Please Chance Me!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>Hello. I was wondering if some of you out there could chance me for several schools, including Dartmouth. I am currently a junior and will be applying to college next year. I would like to apply ED to either Dartmouth or Brown. If I don't get in ED, then I would like to apply RD to Cornell, Amherst, Penn, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and WashU. </p>

<p>When it comes to essays and recs, I know I will be able to get some great recs and write some interesting essays. I am planning on taking the ACT and SAT this year but I will probably end up sending in SAT and SAT II scores only. I am fairly sure that I will do well on the SAT II's and that I will be able to get at least a 2100 on the SAT. I also have done and intend to do well (4's and 5's) on AP exams.</p>

<p>As of the end of my sophomore year, my GPA (my school only does unweighted) was 3.77 (taking the toughest schedule available at my small, competitive, private college prep school). The lowest grades I've ever gotten on a report card are a few B's. Unfortunately, this all changed this year when I got a C+ as my AP Chemistry grade for fall quarter. In addition to this, I'm fairly sure that this year is not going to allow me to maintain or increase my GPA. If I had to guess, I would say that I will probably be at around a 3.67-3.70 by the end of junior year.</p>

<p>When it comes to EC's, I am beginning to get involved in various community service activities (I will have atleast 100 hours by the time I apply), I have been involved heavily in student government, Model UN, and yearbook and will probably be appointed leadership positions in all by the time I apply. I am also a part of a local youth leadership committee (I also have several other smaller school EC's, but these were the main ones).</p>

<p>Athletics: JV Cheerleading freshman and sophomore year (got Most Improved Award freshman year), pursuing a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, beginning intensive training in preparation for a climb of Mount Rainier this summer and possibly a climb of Mount Aconcacua in Argentina (one of the seven summits of the world) next February. </p>

<p>Other: Currently pursuing a private pilot's license, have done charity work and travel in Ghana and will be traveling this year to India and Nepal (with school) Kenya and Tanzania (with school), and Korea (for Tae kwon Do training),
acting in my school's winter play, may possibly obtain a scuba diving license and motorcycle license within the next year</p>

<p>Location: Ohio
Race/Ethnicity: Parents originally from Iran but my ethnic background is Azeri Sex: Female
Possible Major: Economics, Biology</p>

<p>Thank you for reading all of this and please help me gain a better understanding of my chances of getting in. Although my grades could hurt me, could my unique extracurriculars give me the necessary boost that could help me get in? If I get stellar test scores, could it be enough to help?</p>

2

<p>Heh, usually your stats are much more accessible when organized like this: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dartmouth-college/431796-official-dartmouth-12-early-decision-thread.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dartmouth-college/431796-official-dartmouth-12-early-decision-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>You're a bit early for this all, but I guess it's better than late. Your anticipated stats are lukewarm for ED. GPA isn't all that important, take a breather.</p>

<p>As for EC's, they seem fairly strong, though I'm not sure if they will pull you over to an accept. Other than a laundry list of clubs and officer positions, is there a hook that you think will capture their attention?</p>

<p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but my impression is that colleges no longer want a well-rounded student. They want a hook. They want you to excel in one area, and have that brilliance reflected in your other activities.</p>

3

<p>thanks for the reply. would a hook count as something that you have been doing for a while? The activity that I have been involved in the most is Tae Kwon Do (8 years) and some of my community service does involve it. Do you have any suggestions regarding how to create a hook?</p>

4

<p>Definitions of a hook vary, some say it is something you can't control, like being a URM, first generation to go to college, from a desirable geographic region (like Alaska). Others say a hook is something that makes you stand apart from the crowd, like being a recruitable athlete or having amazing talent in some area that is quantifiable. Meaning you can show you have amazing talent. That usually means having won high level awards in that area, or having had a book published (not a vanity publication, either), or being in a Broadway show. If you don't have those kinds of hooks, then what you really want to do is create an application that shows who you are and what makes you tick. You have to use the applicaton to create a living, breathing, passionate person and show the admission committee how you are going to make Dartmouth a better place. Your chances of admission will be a lot higher if your application makes you memorable.</p>

5

<p>To add on to what Vango said, I would say a hook is something that differentiates you from the crowd (controllable or not). It is something the admissions officer would remember you (favorably) by. Something that could be made into a stock epithet is good. Karate kid? Not sure if it is very distinctive, though if you are passionate about it, and you clearly show it, go for it.</p>

6

<p>Honestly given your GPA the SAT will really play a big part in your application. My advice is to really study a lot and aim for a 2200+ to offset the GPA.</p>