<p>Lol yeah I got an early write of acceptance to amherst and swarthmore but rejected from dartmouth but a friend of mine got into Dartmouth with a likely letter but got rejected from Amherst Williams and Swarthmore</p>
<p>I think there is more to the “requirement” of entry than anyone thing, but I do believe there is a randomness depending on when you name comes up either in the readers file and/or in committee. Who knows what it is, because I think all school tweak differently, but I honestly think, once you reach a certain level it becomes a little random, yet. Kids on the bubble, however, not sure how that works.</p>
<p>The results do appear quite random. I can’t help but wonder, though, if certain decisions are made without reference to standard criteria: test scores, ECs, sports, grades, ect. Maybe admissions reps, in an attempt to create the most diverse class possible, cherry pick candidates with certain experiences that they think will enrich the student body. For example, maybe a student with average test scores spent some time volunteering in an impoverished African country. Maybe another student with a less than stellar GPA has experienced the loss of a close family member which has effected their outlook on life in a dynamic way (which would be expressed in their application somehow).</p>
<p>In other words, there may be factors at work that aren’t easily identified just by viewing a list of credentials. While most applicants may be equally impressive, decisions may be made in the interest of putting together the most “colorful” and dynamic class possible. This could explain why one candidate gets rejected at Swarthmore and Williams, but accepted at Amherst and another gets accepted to Swarthmore and Williams but rejected at Amherst. Randomness isn’t necessarily the only explanation.</p>
<p>Then again, maybe everyone WOULD be better off if qualified applicants entered a lottery instead of an admissions process. Just thinking out loud here.</p>
<p>I don’t think randomness would benefit anyone. You might end up with a very one-dimensional class. I do think, however, that some students are more “compelling” than others for whatever reason as you describe. And that’s why I think there might be a bench mark for either scores or classes taken/grades (which as we know a B+ in honors or AP is better than an A in the regular curriculum), but the rest is discretionary. It is clear that of all those posting here and on other threads that the caliber of students is quite high and they all seem to have something more than scores/grades in what that they bring to the table. But if you’ve got the kid who started a 3rd world charity you might snatch him up. On the other hand, maybe there were three such candidates at the other school. I honestly believe that there are always more qualified and compelling students than schools can reasonably accept. And that’s what the waitlisted and the rejected need to remember. Plus… the accepted need to be humble as well. It’s easier in the RD round because rejection probably came as well. But to think you are that much more special because you got a congrats instead of a I’m sorry is a little self-indulgent based on results in general across the country.</p>
<p>I remember reading about a student who was accepted at Amherst years ago. He was a poor African American from an impoverished area in Florida. He was eventually nominated as a Rhodes Scholar (perhaps you’ve heard of him). Anyway, guy had a great GPA in his high school (which was a bottom rung high school if I remember) but his SAT scores were less than impressive. I believe he had some ECs, but he spent most of his time working to help support his family. On paper, this guy probably didn’t look like much, but I imagine he wrote a pretty moving essay. </p>
<p>At Amherst College, I bet the issue of poverty comes up quite a bit in class discussions, but how many students have REALLY experienced it first hand? I can only imagine the way this student enriched his peers during his time at Amherst, bringing a much needed perspective to the campus. Just another example of a kind of diversity that a person’s credentials: ECs, SATs, GPA, ect. might not indicate.</p>
<p>I am grateful my son did not allow himself to become obsessed with a particular school before results came in – we just crossed our fingers and hoped that he would have the luxury of choosing between a couple of places that would be a nice fit for him. I think that is the most you can reasonably hope for. I would have lost money if I had bet on the places he was accepted/rejected to – my “gut” was totally off.</p>
<p>It is a total crap shot for all of these schools. I got in with less than steller scores but my overall story was very unique. Schools try to put together the most diverse class possible. I mean its makes no sense that i got into the top three LACS plus a waitlist at Harvard(which by all accounts is a pretty good thing since they take so many off that list)but rejected at Wellesley and Barnard.Its all the luck of the draw</p>
<p>ACCEPTED</p>
<p>Numbers</p>
<p>SAT: 2220 (M 720, CR 730, W 770)
ACT: 33 (S 27, R 33, M 33, W 36)
AP: United States History (5)
GPA (non-weighted): 3.9
Rank: 6th percentile</p>
<p>Application</p>
<p>Essay
I felt really good about my common application essay, and my Amherst supplement. I chose the prompt on stereotypes.</p>
<p>Recommendations
Well, I know that at least one teacher was authentic in scope and stylistic character, though I fear the other teacher and my counselor wrote the standard, generic recommendations that do little to impress.</p>
<p>Interview
I did not have an interview with this or any college.</p>
<p>Personal Information</p>
<p>Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
School Type: Public, suburban/urban mix
Gender/Ethnicity: Male/Caucasian
Legacy: None whatsoever. My parents went to technical school and the my mom got her bachelors degree going to school part-time
Athlete: I jog, but I dont participate in school-related activities.
Extra-Curricular Activities: Head of Political Awareness Club, competitor on Math Team and Social Studies Academic Team
Other Factors: I do no volunteering, but I do have a part-time job as an usher at the local movie theater. I am a National Merit Finalist.
Other Colleges: I qualified for fee waivers, so I applied to eleven schools. I was accepted at Amherst, Middlebury, Pomona, Reed, University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin and Weslyan. I was rejected by Bowdoin, Stanford and Yale, and waitlisted at Swarthmore.</p>
<p>Mamae… agree. Son had fallen for ED school only to have his heart broke (maybe that’s a little extreme) but still. In the RD round, he had a top three and a top “safety” that in no way would anyone consider a safety although his GC thought it was highly likely. In any event, he got into all but one top choices and the safety is still on the list of Maybes. Go figure.</p>