Please please chance me :D

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
1

<p>I'm an in-state junior (female, Puerto Rican) and have desperately chased the dream of attending William and Mary for a solid five years of my existence. My school notably sends about five or six seniors to W&M each year; however, my class is not only extremely competent, but incredibly competitive. Here are my credentials:</p>

<p>Academics:
Weighted GPA: 3.95
Class Rank: 36/452 (top 10%)</p>

<p>Junior Schedule:</p>

<p>AP Calculus AB
AP English Composition
AP US History
AP Psychology
H Physics
H Spanish 4
Studio Art</p>

<p>Senior Schedule:</p>

<p>AP Stats
AP English Literature
AP Physics B
AP Gov't
AP Studio Art
AP Human Geography
Teachers for Tomorrow
(I'll graduate with 11 AP classes)</p>

<p>Scores:
Reading - 740
Math - 660
Writing - 720
No SAT II
ACT - 32</p>

<p>Extra Goodness:
-Model United Nations - three years, historian for two.
-Art Club - two years, secretary for one.
-National Art Honor Society - founded the chapter at my school this year and have been elected as president for my senior year.
-Project Uganda (affiliated with Invisible Children's Schools for Schools program, if anyone's heard of it) - founded the chapter at my school, stuck with it for two years.
-Varsity Swim - boys' manager, one year.
-National Honor Society - JUST got accepted like a week ago :P I'll be running for historian.
-Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society) - one year.
-Student Council Association - secretary, one year.
-Magnet Council (my school is the art magnet school in our city) - executive councilperson for one year, and just got my papers to run for president for next year.
-Girl Scouts since the 8th grade. I've got my Silver Award and am in the process of achieving my Gold Award (comparable to Eagle Scout Award in Boy Scouts) in my senior year. </p>

<p>In all of my honor societies I've done volunteer work that corresponds to approximately 100 hours of community service. For the past three summers I've been earning honors-weighted credit at a selective art studio sponsored by the city's public school system and working toward my AP portfolio. This year I'll be working two jobs along with volunteering at the Virginia Living Museum to raise some money for college, seeing as how the DOW has eaten my college funds. I also hope to hear from the National Hispanic Recognition Program regarding my junior PSAT score. </p>

<p>I consider myself a pretty well-rounded individual: I am a devout Christian, who enjoys hiking, fine Thai food, Dostoevsky, Baroque pop and long walks on the beach (though I might not want to put that one in my optional essay). I actively participate in class projects. In fact, this past Homecoming I designed and helped to orchestrate the hanging of a four-foot by four-foot Rubik's Cube from the ceiling of our two-story hall in honor of the junior class's theme (the overall theme was different decades in time, and the juniors were assigned "The 80s"). The project took about 20 hours to complete and was probably one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had...I guess you had to be there. The school spirit just resonated. </p>

<p>Anyhow, I'm open to comments, and I have some questions of my own. Would I be considered more competitive if I were to take some SAT IIs? Would it be wiser to turn in my SAT (after I improve my math, that is) or my ACT (or can I do both?) Will my non-academic use of time during my summer vacations hinder my application? How could I effectively integrate my personality and interests (which I think could make up for what might be considered a slightly shoddy GPA) into my application? Thank you so much for your consideration and the many, MANY minutes you have just spent reading this post :D</p>

2

<p>Oh, and I plan on applying early decision, obviously.</p>

3

<p>I would say you have a greater than average chance. I’m not sure of the importance of SAT IIs to W&M. I would spend more time trying to up the math SAT score (and always at least try for a better reading score as well). Someone else may know better, but I would send in both the SAT and ACT scores. Many people (including myself) got in without doing any serious academic projects over the summer (I don’t count summer hw as part of that).</p>

<p>And are you not going to take AP Spanish? Anyway, working on the GPA should be a top priority as well, imho. Good luck!</p>

4

<p>its really going to come down to be authentic in your pursuits, and making sure that your application shows that. </p>

<p>write some original essays and you’ll have a good shot.</p>

5

<p>My D is OOS and was accepted to W&M this year. Here are her stats so you can have an idea. Take into account you are instate so the credentials may not be the same. I hope this helps.
SAT 720M 670CR 670W
1/183
GPA Unweighted 4.0 Weighted 4.75
AP Scholar
President of High School & NHS</p>

<h1>1 Tennis and Captain</h1>

<p>Captain of Varsity Softball Team
Lead Lawyer Mock Trial Team
1st Chair Oboe, All County 1st Chair Oboe
Piano Soloist
Relay for Life, Red Cross Volunteer, Soup Kitchen Volunteer, Tutor
Took the most challenging courses offered at High School</p>

6

<p>SAT-II’s are for class placement at W&M, so not a worry for admission.</p>

<p>Pretty much agree with the other writers;</p>

<ol>
<li><p>See if you can get that GPA up a bit; realize that any “concerns” about your ability to do the work can be resolved or justified by your AP performance now, in your junior year. Solid grades this semester can overcome, for example, bad grades freshman year. Fight for every point for the rest of the semester.</p></li>
<li><p>While your standardized test scores are good, it’s always better to see a ‘700’ on each section. With a reasonable amount of time spent this summer with prep books and taking sample tests, you can get that 660 up to 700+.</p></li>
<li><p>Essays are the best place to reflect your personality and who you are; I think the general consensus is that a strong essay can overcome a multitude of other “sins”, so spend a lot of time on them. mock09 used the right word, here - “authentic” - an essay can’t be some self-conscious and pretentious list of reasons you’re great, or an insincere paint-by-numbers portrait that tries to “push all the buttons”, one at a time, or some faux-whimsical over-the-top caricature of a person you’re not. Sincerity, authenticity, and writing in your true voice are what you’re after. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I think you have a good shot as it is, but admission has been so insanely competitive (and apparently, unpredictable) lately, best to try not to leave anything to chance …</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

7

<p>Gosh, feetforwalking, if it were up to me you’d be in. But keep in mind there are lots of great schools out there besides William & Mary. The New York Times has a new blog called The Choice, about the college decision, that you might want to start reading just to see how other smart kids like yourself are approaching the whole college thing.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I’ll definitely be retaking the SAT for math, and I’ll try to bump my GPA up as well. I’ve heard that the essay is a tremendous factor in colleges like W&M, so that’ll be one of my major priorities this summer. To here<em>to</em>help: I’m not a native speaker, nor am I very interested in taking the course my school has to offer (the teacher isn’t entirely competent). Maybe I’ll take the exam later; for now, I’d rather take the APHG course. To undecided: Thanks for your daughter’s creds! They’re very impressive. </p>

<p>I’m also planning to apply to Kenyon, U of Rochester, U of Richmond, Salem and Carleton, but I will certainly look into The Choice. Thanks :D</p>