@PMrolam Yup! The writing scores were messed up for a few this time. Unfortunate! Obviously, a class that I can get into and build things! Sounds so much more fun. Good luck!
I’m really hesitating about applying to Reed for ED2 now, or at all to be honest. My gpa isn’t terrible considering I was out of school a lot due to ongoing health issues for the first two years of high school, while taking IB classes. But my ACT score is just barely above the national average which quite frankly isn’t that good, especially when considering Reed’s average scores. I took that blasted test two times now, and got the exact same score. I’ll take it one last time this week, but I’m just really discouraged about it. I know it’s called a “reach” school for a reason, but I just don’t want to set myself up for rejection, which seems like that damage has already been done at this point.
Don’t lose hope @Loonytunes , I can understand the general resentment towards the SAT tests. I also got a score which is slightly below Reeds average and after a six month preparation focusing entirely on math… I get the EXACT same score on math as I did a year ago, but higher on reading and writing. It was a kick to my nether regions for sure, but Reed has been on my list since day one, it was the only school with which I had an interview. I might not get accepted, but at this point, with no cost to apply, I’ll shoot.
What other colleges are you thinking about applying to?
@LooneyTunes Definitely don’t give up! From looking through past ED threads, it seems that Reed accepts applicants with much lower sat/gpas on ED than they do Regular. Some sources have put their acceptance rate for ED up to even 70%. If you can afford going to Reed, I think it’s def worth the boost in acceptance rate to stay on. Also, look at their last date to accept act scores. But yeah, hang in there! If you have strong recs and essays, you still have a shot.
Honestly, you’ll never know until you try @LooneyTunes. Apart from their acceptance rate being higher for ED Applicants, Reed really does look at the application from all angles. My GPA is FAAAAAR below the average GPA for Reed (which is like 4.0!!!) but i’ve still applied because I feel I’m a great fit for Reed. So don’t worry about your scores. Also, more and more colleges are beginning to realise that SAT/ACT are the worst indicators of success, and i’m sure Reed knows that too.
If you truly feel that you want to go to Reed, ED it. Like I said, you won’t know until you truly try.
8 DAYS REMAINING
I’m applying ED2 to Reed! Woo!
Do any of you know if Reed’s average GPA is weighted or unweighted?
Don’t stress out about the average GPA stuff.
Is anyone else struggling to write the supplement?? It’s so frustrating because I know exactly what I want to write about and think it’s a pretty cool idea, but it just isn’t coming together. My counselor also seemed very enthusiastic when we spoke at his visit to my high school and said it was a very unique topic. I just love Reed so much that I’m freaking my own self out!
@Marihorror I already submitted my app but it took a whole month of brainstorming before I finally got a solid idea down. Then it took an additional two weeks of working with my English teacher. I edited a million different drafts until we finally felt I hit the nail on the head and was accurately expressing my ideas on paper.
Honestly the best strategy is to just write it all out. When you’re totally feeling it just write/type all your ideas out. Don’t focus on the order or anything at all just let it flow. You’ll most likely end up with an extremely rough draft. Get together with someone who’s opinion you trust and value (usually helps if it’s a teacher/counselor but whoever you think you’d work best with) to give you some feedback on it. And just keep working from there. With the Paideia topic it’s easy to ramble since it asks you to write about one of your interests/passions so it helps to have an outsider’s perspective to let you know if your essay is clear and understandable. Still include passion in your writing though because I really think that’s the whole point of the essay. Oh and I would suggest not to make it sound so much like a school paper; strictly informative. Make sure your voice is still coming through because they really want to see you shine through above all else.
Best of luck! If you have any other questions I’ll be happy to help!
@AGoodFloridian @sailout @blueshoe00 Thank you guys for those words of encouragement. I think a lot of that was just my own frustration talking. I really despise the ACT/SAT tests and have a tendency to blank out completely on those. I’m so much more comfortable with writing essays, and don’t understand why how well you perform on a multiple choice test can somehow mirror your ability on how well you’ll do in college. I wish Reed was test optional. I’m also applying to New College of Florida, Bard College, Agnes Scott College, Whitman College, Hampshire College, Emerson College, and Sarah Lawrence College. Those schools have a similar open curriculum to Reed, but still Reed is my first choice. I would have sent in my application already had it not been for both of my teachers procrastinating on my recommendations. I have a bad feeling that it’ll be on the eve of December 20th is when it will be submitted.
By the way, anxious EDI people, Reed won’t be sending out emails with decisions this year, just packages/letters. Does anyone know if the packages have been send via USPS in the past or what?
I didn’t know that. I guess that means we won’t receive the package until a couple days after the 15th?
@jasmineanais That doesn’t apply to international students though. Here is what they wrote on their blog:
“Important EDI announcement:
We’ve decided that we will not be notifying EDI applicants by email, only by snail mail. The decisions will still be sent out on December 15th. (Hopefully this only increases the excitement of receiving an epic acceptance box.) However, we’ll still be sending decisions to any international students by email. So sorry for the confusion!”
I’m an international and I’m gonna apply to Reed with RD choice. It was a pity that I missed the ED II deadline so I had to apply RD :((
HI guys,
So eager to hear your decisions.
@mpthuytien the ED II deadline is 20th of December. You still have about 9 days to apply ED II. You can send an email and ask them if you can change your RD to ED.
@Loonytunes the point of holistic admission is that not everyone can be a complete circle or well rounded. So if you believe the other parts of your application are great, I don’t see any reason why you cannot get in. just believe in yourself and the fact that Reed has a tendency to consider every aspect of applications.
I hope that all of you guys get in. The new notification systems seems a little bit weird, but I think they have decided to be a little bit unconventional this year. And since this is Reed we are talking about, I cannot say this was a complete shock.
Good luck guys.
P.S Also can you guys start posting your stats? Just for further encouragement.
@PMrolam You have a great point about Reed. Logically, I highly doubt i’ll be admitted in ED1, i’m expecting a deferral, as is my counsellor just because I have a weak transcript - but only in the last year. So i’m expecting they’ll really want to look at my mid year grades before making a final decision.
My stats are somewhere in the beginning, most likely the first page.
@PMrolam I mean I missed the dealine for CSS :(( CSS deadline for ED II applicants is December 1 unfortunately 
My stat:
3.84 GPA unweighted
1300/2030 SAT
ECs: MUN, coffee shop manager since 16, president of teens entrepreneur club, founder of Vietnams food rescue, part time writers for two magazine, private tutor since grade 10th, 300+ community service
Common app essay is pretty good
Assuming rec letters are good considering close relationships with teachers
Hope to know stats of you guys
mpthuytien, I missed the CSS deadline of December 1 too, but I talked to my college counselor about it and she called them about why the deadline for the CSS profile was before the deadline for the application, and they said it was fine to send it in with your application, and its actual deadline is December 20. You can call them also to confirm, but that’s what they said for me. I think you can still apply ED.
My stat:
19.48 out of 20 weighted. If you consider a curve in my GPA, I would be around 3.95. if not I would be around 3.75.
ACT:
Composite:35 English:35 Math:34 Reading:33 Science:36
TOEFL:
Total:106 Reading:28 Listening:29 Speaking:26 Writing:23
ECs: Please note that in my country ECs that are related to school are very rare and are mostly religious ECs, and considering my position on Religion, I am not a fan of doing them, so I have had to improvise.
1: Co-founder of Highlighting Tabriz’s Cultural team
2:Philosophy with a mentor/ participation in some philosophical debates. (Read Russell’s book of western philosophy)
3:English: I work for an English Institute in their Podcasts section and will probably even start teaching in a few months.
4: German and French Clubs.
5: Table tennis. 5th in my school.
6: Psychology: My counselor is a psychology major, so I have been analyzing psychological articles with him for a few years. (Besides the normal things counselors do) (I have also read a few philosophy/psychology books)
Commonapp Essay is pretty good. (Based on Editervise comments)
Paideia looks good too.
My Recs are pretty good since I have very great relationships with all of them. (one of them even told me that he has mentioned my great relationship with teachers in his Rec)
Also my school in nationally ranked the top 5 in my country (the rank shifts each year, but never out of top five) and since it is a NODET school (our national gifted school program) our course load is pretty harsh considering that fact that sometimes we study University level subjects.
P.S. I would love it if someone who has applied ED I could read my Essays. I would appreciate it.
P.S.S. My majors are Philosophy and Psychology.