Liberal Arts Colleges Chances.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>To be completely honest, I'm not sure why I'm posting a chances thread.
Applications are in, and there's really not much I can do at this point, but the anxiety of the wait is killing me, and I figured I'd see what you all think!</p>

<p>I applied to a number of schools, including</p>

<p>Holy Cross
Colgate
Pomona
Dickinson
Colby..</p>

<p>and a few safeties. </p>

<p>Chances would be soo appreciated.</p>

<p>White, Male, Middle Income
Tiny Rural Public School in Pennsylvania</p>

<p>GPA: 97%
Class Rank: 2/80</p>

<p>SAT:
CR: 700
M: 640
W: 690</p>

<p>SAT II:
US History: 680
Literature: 680</p>

<p>ACT Composite: 29</p>

<p>Took most difficult courses available.</p>

<p>My recs were from my calculus teacher and my physics teacher, and both were great. </p>

<p>EC:</p>

<p>National Honor Society: President
Student Council: Social Chair
Future Business Leaders of America: Secretary
- Placed first in the region two years in a row, and seventh/tenth in the state in that order.
Yearbook: Editor
Drama Club: Starred in two musicals.
Chorus: Chorus member throughout all of high school, annual soloist, successfully auditioned for and attended District 9 Festival. Attended County Festivals each year.
Cabaret: Annual participant and soloist throughout all of high school.
Skiing: I've been an avid skier for nearly all of my life, and am a member of a local Ski Racing Team.</p>

<p>Other:</p>

<p>Attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Law in Washington DC.
Taught a volunteer six class program teaching underclassmen habits for successful studying.
Volunteer/organized annual marathon events to support St. Joseph's Children Center.</p>

<p>Do I have a shot? I'm so stressed. The end of March could not possibly come sooner.</p>

2

<p>Oh. And I'm in the Gifted Program, if that makes a difference. =)</p>

3

<p>Yes, you do.
Colgate, Colby and Pomona--> slightly reach - reach
Dickinson --> match - low reach
Holy Cross--> high match - safety
Good luck!</p>

4

<p>Seriously, relax until March. You seem like a very impressive applicant to any college.</p>

5

<p>I really wish that I applied to a few less competitive schools on the west coast, because Pomona (and California in general) seems like a dream right now.</p>

<p>All the others I applied to are in New England.</p>

6

<p>Should've applied to Sonoma. ^_^ That's where I'm going next fall.</p>

<p>I think you have a decent shot at all those schools. Good luck!</p>

7

<p>Do you think the fact that I go to such a small rural school in PA will help at all? I'm sure that no graduates have applied to ANY of those schools in the past five years. If not longer. People tend to stay local or go to NYU.</p>

8

<p>You guys have been surprisingly nice! =)
Any other opinions?</p>

9

<p>If you like to ski so much, why did you apply to Pomona? Well, I guess there is skiing about an hour away from here for a couple months a year, but you'll need a car to get there. There is also skiing on Mt. Baldy (15 minutes away), but the season is very short there (too much sun to melt the snow). There aren't that many skiers at Pomona. </p>

<p>I've never heard of Holy Cross and don't know anything about Colgate or Colby, but you seem like a strong applicant for any school. My D also applied to Dickinson and I think it is a safety for you except for the fact that it is in Penn. and so are you. Pomona is a reach because of your test scores, but it is a crap shoot for everybody. You sound like an interesting person and that always helps. Who knows, maybe they won't have any applicants from your particular area this year. Just applying to Pomona is a pain, so congrats on getting through that application!</p>

<p>Waiting is excruciating. The best thing you can do is forget about it all and try to enjoy high school right now. Time does pass, albeit sloooowly.</p>

10

<p>I know just what you mean. I feel like the days are going by so much slower now that the applications are in and I have to wait for a decision.</p>

<p>I thought maybe the whole skiing thing would be somewhat interesting to Pomona.. I figured they probably don't get that many applications emphasizing skiing (I wrote my supplement essay on doing the racing program and growing up at the foot of a ski mountain.) Thought it might make my application stand out somewhat, maybe offset the fact that my scores are lower than the middle. </p>

<p>Where did your daughter wind up going to school?</p>

11

<p>She is waiting, too. ;)</p>

12

<p>Pomona is a significant reach, in this case, particularly due to test scores below the 25th percentile IIRC.Dickinson and HC are fits not safeties and the others are low/medium reaches.</p>

13

<p>Hmm, I'm sure you're right..
I went into the situation knowing that Pomona would be a real reach for me.
But in your honest opinion, do you think that any of the other things (rank, EC's, skiing, being from rural PA, etc) could offset the scores at all?
I heard that Pomona really tried to evaluate the whole person instead of just the numbers, but the more and more I read, the more discouraged I get. </p>

<p>When you say "significant reach".. does that mean like.. "you're not getting in?"</p>

<p>lol, I'm sorry I seem so pathetic about it. ^^ </p>

<p>I appreciate everyone's input, I feel like if I keep bringing up this topic with my friends they're going to stop talking to me because they're so sick of my "Will I get in!?" obsession.</p>

14

<p>Your scores are not bad at all. I didn't mean to insinuate that. They are well above the normal persons. Pomona does look at the entire person, but they are not immune to test scores. You are in their range, just at the low end. It doesn't mean you won't have plenty of company with your scores there. If there are 100 people, then 25 of them will be right there with you. Coming from a tiny, rural community you probably have not had the opportunities that someone has had who goes to some urban prep school. That will be taken into account. Your grades are terrific and should mitigate the test scores. They want to make sure someone doesn't come in and sink because everyone around them is so far ahead. I don't think that would be the case with you at all. Your record shows you are more then capable.</p>

<p>I said it would be a reach (and because of the volumes of applicants there-everyone is a reach as far as I'm concerned), but you are right that Pomona looks at the whole person more then many schools do. I know they like happy, social people, for example, as much as they like a brainiac. You are the social chair of some committee, right? They are trying to build a rounded class from all around the country and I believe that you do have a shot there beCAUSE of the rest of your application, but it will still be a reach.</p>

<p>Now, do what my D is doing and try to forget about all of it. The only thing you could do is email a professor and ask a question you are wondering about in a department you are interested in. Show interest a little if you can since I don't think you have visited Pomona, have you?</p>

15

<p>Skiing...that's great, but I'm not sure why that would be regarded as something outstanding, especially by a school like Pomona, which attracts highly accomplished students. Now if you're on the Olympic team, that's something quite different:). Same with rural PA. I don't think that's any deal breaker either.</p>

<p>Pomona= reach for sure but anything's possible. Decent chances for the others.</p>

16

<p>I agree, 2331, but I still think he has a shot. I don't think test scores are the make or break deal there as they are at other highly selective schools. Pennsylvania is not North Dakota or Wyoming, you're right, but rural is rural. Too bad he didn't apply to less selective West Coast schools if he really wanted to give the West coast a try. My feeling is he probably just applied for the heck of it. Otherwise, he would have included Occidental or Chapman and a few other less selctive, but still great schools. His other schools are nice, too, but as he noted they are all fairly local to him. </p>

<p>Pomona's stats:
Middle 50% of
First-Year Students
SAT Critical Reading: 690 - 760
SAT Math: 680 - 760
SAT Writing: 680 - 760
ACT: 29-34</p>

<p>Other then his math he is IN the middle 50% and with the math he isn't below it by much (and I am sure within their lowest 25%). At 29 his ACT is also within their middle 50%. With an 18% acceptance rate, though, chances are tough there. I think he should try to show some interest. I also think maybe his parents could contact admissions or financial aid and ask a question or two. Having his parents support in going so far away is another issue. He sounds like a neat guy and you don't have to be on an Olympic team to gain admission. </p>

<p>I don't really care for this chances thread actually. You can not know the chances of someone you have never met or their real situation. Admissions is not all about the numbers unless you are applying to State schools.</p>