@Chembiodad oh I see. Where did you find Brown’s new median ACT score?
Common Data Set is the best source. But in just reviewing the student profile for the class of 2019, 50% of admittances scored above 750 in all sections of the SAT - that’s the same as a 34 ACT.
@Chembiodad I saw that 31 was 25th percentile and 34 was 75th percentile for2015-16
Putting too much attention on ACT/SAT scores at the super competitive schools isn’t that helpful. It’s good to have at least the median. If you do the box is checked and it won’t have any negative impact on your application you have to overcome. After that having an even better score is only marginally helpful since they will usually place more emphasis on the rest of your application as long as you aren’t below their average. They turn aware perfect scores every year while taking people who stood out in their EC’s.
@citivas are my ECs enough to overcome my average ACT? I already signed up to take the ACT in September but I’ve already written my common app essay.
Here’s the latest class of 2020 admission stats for many (not all) of the schools on your list:
Harvard RD 1119 out of 32868 (3.4%)
Brown RD 2250 out of 29360 (7.7%)(~133 deferred accepted=7%)(~1000 waitlisted=3.4%)
Pomona RD ~566 out of 7190 (~7.9%)
Northwestern RD 2690 out of 32077 (8.4%)
Bowdoin RD 687 out of 5918 (11.6%)
Amherst College RD 969 out of 7943 (12.2%)
Cornell RD 4939 out of 40084 (12.3%) (4572 waitlisted=11.4%)(rej=76.3%)
UC Berkeley (OOS) 2734 out of 21213 (12.9%)
Harvard SCEA 918 out of 6173 (14.9%) (4673 def=75.7%) (464 rej=7.5%)
UC Berkeley (IS) 8363 out of 45,773 (18.3%)
Pomona ED1/ED2 ~177 out of 914 (19.4%)
Brown ED 669 out of 3030 (22.1%) (1905 def=62.9%) (456 rej=15.0%)
Hamilton College ED/RD 1317 out of 5434 (24.2%)
Cornell ED 1338 out of 4882 (27.4%) (1153 def=23.6%) (2391 rej=49.0%)
Bowdoin ED2 ~77 out of 256 (~30.1%)
Bowdoin College ED1 207 out of 614 (33.7%)
Amherst College ED 180 out of 454 (39.6%)
See for more details (updated throughout the topic so go to the latest pages):
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/19764517#Comment_19764517
Don’t place too much emphasis on ED stats being so much better (but don’t dismiss it entirely either). Many of these colleges would warn you that the ED rate is skewed by athletes, legacies, etc. and that for a student without a hook the difficulty is similar to RD. That’s true-ish but also not entirely true. Most of them don’t want to admit they have easier standards for ED but the truth is they are securing their yield with it (often filling half their class) and it is a bit easier. Brown and Bowdoin are both examples where they tell you in the Info Sessions it’s not an advantage. I definitely don’t believe it for Bowdoin. Some schools do admit it’s an advantage because they like to see the commitment that it’s the student’s first choice. Not sure if this applies to any on your list – I know I heard that from Haverford and Wesleyan, for example.
@ap012199 I think your ACT will neither help nor hurt you. Any lower would definitely have hurt you and better would marginally help you. Predicting how a school reacts to EC’s is the most subjective and least reliable part of chancing someone so I have no idea. Every now and then you get a student who invented something or started a successful business or charity or went through a particularly harrowing event who has a truly special hook. Your EC’s look good to me. I think you demonstrate leadership and breadth. But these schools are still reaches because without a special hook you just don’t know – they turn away a lot of exceptional students.
I recall sitting in several admitted student day’s a few months ago where they had slides of some of the stats for admitted students, not even for Brown but several of the great LAC’s, and it was humbling. I don’t recall any of the specific stats but I just recall directionally that a massive percentage of admitted students had been class presidents, editors of chief of their school papers, captains of their varsity sports teams, etc. There were kids who had climbed world famous mountains, hiked thousands of miles, were world ranked in various sports or martial arts, who were professionally recognized and recorded in music, etc. I’m not saying all this to discourage you, just pointing out the reality. Your essay, and to the extent you can count on any of your letters of rec, are great opportunities to make the sum of your parts greater than the whole.
@citivas great to know! Are you an incoming college student or have you already been through the whole process?
@ap012199 Parent of an incoming Freshman with two more yet to go through it. And a graduate ages ago…
@citivas ah ok. Good to know you aren’t just a high schooler haha
Hi,
Those are some awesome ECs you got going on. You might as well try taking the ACT again in the fall. I guess one thing you will definitely have to tell colleges is that your school doesn’t offer AP classes. I’m going to say that you have good chances for Northwestern (I know a couple people who go in there and I’m pretty sure your resume is better than at least one of theirs). I think you could go into Bowdin too. (btw I hear they have awesome food there, just be aware that Maine gets pretty cold haha). I think you have a good shot at Cornell. Harvard is probably a reach, but then again it is for everyone. I don’t know about the other colleges.
@SpheryCube thanks! I already signed up to take the ACT again in September. Do you want me to chance you back if possible?
Good luck taking the ACT again in September!
Bowdoin doesn’t superscore so a bump up would be particularly important there as 75% is a 34. While I understand that an ACT above the median may not make the difference in all cases, there is one highly selective LAC (median ACT 32) that published research data for the class of 2019 which confirmed a 65% acceptance rate for 34-36, but only 39% for 31-33 - assuming all other factors are equal it’s a compelling difference.
@Chembiodad again, good to know. Thanks for the info.
@ap012199 Just checking that you know that Bowdoin is test optional? Therefore, with a 32C ACT, you may not want to send it as 25/75% is 31-34.
No AP Classes
But honors is good, so Id say great chance, especially Harvard 
If the school doesn’t offer AP classes but has otherwise comparably good instruction, the colleges will know that because it will be in their school profiles.
@citivas the problem with my school is that it’s first graduating class was in 2016. However, that being said, out of a class of 76 seniors, there were acceptances to Harvard and the other 7 Ivies. Our average test scores are way above the national average too. I think our average ACT is 28 and our average SAT is 1300
Even if new, your school should still submit a profile to colleges that lists how many AP’s they offer. Colleges will judge your classes by the relative rigor of what is offered at your school based on your profile. And your guidance counselor will also submit a rec that can spell out if you have.