So what are my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Claremont McKenna College
1

<p>GPA:
So my GPA is a strange story. I attended an extremely difficult private school my freshman year, which did not offer honors classes. I then switched into a public school which weights honors classes. So on my transcript it appears like I got mediocre grades in regular classes, pulling my GPA down farther than it should be. Apparently it somehow also affects my unweighted GPA (my counselor explained why, I don't entirely understand why). Either way, this is an inaccurate reflection of my academic performance and my counselor is writing a letter to each college I apply to explaining the situation. According to her, without this error I should be in the top 20% of my class.</p>

<p>Unweighted: 3.4
Weighted: 3.9</p>

<p>Tests:</p>

<p>SAT: First try- 2060, plan on retaking it
CR: 700
M: 650
W: 710</p>

<p>ACT: 33</p>

<p>SAT II:
US History: 710
Plan on taking Math I and Literature</p>

<p>PSAT: Semifinalist, most likely not finalist</p>

<p>Classes: Please see note under GPA for info on my freshman year</p>

<p>Sophomore Year: (all other classes honors)
AP US History (5)</p>

<p>Junior Year: (all other classes honors)
AP Microeconomics
AP Macroeconomics
AP Chemistry</p>

<p>Senior Year: (all other classes honors/enrollment in a college)
AP English
AP Physics
AP Statistics
AP Spanish 5
AP Calculus AB
AP Government</p>

<p>Awards:
Two time national finalist at the North South Foundation senior vocabulary bee, two time 1st place winner at the regional level
Three time state finalist for National History Day, one time national finalist
Two time Merit Award (I think this is unique to my school?) winner
NHS Member (and running for vice president)
Semifinalist for National Merit Scholarship
Latin Award Magna Cum Laude </p>

<p>Summer Programs:
Interlochen Center of the Arts- Creative Writing student
Center for Talent Development, Northwestern- AP Chemistry
Volunteered for a nursing home
This summer: NYLF Medicine @ Boston, University of Chicago Research in Biology program</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Freshman year:
EAT (Environmental Action Team)
Think Tank (History club)
National History Day state finalist
Art in Action
Charter (school newspaper)
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust Youth Representative
JV Volleyball
Piano</p>

<p>Sophomore year:
SMART Team (Students Modeling a Research Topic, if you want more info, just ask) leading member
Led a V-Day production
Borealis (literary magazine)
Club United senior member
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust Youth Representative
Taekwondo
Piano</p>

<p>Junior year:
The 9th Dimension: Vice President (Student led tutoring program with over 50 tutors)
SMART Team senior member
Asian Culture Club committee head
Club United senior member
National History Day club President, state and national finalist
Stage crew
Borealis editor
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust Youth Representative
National Honor Society member
Taekwondo
Piano</p>

<p>I have also led a creative writing website where teenagers can connect and improve each other's work since I was ten and plan on writing an essay on the experience.</p>

<p>I am a female minority student.</p>

2

<p>Pardon me if I am a bit blunt. If by “minority” you mean Asian/(East)Indian, that’s not going to help you. In fact, unless I am mistaken, Asians are admitted at lower rates than all other races (though it’s only slightly behind the rate for whites, I believe.) I apologize if I’m off, but since you’re head of the Asian Culture Club I figured you probably were.</p>

<p>I’m not going to be able to say “You’re a shoe in” or “you definitely won’t make it” - admissions are pretty weird. At CMC and elsewhere, they’ll reject the student with a 2350 and 4.2 for one with a 2050 and 3.5 and vice versa - it can be very unpredictable. Your grades probably won’t help you, but if your counselor is writing a letter, it probably won’t hurt you too badly. Additionally, your ACT is great and it seems like so far you’ve been doing well on the APs/SATIIs, so that will help show your academic talent. Definitely take the SAT again, and keep up with your APs/SATIIs as planned and you should be pretty well off.</p>

<p>Your ECs are numerous (and make me feel pretty insignificant! lol). I see a lot of leadership there; CMC loves that (and community service). I can’t help but wonder if it’s too much though? Admission officers here have mentioned that they don’t look for the students who “sign up for everything”; they look for the ones who get really involved in a select few causes and are really a ‘foundation’ of that group. I’m not implying that you weren’t really involved in all of these things, but if you have a LOT of different, seemingly unrelated ECs it MAY come off to them that you’re trying to do as much as possible just so you can seem as awesome as possible on paper, rather than doing these things because you love/enjoy them. That’s not any guarantee that they will or won’t see it that way, but that’s a possibility to be aware of.</p>

<p>Your best bet right now, I’d say, is to write the best essays you can imagine (that should be pretty easy, given your substantial experience with creative writing), get good recs, and demonstrate interest in the school. Really, I think those parts are the ones that make the biggest difference. Whatever you do, don’t try to be the person you think they want. Just be yourself (as corny as it sounds) - they want to admit a real person, not a sheet of statistics.</p>

<p>So, basically, you have as good a shot as any, I’d say. Just keep on the track you’re on and you should have a reasonable chance. If you really want to go to CMC specifically (and who wouldn’t?? :wink: ) definitely try to visit and schedule an interview. If they know you really want them and that they can expect you to come if admitted, it will probably help your chances. Anyway I hope that all made sense - I’m on the east coast now so it’s late and I’m a bit tired. Good luck!</p>