Is there any point in applying? (...Chance me.)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Vassar College
1

<p>My counselor suggested Vassar and I decided to apply, but I think she may have overestimated me. What do you think?</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>SAT I: 2350 (CR 780 | M 770 | W 800)
SAT II: Literature 800 | French not yet taken (750-780, hopefully)
GPA (out of 4.0): 3.3 W | UW GPA n/a</p>

<p>(I should probably mention that my school's grading system is very weird and my W GPA is actually lower than what I imagine my UW GPA to be.)</p>

<p>Actually, I just tried to calculate my unweighted GPA by year and this is what I came up with:
Sophomore 3.36 | Junior 3.15 | Senior 3.69 (I already have my grades as I'm on a gap year.)</p>

<p>Okay, moving on.</p>

<p>Rank n/a (I’m probably somewhere in the top 40-50%, but my school doesn’t release this information.)
No APs as my school doesn't offer them. Everyone takes pretty much the same classes and the curriculum is quite rigorous.</p>

<p>Awards: a special award at a national essay competition for high-school and college students; perfect scores on some boring state exam thingy that you don't care about. I ticked the box that said "level of recognition: national" for both, fwiw.</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: a lot of art-related activities, including designing various flyers, invitations, and posters for school; I once tried and failed to make an animated movie; psychology club (meeting organizer); I helped translate a psychology textbook into English for the benefit of the English-speaking psychology teachers at my school; school newspaper; creative writing club; ecology club; reluctant participation in the school musical</p>

<p>Job/work experience: n/a</p>

<p>Volunteer/community service: helping the school librarians; volunteering at a community center of sorts</p>

<p>Summer activities: n/a</p>

<p>Essays: I should probably get on that...</p>

<p>Teacher recommendations: one from my favorite English teacher, who taught me for two years, and one from my history teacher in junior year (I had a B in her class), who tolerates me despite my underachieving ways; both of them know me well, so their recommendations should have some substance at least.</p>

<p>Counselor rec: haven't read it; probably says something along the lines of "nice personality, shame about the grades."</p>

<p>Other:</p>

<p>Will need bucketfuls of financial aid.</p>

<p>Will probably major in philosophy and/or history and/or art.</p>

<p>International, female, private school.</p>

<p>Will submit an art portfolio.</p>

<hr>

<p>Okay, my application has one glaring flaw which I'm not going to mention. I know. Actually, make that two (I feel that applying for financial aid puts me at a disadvantage even with a college as generous as Vassar). But do you think there's any point in applying with these stats?</p>

2

<p>International students seeking aid can have a ton of trouble. That said, you have a 2350. There aren’t many colleges out there that “aren’t worth applying to.” It might be difficult because you’re looking for aid, but it’s certainly not impossible.</p>

3

<p>Thank you for replying!</p>

<p>The thing about my application is that I need financial aid AND my GPA is very low. I think my test scores might have offset one or the other, but both?</p>

<p>Well, we’ll see. Your comment reassured me a little, at least :slight_smile: Thanks!</p>

4

<p>I’m a little concerned that you took a gap year and didn’t do work or volunteering then. Most kids I know who did gap years did volunteering abroad or they worked a lot, which I feel like colleges expect you to do if you took a gap year. If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do on your year off? That (if it was something significant) may help on your application.</p>

5

<p>Um, I’m actually doing a lot of volunteer work; I’m volunteering at a community center and spend around 20 hours there every week, which is comparable to a part-time job. I’ve also been working on my art.</p>

<p>As for a paying job, I’m starting one in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately I couldn’t really find a job until recently.</p>

<p>I realize that it doesn’t sound too impressive :frowning: But thanks for pointing it out!</p>