Anyone go to the waitpool meeting today and get some info?
Yup! Some info from the Waitpool meeting:
- 66 students in Waitpool (74 originally but 8 chose to leave the Waitpool)
- Around 30 - 40% of Waitpool students will end up being invited, based on previous years
- Criteria for invitation is based on gender, resemblance to whoever's spot you're filling (region, interests, etc.), and other stuff I can't remember
- Most Waitpool calls will be given during August, although they can start being given out from the end of the second orientation until move-in day, August 15.
- Spots are opened when admitted students decide not to go or when returning students (juniors and seniors) move away or something
- There will be a time when you get sent an email asking if you want to stay in the Waitpool. This lets IMSA know you are still interested. Around 20% of Waitpooled students decide to leave the Waitpool or decline the invitation to attend IMSA.
- If/when Mrs. Lofgren calls you, you have to either accept or decline the invitation to attend IMSA. Be prepared for this by having several conversations with your family.
- If you are in the Waitpool but need to attend EXCEL, you will be contacted directly by Mrs. Lofgren and it will be sorted out from there. If you don't get anything regarding EXCEL, you don't need to go.
- Don't lose hope! Just because you are in the Waitpool doesn't mean that you are less capable to succeed at IMSA than admitted students. The difference between admitted and Waitpooled students, if any, is very subtle.
- The process of deciding who gets invited from the Waitpool and who doesn't is apparently very very painful for the board of admissions.
- Just don't loae hope, again.
That’s all I can remember for now. If anyone has questions or would like to add on, please feel free to do so.
@Mathematicsci are you an incoming freshman or are you applying straight fro 8th grade? your app looks good - some advice i would give to an 8th grader (based on personal experience) is to make sure that you take the sat more than once. your scores look pretty good, but there’s always that slim chance that you can do better, that’s why i always recommend that. but other than that, your activities and awards look great too - just make sure that you really blow them away with the essays, because it’s the only thing that separates you from any other chicagoland asian-american applicant. if you have any questions, please feel free to dm me. best of luck!
anyone going to excel this year?
@brinaz03 still haven’t heard anything but I’m sure I’ll be there
I seek to go through the application process for next year, when I am in eight grade. I predict that I might take the SAT again in the summer, so there are more points gained.
In addition, I have found a method to connect the required essays with a musical extracurricular. Is it true that only 4 extracurriculars are allowed? I don’t know if this rumor is true, but I have already decided on the ones I will put on the application.
BTW, will activities that are aligned with education curriculum, such as Math Team and Science Olympiad, count under Curricular or Extracurricular Activities in the application?
@Mathematicsci yes, you can only put about 4 extracurricular activities on your application, and there isn’t a separate thing for curricular and extracurricular activities.
My son will be attending excel.
What is the main focus of the applicant essay? Is there a certain prompt to answer? Can you prepare for it before applying?
Also, I have taken the SAT (again). Along with extracurriculars, awards, and other strong portions of my future application, will a score of 720 (Evidence-Based Reading & Writing) and 750 (Mathematics) be eligible to secure a position or not?
@Mathematicsci I think your SAT score are fine. There are 4 writing prompts. Plus your parents need to write a short statement.
@Mathematicsci there isn’t really a way to prepare for the writing prompts, just answer them honestly, in a way that really showcases who you really are as a person.
Just got a call from IMSA, I was pulled off the waitlist!!
Where are the application essays taken?
(What is the environment we write the essays?)
Background —
Race: Indian (Asian)
Gender: Male
Neighborhood: Chicagoland Suburbs
Stats —
GPA: 4.0 in 6th, 4.0 in 7th (In Project Arrow Program)
SAT: 760 M, 720 R/W
ECS —
Math Team and Science Olympiad/Robotics
Founder of MedicalClassification
Alternative Orchestra OR Badminton [What Should I Choose?]
Founder of OnlineDesign
Teacher Rec. — Should Be Good
Awards — Should Be Good
Essays — Should Be Good, but are there any tips?
@IllinoisStar
You write the application essays at home, and you have about 4 months to do them. You’ll figure how to submit your essays and all that when applications open. You’re stats look good, and for the essays you just need to show how passionate you are about STEM.
Forget the previous application, it was a mistake. Here’s the new, updated one.
->Background:
Race - Asian (Indian)
Gender - Male
Neighborhood - Chicagoland Suburbs
->Stats:
GPA - 4.0. in 6th and 7th Grade
SAT - 1480
->ECS:
Swimming and Badminton
Founder of Chess Club
Math and Robotics Team
Founder of MedicalClassification
->Awards:
Should Be Good (SBG)
->Teacher Rec. and Essays:
Should Be Good (SBG)
How many awards can you put on the application?
@IllinoisStar 3-4 I think?