<p>Going through these forums is quite intimidating, but I’m going to give the whole “chance” thing a shot…</p>
<p>I’m a rather unusual college applicant. I’m going to try not to focus on this, but having been through a nasty illness for two and a half years and eventually losing my sight, high school has been rough. Really rough. But going to college (and hopefully a really good one) is my dream and I figure aiming high isn’t the end of the world. Brown is probably WAY out of my reach (especially considering my weakness in math and fewer AP classes than most) but I figured I’d see what you guys think.</p>
<p>Well…here goes:</p>
<p>GPA: 3.79
SAT I: Critical Reading - 790, Writing - 690, Math: 590 (I know, I know…)
SAT II: English Literature - 700, US History - 650
ACT: 28 (not great at ALL…the math element really brought me down)
AP Classes: AP Psychology (score: 4) AP Language and Composition (score: 5) AP Literature (score: 5)
<em>NOTE: I didn’t take many AP classes due to my illness and eventual blindness…it took me a LONG time to adjust and the whole deal made it really hard to keep up</em>
I took a few classes for credit at a local community college and I performed well.</p>
<p>Extracurriculars: My passions (believe it or not) are theater and writing, and I’ve written a lot of stageplays, one of which was produced and another is being considered for production. I won a good amount of awards for one of these plays (regional and national competitions) I also write op-ed columns for a local newspaper. Before I lost my sight I did a lot of set and costume design for school productions and I worked as a freelance muralist, but I’m not sure if that “counts” anymore. I compose a lot of music as well (I’ve been playing piano for 10 years) and I’m co-writing a musical with a friend. </p>
<p>Recommendations: My teachers wrote wonderful recommendations for me…they’re the teachers that know me well and focused less on my struggles and more on my achievements, which was really nice. </p>
<p>Be brutally honest–I know I’m up for embarrassment here, but that’s okay.
I’ll take it, haha.</p>
<p>I feel for you, and I bet admissions officers will feel for you, but unless you can write an essay that convinces them that you have more academic potential than your grades/test scores show, it’s going to be a long shot.</p>
<p>You have excellent EC’s, however. You might look at test-optional schools or even liberal arts colleges that do require tests but may be lenient due to your passion for drama and writing.</p>
<p>On of the things that annoys me about College Confidential is the unwavering belief that test scores are the most important factor in college admissions. OP, given your circumstances and that even while struggling with blindness you have maintained a high level of performance (albeit at less volume, understandably), I think that you have as good a chance as anyone of being admitted to Brown (remember, its a crapshoot for everyone, 75% of validictorians get rejected). </p>
<p>Your SAT scores are low, but remember that they look at each section seperately, and as your ECs etc. do not paint the picture that you’re a math/science person anyway, they shouldn’t hurt you too much. Furthermore, your ECs show that you are self-motivated and clearly very passionate about your interests, two things that are essential to succeed with the New Curriculum. </p>
<p>College admissions, especially at the elite schools, is about achieving what you can with you circumstances. For most, this means taking all the APs their school offers, dedicating themselves to several ECs etc. However, if there are personal issues, such as your situation, they also consider that a limiting factor on what you can achieve. Ultimately, the key is going to be to write a essay that in some way reflects on your personal struggles so that Brown, and other schools can see that not only are you capable of handling the work, but that you will actively seek challanges, rather than using your disability as an excuse to hide behind.</p>
<p>So, I think you definitely have a good shot, and I think that it is important that you apply not expecting to get it, anyone who does that is looking to be crushed on April 1st, but realizing that it’s not as long a shot as you seem to think it is at the moment, because that lack of belief in youself might show through in the application, and definitely will in an interview, and will seriously hurt your chances.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who replied and gave advice. I really appreciate it–and I’ll listen! :)</p>