<p>GPA: About 3.5 unweighted, very challenging private school
ACT: 32 (writing: 34)
Taken all Honors classes available
4 APs total this year
2 APs last year (US History, English Language, 5s on both)
Poet Laureate</p>
<p>2 Varsity sports, 3 years each
Extensive volunteer work, mostly with children (120+ hours)
Student government, 2 years (not a high-ranking position)
Student board of community service, 2 years (elected position)
Extended babysitting job abroad - summer
Attended exclusive writing program
National Honor Society - accepted in grade 11
Honor Roll all 4 years
Big school awards in film and poetry areas</p>
<ul>
<li>Strong, VERY individual essay</li>
<li>Strong recs (teachers + counselor know me well)</li>
<li>Skipped a language level</li>
<li>Geographical diversity</li>
</ul>
<p>Oberlin is more competitive than people realize. However, I do think it's a school where sports give you an edge. If I were you, assuming you're planning to continue one of your sports in college, I'd get in touch with that coach and make a pitch. My daughter applied with slightly lesser stats than some of her friends who were rejected. I think she may have been accepted because she wanted to play her sport, and the other kids were just your run-of-the-mill bright, liberal, artsy-humanities-environmentalist types - and Oberlin has more than enough of these. What they need is - a first baseman, a great tennis player, etc. This is a sample of one (well maybe 4 including her friends), but it proved out in her case. The other way to get accepted at Oberlin is early decision. The acceptance rates are much, much higher.</p>
<p>I know exactly what your going through. When I applied I had no idea where I would stand with the other applicants..I was kinda like u... the run in the mill smarty at the amazing high school where if U got a 1400 on your SATs you could breathe a sigh of relief for you were jsut about average. I had a GPA of 3.7 (but I had mostly 98 averages and up in all humanities based classes, math brought me down) and I took 6 APs my senior year with three others in sophmore and junior.... Oberlin was kindof a safety for me, but i loved it so much.
Oberlin loves Essays, SAT scores and Alumni. If you have those three or one of the three you are game. In the past approximately 60% of all graduate married someone who had gone to oberlin or they had met at oberlin. So aside from a breeding ground they are taking in whole families. I met girls when i visited who were 3rd generation obies! So they look at alumni totally differently, almost like the ivies do.
I think you should really consider what snorky said too; i was planning on playing tennis in college, and i know it gave me that extra edge when the admissions committee was looking at me as an all around person, for they knew that I was going to offer alot more than other kids just applying to mingle with the clove smoking vegeterians oberlin is known to embrace. Good luck!! I hope to see u in ohio come next august</p>