<p>I'm looking for some opinions about how likely it would be for me to get into Dartmouth. My sport is Alpine Ski racing. I have a good ranking athletically and some strong points, however, I did really bad on my SAT IIs. Thanks- and don't hold back.</p>
<p>Gender: F
Graduated HS at 16 in 3 years (Public High School)
31 ACT composite- 11/12 on essay (12/12 on the essay previous test)
29 English- 32 math- 30 reading- 31 science
Will be spending PG year at a ski academy in Austria
Single parent family/ first gen/ fluent in french and German
GPA between 3.8-3.9 UW out of 4.0
Junior National Team member (2012)- Ski racing
All-State (Slalom and Giant Slalom)
FIS points
SL 70 something
GS 90 something</p>
<p>The women’s points on the whole are a little higher than the men, but they also carry fewer members on the team. I would say to have a realistic shot of skiing in carnivals, you need to drop your points into the 50s at least. But it depends on the recruiting class. There are a few female skiers with points in the 20s-30s who’ve deferred Dartmouth a year or two to try and make the USST. Last I looked at the USST roster, they didn’t make the team (but who knows what’s happening with the Women’s D team…), so maybe they’ll be in Hanover in the fall. That would definitely hurt your chances of skiing carnivals. The women usually carry about 10 total alpine skiers, and with points close to yours it depends on NCAA roster spots, attrition from the last year, and the incoming recruiting class. It’s not clear, yet, how good of a recruiter Chip Knight will be, but given his Olympic credentials I think he has a good chance of being a good one. </p>
<p>That said, there’s a reasonably active club program at Dartmouth that covers skiers of all abilities (it’s had people who’ve never raced before to people with FIS points in the 60s, who either just didn’t qualify for the D1 program or who decided they didn’t want to race D1). It’s far under the level of the D1 program, but it’s fun and it’s still ski racing.</p>
<p>Academically you’re under the “average Dartmouth student”, but that doesn’t really mean THAT much. Half of the school is under the median scores. It depends on what else you bring to the table. It would definitely help you to improve your standardized test scores, but don’t forget about the rest of your application. The essay, your recommendations, etc. will play a role, as they do for all Dartmouth applicants. You probably won’t get a tip from the ski team, so it’s important that you make your application as good as you possibly can. I don’t know if you’ve tried to get in contact with the ski team (Chip Knight is the women’s alpine coach), but you definitely should. Chip’s a great guy, easy to talk to, and he’ll be honest with you. He’ll have better advice than anyone here will.</p>
<p>Ya, my FIS points are high because I just came back form a bad knee injury. I’ve had one year of FIS racing, and it was a rough season! This summer I’m going to race in Argentina with 2 other girls out of Austria with a private couch. Both girls have their points in the 20s range so training with them will be a huge help. Then I have all of next year to lower then without worrying about academics (since I’ve already graduated.) My points should go down a lot since my knee is feeling a lot better. Anyways- thanks so much for the thorough message and telling me about Chip. That helps a lot!</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard the USST is getting rid of the Women’s D-team. They’ve been making cuts.</p>
<p>Knee injuries are rough. Hope you’re healthy!</p>
<p>Good luck on your season! Pretty much the key to anything will be getting your points down. If you’re applying for admission in Fall 2013, obviously your lower points won’t be part of your application, but it shows dedication and if you talk with the ski team it can’t hurt.</p>
<p>That said, even if they won’t give you a tip (and my guess is they won’t with your current point profile), if your points are relatively low, the D1 team will likely let you train with them (probably as a “JV” skier, depending on your points, of course), which can’t hurt, as long as you get into the College, which is no easy feat.</p>
<p>I don’t really have anything to add. Talk to Chip (and/or Peter Dodge, the head coach and men’s alpine coach). That’s really the best source of information. Good luck! Skiing at Dartmouth is a phenomenal experience and it’s cool to join a program with a history of excellence.</p>
<p>The women’s team is stacked with far more skiers than they need. None of the girls are graduating this year and there are at least 3-4 more coming on next year. Even girls with FIS points in 30s and 40s are not getting carnival starts. And there seems to be a desire to make cuts to the team in the Fall. If you want to continue to ski race, I would pursue a different school. </p>