@paraparent I think those scores keep you in the pool, but it’s a crap shoot. So much weight is put into ECs and demographics. Admission decisions might be rational, but not evident.
Yeah, like Xplant said, it’s really quite arbitrary. They have way more qualified applicants than they can accept. It’s scary!
Good luck everyone! I’m trying to make myself expect for the worst, but it’s not quite working…
We’re excitedly awaiting for my daughter to hear tonight. For those asking about test scores, bear in mind they look at more than that. I looked at the Scattergram for my D’s high school, kids who applied over the last several years. To be honest, almost everyone was rejected. My D got a 35 on the ACT (3.94 GPA). Of the 4 kids with the same ACT score and a similar GPA (3.8+), all were rejected and one was waitlisted! However, among the three lowest-scoring applicants, two were accepted (ACT 27 & 29 GPA’s 4.9) and one was waitlisted (ACT 25 GPA 4.0). So go figure. Maybe it’s the essays, the range of experience and interests, the letters of rec…
@Happytoapply That’s scary. What region are you from?
Looking at some of you with rejections from other schools - if you’re applying to a lot of highly selective schools, you can’t take it personally! I talked to a friend in admissions for Northwestern (9% acceptance rate) and she said once they get the list down to applicants with super high test scores, rigorous courses, perfect GPA’s etc., they still have 10,000 too many highly qualified applicants who would be excellent students. She said some days it feels like they may as well throw all the applications in the air and accept the ones that land right-side up. It can feel THAT random when the competition is this tight. My D applied to 10 schools and has heard from 3 and accepted to all so far, but those are also the least selective ones she applied to. Swarthmore is the first biggie and she knows she likely won’t get in, even with great stats.
My “hook” is that I’m an accomplished ballet dancer, and Swarthmore has a good ballet program. I hope that is enough to overcome being a white, upper-income girl from New England.
Xplant do you mind posting your stats? My younger daughter currently a Freshman (14) is also a ballet dancer.
I would love for her to be at a school like Swarthmore.
Did you also have to do an audition ? I know it’s early, but I wish I would have started looking earlier with my son.
The whole dance aspect narrows everything down.
@BTMSC98 ACT 34, 4.0 GPA, cellist, model UN, Girls’ State leadership, various clubs. I am not interested in in a dance major, so I didn’t ask about auditions. (Probably a mistake.) However, I submitted a video supplement with my application. When we visited, we observed a beginning ballet class with about 25 boys/girls. I think that is remarkable for the size of the school. I spoke with the department head, and she said if the dance instruction provided by the school isn’t rigorous enough for the student, they will pay for classes in Philly. She also suggested that I could receive scholarship money in addition to need-based aid if they like me enough. I also like that I can (if accepted) take private strings lessons even if not a music major or minor. I suggest contacting the department head in Sophmore or early Junior year to see if there is something you can do to advance your application. Though, if you are looking for D to study ballet for a career, I would do a summer intensive with Ballet West and look into Utah or maybe Indiana.
I didn’t get accepted into haverford ed, so I’m pretty ready for the reject from swarthmore
At times like these, I’m really not sure what to do. On one hand, I believe that you should still remain hopeful, but on the other, that might make a possible rejection worse. And I wouldn’t want to do that to another person (I’ll just do that to myself! 
). Because, let’s be honest, rejections really don’t reflect you as a person or even your application that much. At places like Swarthmore, the process is so holistic and honestly kinda shrouded in mystery (at least for me), so you really can’t predict.
I was reading MIT decisions threads two days ago (though I didn’t apply), and I felt so bad for the people getting rejected. They’re all incredible, and it does come down to luck and timing and all those other factors that you can’t really prepare or adjust for.
Not saying that the people who do get in got in just because of luck or something. They’re all very qualified and awesome people and definitely deserve it. It’s just that there are so many!
She wants to get a BFA, but another major as well. Her intensives have been awesome.
This is something she did on her own. Our family is more academia than artistic so it’s a new adventure for us.
Thank you for responding and good luck. Swarthmore would be very lucky to have you. 
True conservatory-style BFAs are not compatible with double majors.
Swat has a phys ed requirement, and dance classes fulfill the requirement, so that may be why that class you saw was so big.
My son is a junior, and Swat is high on his list for next year. I am rooting for all of you.
Northern midwest
Well according to prepscholar I have a nice 13% chance of getting in. Sick
If we take it like that, you basically have to be the most outstanding in a group of ten people.
Not happening for me, yeah…
kinda don’t want to check because i already know i’m not getting in
^Precisely Same
@MixedM17 hahah glad i’m not alone
I think that’s pretty common knowing what the acceptance rate is