Please Help My Friend with College Applications

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Please Judge My Friend's Chances </p>

<p>She wants to apply to
Georgia Institute of Technology
Agnes Scott College (GA)
Randolph-Macon Woman's College (VA)
Mount Holyoke College (MA)
Wellesley College (MA)
Occidental College (CA)
University of Southern California
Pitzer College (Claremont, CA)
Scripps College (Claremont)
Claremont McKenna College (another Claremont)</p>

<p>Her stats:</p>

<p>3.5 for freshman and sophomore year in high school.</p>

<p>Junior Year (her high school is on a trimester schedule, hence, three grades)
Math: C, C-, C
Science: C+, C-, C-
Foreign Language: A-, A, A
English: A, A, A
History elective: A
Religion electives: A-, A
Art elective: A
Creative writing electives: A-, A
Accounting class elective: A-</p>

<p>Took a driver's ed class and a study hall during junior year, too, though I told her she should have taken academic classes instead.</p>

<p>SHE HAS TAKEN NO APs yet, but will take Spanish, Euro History and English APs starting this fall (her senior year). (APs offered at her school: Bio, Chem, Euro History, English, German, French, Spanish, Latin, US Government, Macroeconmics, Microeconomics, American History.)</p>

<p>She goes to a private, independent prep school (pretty well-respected, but not near Choate/Andover or some school like that). No honors classes besides APs offered. </p>

<p>NO class rank.</p>

<p>SAT breakdown:
1st time: 1200 (end of soph year)
2nd time: 1290 (beginning of junior year)
3rd time: 1390 (December of junior year)</p>

<p>ACT:
One time: 29</p>

<p>Does not plan on taking ACT again, or SAT unless she has to (because of the new SAT w/writing). Is not going to take SAT IIs (unless she has to). No URM status. No leadership in her clubs. Upper-middle class.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Piano (no awards, played seven years)
Violin (no awards, played four years)
Swimming (NOT on swim team, but six hours a week on avg. for recreational)
School Newspaper Editor (two awards)
School Literary Magazine Editor (three years)
Academic Team (like a Quizbowl type club)
Multi-Cultural Club (three years)
Amnesty International (three years)
Respect for Life Club (one year)</p>

<p>Won a few awards for her excellence in art and writing.</p>

<p>What do you think? Please help!</p>

2

<p>You've given us very limited information. We need to know her GPA for all three years for these schools, not just her sophomore and junior years. And, I'd feel more comfortable giving predictions if we had details about how many years of math, science, languages, and other core classes she will have by graduation. </p>

<p>However, based solely on the information you've provided, here's how I would see her list:</p>

<p>Georgia Institute of Technology - Reach, and doesn't seem like a particularly good fit for someone with her interests in any case. Sticks out like a sore thumb with her other choices.
Agnes Scott College (GA) -match, likely acceptance
Randolph-Macon Woman's College (VA)- good bet, safety
Mount Holyoke College (MA)- reach, but a realistic one
Wellesley College (MA)- unrealistic reach, due to lowish grades and lack of demonstrated leadership
Occidental College (CA)- reachy match
University of Southern California- could be either a reach or a match, depending on the program she's applying for.
Pitzer College (Claremont, CA)- possible match, but reachy
Scripps College (Claremont)- reachy match
Claremont McKenna College (another Claremont)- reach, no demonstrated leadership</p>

<p>Based solely on the information you've provided, I'd say she needs to add some matches and safeties. Mills College in California might be a good safety if she is interested in women's colleges.</p>

3

<p>By the way, many of the schools on her list will require the NEW SAT test, so she had better plan on taking it in the fall (I think it is too late to register for this Saturday's test). Wellesley, for one, also requires two SAT II tests. Other schools, like Scripps, strongly recommend that you submit SAT II subject tests. Here's a list that shows the schools that will require the new SAT for people applying this year (fall 2005): <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com/prof/counselors/tests/sat/about/sat_require.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.collegeboard.com/prof/counselors/tests/sat/about/sat_require.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

4

<p>"We need to know her GPA for all three years for these schools, not just her sophomore and junior years. And, I'd feel more comfortable giving predictions if we had details about how many years of math, science, languages, and other core classes she will have by graduation."</p>

<p>She let me have her junior year semester transcripts so I could post on this site for advice, but I don't even know if she still kept her freshman/sophomore grades somewhere. I know she'll continue a full year of math, language, English and history next year, but I don't know how many science sememsters she'll take. </p>

<p>"Mills College in California might be a good safety if she is interested in women's colleges."</p>

<p>What about Sweet Briar College, too?</p>

5

<p>Sweet Briar is closer in feel to Randolph Macon and Agnes Scott so would be a good choice. Also, Hollins would be worth checking out as well. Good luck to your friend.</p>