Please Help

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bowdoin College
1

<p>While I am aware of my low stats…would I stand a chance in the applicant pool if I did not submit scores? Well here it is…</p>

<p>1st generation Korean-American
Born in Georgia, now residing in suburbs in California
Income bracket <40,000</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.67 weighted
Rank: 4/517 (for now…I think I will be moving up to 2/517 by next year)
PSAT: 190
SAT: ugh…690M, 650W, 640CR----I am currently studying to retake in Oct…my goal is to get 730+M, 700+W, 700CR
SAT II: 660 Math IIC, 670Bio E, 710 US History—retaking in Nov.</p>

<p>Special Circumstances: nothing really, except that I moved from GA to CA in the second semester of my sophomore year and that GA did not offer AP classes to sophomores…so I technically had only 1 semester of AP World History…</p>

<p>10th:
AP World History: A (5 on exam)</p>

<p>11th:
Pre-IB Pre Calc/AP Calc AB: A
AP English Language: A
AP US History: A
AP Biology: A</p>

<p>12th:
AP English
AP Calculus BC
AP Art History
AP Govt
AP Economics
AP Physics</p>

<p>EC’s:

  1. National Honor Society 2 years</p>

<li><p>California Scholarship Federation 2.5 years </p></li>
<li><p>Latin Club 4 years (founder/instructor)
I had previously taken Latin in GA however, moving to CA which did not offer Latin, I decided to create a latin club and teach latin I and the culture to those interested)
I also took the National Latin Exam for Latin I and got bronze medal</p></li>
<li><p>Future Doctors of America 2 years (founder/co-president)
Basically, we bring guest speakers to our club meetings (neurosurgeons to pediatric cardiologists) who talk about their occupations, do volunteer work at local hospitals/Red Cross, and provide hands on experience to those interested in pursuing a medical profession.</p></li>
<li><p>LiNK-Liberty in North Korea 3 years (co-secretary/promotions director/public relations)
Spreading awareness upon the humanitarian crisis in North Korea and doing humanitarian activist promotions (ie: organized an all-day LiNK awareness assembly at school, protests in front of the Chinese Embassy in LA, sending petitions to various embassies and release North Korean detainees, host a benefit concert and raise $5,000 for SAFE Haven orphanages in China that are posts involved in an Underground Railroad to help NK refugees) I am a great advocate for this cause while many ppl in my church have dissapproved b/c they feel that I am simply straining the already tense relations our motherland: SKorea and NKorea and US. Nevertheless, I this issue itself is my passion and energy not only b/c of the horrendous atrocities being committed right under noses but also b/c some of my family members are in NKorea right now…and so, its not only a matter of human decency but of ultimate necessity. </p></li>
<li><p>Model UN 2 years (cofounder/activities director)
My involvement in LiNK led me to intiate our school’s 1st MUN chapter. (our school just opened in 2004…hence our class is the 1st graduating class for 2007!)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Here are the colleges I am interested in applying…
Bowdoin—if not Bates/Colby?
Barnard
Carleton
University of Chicago
Wellesley
Middlebury
Emory
UCB
Macalester
UCLA
UCSD
Scripps
Mount Holyoke</p>

2

<p>it's hard to say. I think your application might look like a lot of other people's. But, you are an awesome student. You should definitely apply... it's really quite likely that you will get in. You just can't tell these days. I would suggest not showing any interest in Bowdoin (they seem to reject the kids who do that). Bates and Colby are also great options-- you will probably get into one of the three Maine schools.</p>

3

<p>wait...i am confused...i shouldn't show any interest in Bowdoin? how come?</p>

4

<p>I would disagree with that... I think showing interest in Bowdoin would HELP, not hurt, your chances of admission. They want people who are going to be excited about the college and about being a part of this community, not somebody who is going to apply to Bowdoin only to turn it down for another school.</p>

<p>And you definitely seem like a good candidate for admission... you can never predict those things, but if I were you I just wouldn't submit the SAT scores and make sure to write a great personal essay. Good luck!</p>

5

<p>Your SATs are fine, but I wouldn't bother submitting them.Your chances look really good to me.</p>

6

<p>i believe several of the schools on your list require SATs?</p>

7

<p>Yes, many are, I believe. But even with the current SAT scores, I believe her chances are decent at most of the schools on her list.</p>

8

<p>I also had another question...what are some differing characteristics of the three maine schools? I mean they send me their brochures but they all seem to be the same...anything unique? If you were me, which would you prefer?</p>

9

<p>also, I can't afford to do campus visits so please be descriptive if possible-_-;</p>

10

<p>also, how does Bowdoin's financial aid fare? tuition fees are a big concern for our family...</p>

11

<p>I was sorta kidding about not showing interest in Bowdoin. It just seems like Bowdoin rejects all the applicants who show a lot of interest, and accepts the seemingly as or less qualified app., who didn't show any interest. But it's like that at every elite college.
Bowdoin probably draws a lot of attention to itself (and a lot of strong applicants) because of its high USNEWS ranking, it does quite a bit better than the Maine rivals Bates and Colby. Bowdoin also has a substantially higher endowment and great resources. Bowdoin is known to be reallly preppy, and a bit stuck up. Colby is seen as being athletic and preppy. Bates is also preppy, but the most "hippie" out of the schools. I think I would go for Bates if I got into all three (maybe Bowdoin). Bates is laid back and everyone is really nice, not mention awesome opportunities, killer education, cool campus, but really just a lot of fun. You'll have to visit... after you get in. They are all pretty damn hard to get in to. Give it a shot. I will be too!</p>

12

<p>oh, you're from Cali. I think the competition for Californian applicants is pretty tough at Bowdoin.</p>

13

<p>anyone else on financial aid?</p>

14

<p>yeah, they are need blind-- but all the Maine schools are. I think Bates is kown to give the most aid.</p>

15

<p>are you sure? they are known to have low endownment....</p>

16

<p>Bowdoin and Colby are both need blind but Bates is not. Bates does not offer aid to all students who qualify for aid: </p>

<p><a href="http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=708&profileId=2%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://apps.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=708&profileId=2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

17

<p>meeting 100% of matriculants' financial need is not the same as having need blind admissions. A school is need-blind only if it does not take into account an applicant's financial need when making an admissions decision. In truth, none of the Maine schools are 100% need-blind.</p>

<p>The 568 Presidents' Group Member Institutions seen below are the only schools that hold a completely need-blind stance towards admissions</p>

<p><a href="http://568group.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://568group.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Amherst College
Boston College
Brown University
Claremont-McKenna College
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Duke University
Emory University
Georgetown University
Grinnell College
Haverford College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College
Northwestern University
Pomona College
Rice University
Swarthmore College
University of Chicago
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Williams College
Yale University</p>

18

<p>The 568 group follows a particular method for determining financial need. Its members may believe that method to be superior or more accurate to methods followed by nonmembers but that does not mean that nonmembers do not follow a need blind policy of admissions.</p>

19

<p>Okay, Bates is not 'need blind' (I looked on the web page). BUT Bates has the highest percentage of students receiving fin aid out of the Maine schools (44%). Although Bates is the most expensive out of the three, it has a reputation to be the least rich and preppy. Bates' endowment is significantly lower than the other two (but it is growing amazingly quickly). Bates is really a great college. It depends what you are looking for. You have to visit.</p>

20

<p>Bates is also the least racially diverse of the Maine LACS</p>