<p>I consider myself to be somewhat of a boarderline applicant. My grades are not bad, but mediocre and my SAT score is an 1860. I volunteer and have leadership but nothing that's absoluteley amazing. </p>
<p>I have been unable so far to request an interview because of my schedule<br>
(strangely enough, senior year is the most hectic so far), do you think that no interview will hurt my chances at Smith? Also, do you think it's too late at this point in time to request an alumni interview? Thanks</p>
<p>I consider myself to be somewhat of a boarderline applicant. My grades are not bad, but mediocre and my SAT score is an 1860}} </p>
<p>What are your gpa and specific SAT scores V, M W ? Holyoke doesn't ask for Sat scores, if that helps.</p>
<p>{{{do you think that no interview will hurt my chances at Smith? Also, do you think it's too late at this point in time to request an alumni interview?}}</p>
<p>Maybe (demonstrated interest) and no it's not too late but you better do it asap. At this point, it can only help if your grades are as you say. Smith has accepted students with <3.0. Rare, but done.</p>
<p>Does that 3.84 include APs or IB courses? Your gpa certainly isn't borderline. And I know of admitted students with SATs lower, not that yours are low, who have been admitted.
What ECs do you have? Personal question; you don't have to answer. What is you race? Smith considers that a great deal.
Is Smith your 1st choice? What other colleges are you applying to? You can tell me, I'm not an admission officer :) Or an alumna for that matter, the wife is and my daughter attends Smith but I'm just the guy who pays the ills and helps students with college admissions to eastern colleges. Its not my actual career, being as ski bum is, but an avocation I was volunteered for at out h/s</p>
<p>OT- TD if youre out there, I rethought my stance on fraternities and sororities after reading numerous posts on the parent CC thread yesterday. I have joined your ranks. Yes, I was in frat, as you know, but I was young and stupid. I assumed things changed for the better over the years. They havent
The reason I bought it up was because my daughter and I had a long conversation yesterday (the Verizon to Verizon perk is great) and I mentioned the thread. One of her other top choices was a college big into Fraternities and Sororities. She mentioned in hindsight, and knowing what she knows know from hearing from students attending the college, choosing Smith was the best decision she ever made. She also said each house is like a sorority without being exclusionary. Smart kid at times. )</p>
<p>RLT, not to impersonate Mini...a difficult proposition at best...the alcohol consumption issue was totally off my radar screen but I'm now convinced that Smith lower-than-average drinking rate and a culture that isn't alcohol centered is a significant plus.</p>
<p>Yeah, I've thought that way about House system to, e.g., kinda like non-exclusionary sororities.</p>
<p>Talked to D tonight about first-week classes. She is pleased and therefore I am pleased.</p>
<p>One note: to get one particular prof, she and her roommate both registered at 8am of the first day registration was open to sophomores. The class is filled with a large waiting/groveling list (sections taught by other profs are not). A word to the wise...carpe diem.</p>
<p>{{{but I'm now convinced that Smith lower-than-average drinking rate and a culture that isn't alcohol centered is a significant plus.}}}</p>
<p>Probably so, but the reason I have become anti sororities and fraternizes is because of their extreme exclusionary and elitist actions. Mimi posted an excellent and passionate post on the subject. I had not realized the elitism of my day was still prevalent today. I didn't see it for what it was at the time. I was young.
I was under the impression things had changed and any student who wanted to join a sorority or fraternity would get at least on bid. I learned that to be untrue.</p>
<p>The one problem Im having is, its ok the have exclusionary private Country Clubs, Yacht Clubs, etc for 25 somethings, but its not ok at 18. There is some inherent hypocrisy there that is hard to explain away.</p>
<p>Dinking goes on at every campus regardless of the presence of fraternities. Witness Colby and all the problems theyve been having of late. And according to Mini, Williams has major issues also.</p>
<p>Smith women arent exempt from parties. Theres a major super bowl party at Amherst College, and I know many Smith women will be present.
I imagine there <em>might</em> be a beer here and</p>
<p>Masha...Iwould make an alumna interview ASAP! The Smith interview is critical, for both the school and potential Smithie, and is held in quite high esteem by the college. Best of luck on joing the ranks.</p>
<p>{She also said each house is like a sorority without being exclusionary. Smart kid at times.}</p>
<p>Yeah...I'm sure that's why your D decided to attend Smith; because she is smart and saw the advantages it offers. The house system is awesome, and does provide the women in each house to act as their own little sorority in a way; at the same time, and more importantly, is that any other woman from any other house can join in on the fun whenever they want. Dining options, I think, have a lot to do with this feeling of "togetherness" you feel when walking on campus. During our first visit, this "gut feeling" about the campus and the woman who live on it was very strong. We saw many independent thinkers who were glad to be part of the bigger scheme of things, and sincerely seemed to like and respect each other. That was a big sell for us!</p>
<p>RLT, I don't mean to suggest that Smith is abstermious or otherwise a candidate for a renascent WCTU headquarters, but alcohol-centered focus is below the critical mass...which is less than a majority...to make it a mainstay of campus life. (A campus doesn't need a majority of students to be Greek in order to make Greek life dominant...I think somewhere between 30 and 40 percent does it. An organized minority usually outguns the unorganized majority.)</p>
<p>As to one of your other points, it's easy and consistent: I don't countenance exclusive country clubs, yacht clubs, etc. at any age. Even co-ops, thankfully rare here in California, leave a bad taste in my mouth.</p>
<p>Two further items for your consideration: "golf" is "flog" spelled backwards. And why did they name it "golf"? All the other four-letter words were taken.</p>
<p>Well...I can flog with the best of them. Golf is another story however, as I am currently about an 18 handicap. Though I do have dreams of retiring to a nice golf community, certainly south of here. Hmmm...tuition costs may otherwise alter my decisions.</p>
<p>{{{As to one of your other points, it's easy and consistent: I don't countenance exclusive country clubs, yacht clubs, etc. at any age.}}}</p>
<p>Exclusivity is a fact of life. How many people are exempt from living on your street because they havent obtained a certain income level? Or eating at most restaurants in La Jolla because theyre far too expensive for most middle class families budgets? Just a thought.</p>
<p>fwiw--I don't golf anymore. I like most CCs and Yacht Clubs restaurants though :)</p>
<p>It's a different kind of exclusivity in that people aren't sitting as a panel in judgment on other people. </p>
<p>Of course, we judge people on an individual-to-individual basis all the time, but it's not a matter [at least with me] of grading social status and desirablity. I don't look for an equitable world; I do look for a less-icky world. </p>
<p>The kinds of "exclusivity" that country clubs, etc., have used has been used against Jews, Catholics, women, etc. There are parts of L.A. where covenants that are restrictive with respect to race or religion can still be found on underlying title documents though they've been unenforceable for decades. In the frat/sorority game, in many places you still have the "African American" house, the "Jewish" house, etc. And funny thing...at least as of a couple of years ago when I was running down some data, colleges like U/Alabama and Auburn might now be integrated, but the Greek system was still effectively segregated. I ain't buying.</p>
<p>I was recently talking to a contractor who happens to be black. He had been referred to someone we both know who was stunned when she opened the door to see that he was black...nobody had bothered to tell her...and was very perfunctory about getting his bid and never called him back. I rolled my eyes and said that I might hold the fact that he went to USC against him, but not his race. He laughed and said he believed me totally.</p>