If you can put into words what it is about Dartmouth that gets you so worked up, you can probably get people on CC to steer you in the direction of other colleges or universities with many of those qualities. (I have to say, though, I’m really scratching my head at seeing you mention Dartmouth and Texas in the same thread. Even if you’re a Texan, and Texas is your flagship. After “smart people,” I’m trying to figure out what else they have in common.)</p>
<p>And if you can’t even say what it is about Dartmouth, then maybe you’re a lot more in love with the idea of Dartmouth than with Dartmouth itself. And yet, there are those who love it.</p>
<p>Also, may i add that you are only a junior. Obviously, you should work very hard this year, but i really suggest that you enjoy high school while you are in it; if you are constantly living for some future, idealistic goal, you will never enjoy life and the present.
Only go to a school because you will happy there, not because of your parents, sister, prestige etc. Don’t be like Holden Caulfield and create an impossible-to-obtain, utopian vision of things…</p>
<p>Just my two cents. Best of luck to you, though.</p>
<p>hahaha thanks Jmutch. But right now it’s at a 2120 with it being my first time and all. So I’m hoping (not for dartmouth but for my own sake) that i can get it to a 2250 or higher. I feel that Dartmouth is right for because when I went there for my sister’s graduation this past summer, I felt a connection with it. I know it sounds cheesy and all but I’m pretty sure you guys have felt the same way before, as well. I fell in love with the place, basically and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I’m continuing to work very hard and I’m close to national merit… so maybe that would help. But with what you guys are saying is that I have no chance. Which might be right and I shouldn’t be bummed about that. SO you think I can get into Williams at least?!</p>
<p>I would agree that everything is possible. Since you are a junior, you still have time to improve yourself. You may consider to push your SAT score to 2300. Another way is to try out ACT. Some students get better scores on ACT than SAT. Given Dartmouth likes to admit number 1 in his class, so as other good colleges, you may consider to make yourself unique since they do admit students with relative lower class rank. However, there must be a reason to do that. If you are unique, they may admit you since a lot of higher ranked students might look very similar. They need diversify their class. Thus, unique is the key! Good luck to your application!</p>
<p>RE: Williams. Consolation said it exactly right above:</p>
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<p>Just about everybody needs a list that includes some colleges that accept more than 20% of their applicants. This is especially true for students who are in the second decile of their graduating class. You can apply to Dartmouth and Williams, sure. But you can’t consider either of them likely, so you need some safer back-ups.</p>
<p>And you still haven’t said what made you “fall in love” with Dartmouth. The size? The rural New England setting? The architecture? The prospect of 8 months of dark, freezing winter every year?</p>
<p>I suspect you like it because it’s a small institution in New England, away from a big city, with very good academics. If those are the traits you’re looking for, there are probably dozens of colleges and small universities that might interest you. Many of them are highly respected and respectable, without being as selective as Dartmouth or Williams.</p>
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<p>The sad thing about this post, is that graduation at almost every school is a beautiful and special thing that can make you fall in love with that school. Don’t get me wrong, Dartmouth is a beautiful place and graduation weekend is a whirlwind of nice, from class day, to dinners at the Greek houses, senior societies, departments, breakfast at Lou’s,etc., etc. </p>
<p>It almost sounds like a person who meets a guy or a girl and can’t get past how cute they look.
Question: what do they do? Your response: He’s so cute!<br>
Question: Is he seeing someone? Your response: He’s so cute?
Question: Is he an ax murderer? Your Response: He’s so cute?
This kind of thinking can set you up for a fall because nothing can be as hurtful as loving Dartmouth and not having Dartmouth love you in return.</p>
<p>Have you had the opportunity to visit other schools? You would be surprised at how many other schools that you can fall in love with. Take what you love about Dartmouth and see if you can find those qualities in other schools.</p>
<p>I’m going to add a few thoughts to the bounty of good advice you’ve already received.
- Do you think you are competitive with your sister? Do you try to outdo her in things, or have to work to get your parents’ attention because of her or your other siblings? If there’s an element of this in your makeup, attending Dartmouth is going to be a continuation of that second-best feeling. Imagine dealing with opinions like, “you only got in because of legacy, you didn’t make the grades she did, etc.” You’ll have a clean slate at a different school, and that is reason enough to look beyond Dartmouth for the FIT that is right for YOU.
- College isn’t all about admissions. Once in a school, you will have a continual competition with other students who are academic whizzes. If you are a marginal admit, how do you think you’ll fare in classes full of the highest achievers? You may be the kind of student who rises to the occasion, or who finds an area she loves and becomes an academic standout. But there is also a lot of struggle to get acceptable grades when you are talking about the rarefied air of these institutions with 10% admission rates.
- You seem to only know about a handful of colleges. Make a long list of schools recommended by family, teachers, advisors, and do more research. Spend most of junior year adding to the list, and then, next summer, reduce your list with your test scores, GPA and interests in mind. There are many beautiful, prestigious schools that would want you as a student; wouldn’t it be a shame if you overlooked them because of too much focus on a few schools?</p>
<p>yo chill your a junior</p>
<p>Why on earth would you want to go to the same college your sister did? Forge your own path!
Your stats are a little low for Dartmouth, so make sure you research Plan B schools that are similar to it.</p>
<p>yo i was barely in the top 25% of my class with a 4.1 GPA and i got in without URM, legacy or athletic recruit. </p>
<p>then again, i went to a highly competitive, prestigious highschool, made a 2340, made 5 5s on APs and 5 4s and was nationally ranked in several competitions. also my essay were perfect. hope this helps.</p>