<p>I work for a university that participates in the tuition exchange program, so my D's search is somehwat limited to participating institutions. Her high school is so competitive that I've tended to think she is just an "average" good student, but I'm afraid I'm selling her short and I should be pushing her to apply to bigger name schools that don't participate in TE. She seems mostly interested in the smaller LACs</p>
<p>Her stats:
GPA: 4.0 uw
SAT II: 800v, 650m, 710w
NHR, French NHR, almost all her classes APs and honors except math
Editor of her Lit mag for two years
Writes for the school paper
Two year in a good summer writing program
Poetry awards, winner of writing contests, etc.
Decent ECs</p>
<p>She's applied to:</p>
<p>Bard
Skidmore
Hamilton
Franklin & Marshall
Ursinus
Wheaton (MA)
Syracuse University</p>
<p>Bard is by far her first choice. She applied Early Action, but we haven't heard anything yet.</p>
<p>She loved Hamilton, Skidmore and Wheaton and was intrigued by Ursinus.</p>
<p>What are her chances at Bard and do you think these are realistic choices or is she selling herself short?</p>
<p>i think she is def in at Bard, probably a match to saftey-match. If you look up the school at review.com (the princeton review site), you will see that her stats are wayyyy above the average applicant at Bard. And btw, a 4.0 in all AP/honors is NOT an average student. She has a 2100+ SAT, and could make it into the lower ivies if she took the sat II's. She could def shoot higher, but those are GREAT schools on her list, esp for a writer as it appears. Go BARD!</p>
<p>I don't know of a school, and I'm including all the Ivies, etc., that has a better writing program - better faculty, more intensive program, better mentoring opportunities - than Bard. So if that's what's she's into, she could shoot LOWER, but not better.</p>
<p>thanks, mini. i saw your comments about Bard elsewhere and i agree completely. amazing faculty. i really want it for her...</p>
<p>i was a little concerned about her essay. she's very independent and took over the process pretty much completely. i saw her essay after the fact and would have suggested she tweak a couple of things, but hey...it's honest.</p>
<p>I think that you and your daughter have done an excellent job in her college search. They are good matches for her abilities, goals and interests. She is obviously interested in smaller LAC and some of the best are on her list. I think she will have a lot of choices come April 1.</p>