My Chances and Fit at Pomona

Colleges and Universities A-Z Pomona College
1

<p>I am a rising high school senior from Massachusetts who is completing my last two years of high school by taking a full college course load at Harvard University’s Extension School. I am a ballet dancer and dance professionally with a company in Boston. I am also a competitive figure skater and compete at fairly advanced levels in individual free-style and ice dancing. </p>

<p>My first year of high school was completed at a very competitive public high school where I took the maximum number of honor courses and received all As. In my second year I attended a well-respected arts conservatory (for ballet) with a very good college preparatory program and again received all As.</p>

<p>This last year at Harvard I completed a program that included Calculus A and B; a 300-level World History class; Expository Writing; a 300-level Conversational Spanish course; Bio-chemistry and Earth Science courses and a course in the English novel. My unweighted GPA is 3.75. </p>

<p>In addition to my ballet and skating, I have participated actively in a Model UN program for home-schooled students. In August I will travel to lecture at several Model UN programs in Puebla, Mexico. I also tutor 4 high school students in Spanish and participate regularly in 3 volunteer community groups.</p>

<p>This summer I have a paid internship as a research assistant in a highly respected molecular biology laboratory at Tufts NE Medical School, a position I held last summer as well. </p>

<p>My SAT score (first time) was 2100+ (700s across the board). I took the biology SAT II freshman year and received a 710. Recently I received at 760 on Spanish Sat II and a 690 in Math2. </p>

<p>I am beginning to look at colleges for the fall of 2008. I intend to enter as a freshman. There are few things important to me in a college The school should have solid biology and language programs. It should also present me the opportunity to partcipate in either dance (ballet) or figure skating. A cohesive “school spirit would be great. The only school I've looked at to date has been Dartmouth, which has a great skating program and an interesing and flexible curriculum (the D-Plan). I am interested in both LACs and universities in the northeast and west coast.</p>

<p>I would like your feedback on the attractiveness (or not) of my application at Pomona with suggestions as to whether or not this a fit for me academically and extra-curricularly.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>Well, I'm no expert, but...</p>

<p>You definitely show passion, which Pomona (and every top college) loves to see...</p>

<p>but you should really consider retaking Math 2 and maybe another SAT Subject test if you plan on sending your SAT stuff... have you thought about taking the ACT?</p>

<p>good luck to you! :)</p>

3

<p>You definitly stand a good chance, and Pomona's strong dance program (as well as the Scripp's dance program, which you will undoubtedly benefit from) will be a very good fit for you. Though there isn't figure skating yet, there are rinks in the area, and Pomona would happily sponsor if you wanted to take lessons for credit/start a figure skating club/do whatever you want to do.</p>

4

<p>I tried for about a year to start an intercollegiate skating program through the 5Cs, and while the schools were very willing to help and there was definite interest, know that the process is pretty draining. If all you need is a local rink, then Claremont will be fine (although one of the rinks is pretty low quality, the other is very nice and new, but I do think you'd need to commute farther for higher level coaching). But if you want a school with an established skating program, plenty of them exist, but not in Claremont. If you're interested in starting you're own, I just want to kind of bounce off of brassmonkey's advice...it's possible, but still a bit easier said than done. You can ask if you'd like more detailed info.</p>