Reed and other LACs

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I guess I want to do know a rough estimate of my chances are; at Reed in particular, but also Occidental, Pitzer, and Whitman.
Also UCSC, The University of Washington at Seattle and BU i suppose</p>

<p>I go to a challenging humanities magnet in the LAUSD, a top public school, I take nearly all honors classes in academics; it has a very similar curiculum to the first year program at Reed or Whitman. There are nearly 4,500 kids in the whole school. Only 400 or so graduate I’m in the top 20% (I think) the top 10% cuts off at 4.0 UW. </p>

<p>Stats:
GPA: 3.65
3.6 UC GPA</p>

<p>SAT: 2120 (650 M, 690 W, 780 CR)
SAT IIs: None yet, I project an 700-800 US 600-700 Lit</p>

<p>APs:
11th grade- AP US
12th grade- AP stats, AP gov, AP lit </p>

<p>9th grade CTY summer program<br>
10th grade elective summer school
11th grade community college courses and work </p>

<p>Extras:
I couldn't play sports or an instrument because of physical disability </p>

<p>9,10,11,12: Debate (President, I went to states)
9,10,11, 12?: School paper (Opinions editor, hopefully managing editor next year)
11, 12: School News Program Host
11, 12: School PA announcements for leadership
12: Tutor in humanities
LA Youth News Paper
LA Youth Council </p>

<p>My essays will most likely be good.
My recs will be excellent I have at least three lined up.</p>

<p>Since I have a summer until I apply what can I do to help beef up my resume?</p>

2

<p>Chances good to excellent at all of them. Your GPA is low, but since it's a magnet program, it should be OK. Your SATS are pretty good- if you can bring up the writing and even the math it would help. You have leadership. In the summer- try to do something more in journalism and writing. That seems to be your focus. U Washington might be tough for out of staters, not sure.</p>

3

<p>(its interesting that you would pick out BU, a huuuuuge school spread out in a city, as well as small LACs with a closeknit community. just an observation)</p>

4

<p>Yeah, I am for sure leaning towards a small liberal arts college. But, BU's location is really nice and it is good for graduate school, plus I heard it's not very hard to get into; the same with UW. USCS is more because it is cheaper and has small "houses" within the school. I haven't actually visited anywhere but UCSC and Pitzer.</p>

5

<p>You have some possible hooks: Magnet school, disability, debate, journalism, leadership, tutor, government.</p>

<p>For admitted classes, most schools publish their mid-50%tile GPA and/or SAT ranges on their web sites. Let's say you can choose 12 schools you would attend (e.g., if any one of the twelve would admit you). Pick most to get you into the 25% to 75% range, and a few reach schools down to 1% or 5%.</p>

<p>For example, Reed's average weighted GPA is 4.0; you didn't say if your 3.65 is weighted. The 50%tile SAT range is 1280 to 1470 (1600 scale; Reed doesn't use W); your 1430 comes in at 64%, which should give you a good SAT chance.</p>

<p>If you spread your percentiles something like 2 at 5 to 10, 2 at 15 to 20, and 8 at 25 to 75, you might get 2 denies, 2 waitlists and 8 admits, but which ones are which could surprise you. And what a good situation you would be in if Reed were your first choice, and you were at 64%! However, there is no guarantee that your hooks work, or that Reed finds you a good match. Your chances at ED are probably better than at RD.</p>

<p>This is all way too much into numbers, but as a starting point, you have the objective numbers to at least <em>look</em> at to try to get some idea of where you have what chances.</p>

<p>Paul Marthers' essay "Admissions Messages vs. Admissions Realities" at <a href="http://web.reed.edu/apply/news_and_articles/admission_messages.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.reed.edu/apply/news_and_articles/admission_messages.html&lt;/a> tells about selection at Reed and some similar schools.</p>

<p>For the west coast, you might add UCSD, Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Lewis & Clark, Puget Sound and Willamette.</p>

6

<p>It's 3.68 AP weighted all three years, but not honors, with honors weighted the GPA shoots up; my highschool doesn't weight honors though, I'm not sure if Reed does.
But, I see what you are saying, does it also matter how many people apply there from my school?</p>

7

<p>The selection process at private schools is more subjective than at public schools like UC, such that technical issues of AP vs. Honors course weightings can be considered or overlooked. Your teacher recommendations will give details where the numbers do not.</p>

<p>It can matter how many apply from your school. LACs typically value many forms of diversity, and too many from one school can defeat the purpose. But "too many" is relative. If your large high school generally has, say, 10 to 20 applicants to Reed, but this year you are number 30 of 40, your chances will probably be lower. But if you are in the middle of the pack of the usual number of applicants from your school, it shouldn't make much difference.</p>