<p>hello~</p>
<p>a good friend of mine who will be attending sarah lawrence college in ny for the 2010-11 school year recommended reed college to me after i told her that i wanted to attend college in the pacific nw (preferably portland) and was pretty sure that i wanted to take the liberal arts route. for the past 4 months or so i have been doing extensive research on this school and cannot find one that is more appealing to me! everytime i think of reed college, i honestly think, "yes this is the school for me." yes, i am only a rising sophmore but i don't think it is too early for me to start thinking of college. this upcoming school year i will be taking AP french and AP european history along w/all honors core and elective classes(except for p.e.) and my junior/senior year almost all of my core classes will be AP classes(and french 6+7 if they still offer it then). i am active in about 3 school clubs and volunteer at the science museum of virginia regularly. i have read the statistics about reed--how the average high school GPA is around a 3.9 and the extremely high SAT scores. i think that my GPA for this school year was around a 3.6(unweighted) but i will have to check again. i have a few questions though--</p>
<ol>
<li>what other things should i do that will make my chances of getting into reed easier when i apply?</li>
<li>does being a minority help or hinder college applications?</li>
<li>does this college (or colleges in general) look at weighted or unweighted GPAs?</li>
<li>do my chances look good so far if i bring up my GPA by senior year?</li>
<li>i know that reed has a sociology dept., but do they also have one for social work?</li>
</ol>
<p>Being a minority could help some if you’re a URM and not a ORM.</p>
<p>I’d like to preface with two things: Welcome, fellow Frenchie 
We gotta stick together; I’m only a rising senior, but I know enough to answer some of your questions.</p>
<p>Anyway, like you said, you’re only a rising sophomore! It’s amazing that you’re getting some college research done so early (I did practice visits end of soph year, actual research that summer), but you should enjoy high school for now. However, it looks like you’re doing well so far. One thing you should know about Reed is that stats are not everything, not even close. It’s your attitude towards learning and towards the college that really makes or breaks you (and the essays, obviously). You need to really want to go there for learning, because you’re going to be doing a lot of it.
But, bringing your GPA up never hurts! It sounds like you’re on your way to being a good Reed applicant. I personally have a GPA around 3.7 through three years, and my first SAT was a 2120. Yet, I know that Reed is a perfect match for me, considering the fact that I love learning, and I love really rigorous academic work (especially in French+linguistics, can’t get enough!). I know some colleges recalculate your weighted GPA, but not all. My school gives UW, so I’ve never had to worry about that.
Finally, what kind of minority are you, if you don’t mind my asking?</p>
<ol>
<li>The “Why Reed?” essay is one of the more important parts of the application that sets you apart from a bunch of numbers. You could also apply Early Decision if it’s still your first choice in a few years. </li>
<li>Being a minority usually helps, especially as Reed is trying to attract more diverse students. They even have a summer program for minority HS students…</li>
<li>Probably unweighted, but I really have no idea. Personally, I think it’s a little ridiculous when people are talking about 4.6 gpas, etc.</li>
<li>Admissions to any school that’s fairly competitive is always a toss-up. The nice thing about Reed is that they aren’t solely about your stats and perhaps weigh the intangibles- like your desire to attend and the “fit”- a little more strongly than other schools. Maybe next summer you could try to visit and see if it’s actually like what you’ve been imagining.</li>
<li>Reed doesn’t have any majors that are vocationally-oriented, i.e. anything useful. Haha, I am kind of (but not really) joking. No, there’s no social work major, or journalism, or nursing, or finance, or anything of the sort. You have to get a more general lib-artsy major. Reed also doesn’t offer minors, for some odd reason.
Reed majors here: [Reed</a> College | Academic Programs](<a href=“http://academic.reed.edu/]Reed”>http://academic.reed.edu/)
More info on Reed application process here: [Reed</a> Magazine: Many Apply. Few are Chosen. (5/5)](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/reed_magazine/spring2008/features/many_apply/5.html]Reed”>Reed Magazine: Many Apply. Few are Chosen. (5/5))</li>
</ol>
<p>well, i’m african american, and i know that reed, along w/a lot of other private liberal arts colleges, do not have many african americans there so i think this might actually help my chances. i really enjoy french–my best friend and i begun it in the 6th grade and are continuing. i want to get college credit for AP french so i will most likely purchase one of those AP french practice/study books that are suppose to enhance one’s chances to score a 4/5 on the exam. i think that one of the reasons that i have been so excited about the idea of college is because, to be honest, i’m not very interested in high school 
i know it’s suppose to be the ‘four best years’ of one’s life but i dont really see it. everyone is so catty and annoying and there is too much drama. eventhough i go to a pretty good public high school that has been ranked as a nationally recognized school (James River High School–Midlothian VA) no one is very driven towards academics. there are a select few students who are, but eventhough i love spending time w/my friends, no one really is focused on work. which is why i like reed. the work load there is enormous, but ive always liked learning and reading, which i think would help me if i did go there. when i do apply to reed(im thinking of applying early decision but im not sure for now) i would really like to do an interview, since that helps. the fact that there is a summer program there for hs students is great but i, unfortunately, live on the other side of the country–in virginia so that is unfortunately unlikely hhaa. and can someone tell me about reed’s dual degrees/majors? im interested in biology/biochemistry but also possibly international relations and affairs. someone have any info on that?</p>
<p>Double majors at Reed are EXTREMELY difficult and kind of rare there.
You see, as the admissions guy giving our presentation said, you have to graduate Reed twice. Of course once is after your senior year, but another is after your junior year…
After your junior year, you have to take an exam called the “Qual” that gets you into senior year in your major/thesis field. The length depends on the subject (like I heard the math one is you have to solve 6 majorly hard problems out of 10 in three hours), but they’re all obviously difficult. So, you have to take two of those if you want to double major. Then, during your senior year, you have to write a thesis paper. These tend to take all year and involve a hugely substantial amount of work. You need to write two to graduate with a double major. But, it’s definitely not unheard of, and I’m considering double-majoring in French and linguistics myself!
Well, the best preparation advice I can give you for the AP French exam is take the AP class…obviously. Only in the class can you get actual feedback for your essays/speaking. Plus no answer key replaces a teacher; he/she can answer any questions you have about the listening among answer other possibly obscure questions you might have. I mean, I personally didn’t study for the exam outside of my AP class, and I think I did fine…
Haha I know how it is with the other side of the country…Connecticut here. But, if anything, that’ll show more your commitment to the college if you manage the trek out there!</p>
<p>yeah, i’ve heard and read alot about the junior qual examinations and the huge theses from not only the reed website, but other reed student reviews. i’ve heard that it takes many people 6 years to graduate from reed. could i perhaps talk to a school counselor or higher up if in a few years i was still interested about in a double major and get his/her advice on it? and also, have any details on reed’s study abroad programs?</p>
<p>Reed pays all the travel expenses for the minority recruitment program or whatever they call it. And it’s actually in the fall, not the summer and is only for HS seniors. More information here: [Reed</a> College | Admission | Reed College Admission Office](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/apply/mspd/details.html]Reed”>http://www.reed.edu/apply/mspd/details.html)</p>
<p>Double-majoring is near impossible though there are like 2-3 students each year who manage it. I’d assume you’d have to add at least one extra year to finish two majors as there are quite a few distribution requirements and then major requirements. Another option is to make your own major by combining two departments-- you have to write a compelling proposal as to why you can’t just major in one or the other department, and that usually means having a pretty good idea of what you want your thesis to be… then you may have to do 2 quals, depending on the departments. There are also pre-existing interdisciplinary majors including Biochemistry and International and Comparative Policy Studies (ICPS), which is the closest thing to international relations…</p>
<p>All students are supposed to have at least second year proficiency in a foreign language before graduating, so in a way it’s kind of like a minor… you could definitely continue with French studies without majoring in French.</p>
<p>There are study-abroad options but in general study-abroad doesn’t seem as wildly popular as at some other LACs. Not to say that students don’t study abroad, but just that it isn’t a feature of the college that is widely promoted. More info: [Reed</a> College | International Programs | International Programs](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/ipo/cip.html]Reed”>http://www.reed.edu/ipo/cip.html)</p>
<p>I’m going to be a senior next year and I have been looking at Reed as a dream school. If i can raise my current score of 1930 to somewhere in the 2000s, I’m hoping I have a chance. The fact that it is already a dream school concerns me because i would have loved to double major and/or study abroad. If only 2 or 3 people manage to double major, and they are probably geniuses, does it make it impossible for someone like me? I’ve loved everything I’ve read about reed, but would it be worth to apply? Do i have even a chance at being accepted?</p>
<p>If Reed is your dream school, then it doesn’t hurt to apply. But make sure to put a lot of effort into your application, especially the “Why Reed?” essay… don’t just write it off that you could never get in anyway, so why bother…</p>
<p>But if it doesn’t really line up with what you want to do, then maybe you should reconsider if Reed is actually a good fit for you. You could definitely study abroad if you wanted to while at Reed, but double majoring is quite difficult and there are a lot of other great colleges which make double majoring easier. (I was triple majoring before I transferred to Reed. Which is ridiculous.) Do you know what you’d want to double major in? Does Reed offer those majors? Their pickings ARE somewhat slim…</p>
<p>I don’t think that a 1930 would disqualify you at all… really, your SAT scores are not the most important factor in admissions.</p>
<p>It’s really important to do your research but I don’t know if you can truly understand what Reed is/isn’t unless you visit. It would probably be helpful if you were able to see the campus, sit in on some classes, talk with professors and students and then decide if it would be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>Also, just a guess, but the crazy people who double major most likely aren’t geniuses, but organizational whiz kids who probably knew exactly what they wanted to do when they started and planned out the next 4-5 years accordingly.</p>
<p>They also probably take some extra time to graduate, which isn’t uncommon (Orwell is turning in his grave XD).</p>
<p>Someone above mentioned that Reed requires a year of foreign language for graduation.</p>
<p>Just want to jump in to say that this isn’t quite true. Reed has distribution requirements, and one of their distribution requirements is two units ( full year) of Mathematics, Logic, OR Foreign Language OR Linguistics</p>
<p>It’s possible therefore to fulfill this requirement without ever taking a foreign language by taking two units in math or two units of logic, or two units of linguistics. However, some individual departments do require or strongly encourage proficiency in a foreign language for their majors separate from the overall institutional requirements.</p>
<p>I strongly advise anyone who is considering Reed to look very closely at the specifics of their academic requirements. Reed’s curriculum is somewhat inflexible compared to many other colleges due to the distribution requirements and the limitations the required humanities seminar place on you in freshman year. Many intro. courses in different subject areas (especially the sciences, which are another distribution requirement) are also FULL YEAR courses, or require you to have completed Hum before you can take them, which also limits your academic choices quite a bit. </p>
<p>Bottomline: Someone who is hoping to have a lot of freedom in course selection and to explore a lot of different subjects in college AND still graduate in four years might want to consider a school with a more open and flexible curriculum such as Brown or Vassar.</p>
<p>Here’s the link to Reed’s distribution requirements - be sure to read this carefully BEFORE you decide Reed is your “dream college” —
[College</a> Catalog - Reed College](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/catalog/edu_program.html]College”>The Educational Program - Catalog - Reed College)</p>
<p>Just want to jump in to say that this isn’t quite true. Reed has distribution requirements, and one of their distribution requirements is two units ( full year) of Mathematics, Logic, OR Foreign Language OR Linguistics</p>
<p>This is correct.
My daughter had through 5th yr Spanish in high school & she needed math anyway for her major so that took care of that distribution rec ( although I admit, I don’t understand why math & language are in same category)</p>
<p>A 1930 won’t hurt at ALL. I’m going to Reed next year and I had 1860 on my SATs and a 3.75 GPA. I had over 900 community service hours, and I had a really thoughtful essay and writing sample. </p>
<p>I think the best way to determine whether Reed is the place for you is to visit. When I visited, I fell in love with the school like no other and I knew it was where I wanted to be.</p>
<p>Your “Why Reed” essay is going to be really important, but write honestly. They’ll be able to tell whether you’re using an essay from another school and changing the name or if you’re just summarizing websites and internet posts from Reedies and not writing originally.
Reed’s a special place and they want to know that you understand that and all what Reed is about. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, good luck!</p>
<p>BTW: I’m a person of color (Half Asian Indian, half white) and I applied for the Multicultural Scholars Preview Days. You’ll start hearing about it fall of your senior year. You have to submit a transcript and an essay about what you would contribute to MSPD. I didn’t get accepted into the program, but they kept my essay in my file (and waived my application fee!) and they might have read it over again while reading my application.
It showed from the start that I was interested in the school, and I got to discuss issues that I felt were important and didn’t have a chance to write about otherwise in my application.</p>