<p>Great posts, Northstarmom. One correction, though: St. John's College (MD and NM) does not admit purely on academics - at least, not in the sense that others mean here. They require on campus interviews, with extensive talk about the applicant's passion for learning, and that outweighs grades and SAT scores. So, yes, while ECs don't count, SAT scores and grades have much less importance than at other schools. I know one student who got Bs and Cs pretty much through high school, who did get good SATs, and who applied late - and got into St. John's. That's because he is a smart kid who is just hitting his stride now. He had great teacher recs. Plus, he had the benefit of being passionate about the classics and reading.</p>