the ever-redundant chances thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
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<p>I'm sure this is no less than the hundreth of these posts to grace this forum, but help another prospective out? I'm applying no matter what (I'm absolutely in love with Dartmouth), but it'd be nice to know.</p>

<p>THE STATS:
white female, wealthy suburban Pennsylvania (no extra help there)</p>

<p>GPA:3.8-3.9 (an upward trend...I missed about half of freshman year with a very serious illness and ended up with two C's second semester in honors classes. All of this will be explained on my app. I got all A's both semesters junior year.)
QPA: 4.6-4.7
SAT I: 740M, 760V; 690M, 750V, 720W (10 essay). Do I need to take the ACT?
SAT IIs: US History (780), Math II (740), French (660, will retake with listening)
PSAT: 70M, 77V, 80W (227 combined). National Merit commended/semifinalist.
AP tests: US History (5), Environmental Science (5)
Rank: not calculated, estimated top 10% at a very competitive (one of the best in the state) public school</p>

<p>Classes: (advanced and electives)
Freshman year: Honors Integrated III Math, Honors English, Dance, Orchestra, French II (plus mandatory Biology and History/Civics classes, none of which are offered as honors)
Sophomore Year: Honors Advanced PreCalculus, Honors English, Orchestra, Honors French IV, Honors Chemistry (plus mandatory History which isn't offered as honors)
Junior Year: AP Environmental Science, Honors Calculus, Honors Physics, AP US History, AP French, Honors English (and orchestra audit)
Senior Year: AP Statistics, Honors Organic Chemistry, AP English, History Electives (International Relations and a research-based class), AP European History, Independent (Small group) study Post-AP French (and orchestra audit)
Also: My junior year calc was run through the University of Pittsburgh (I got a 98%, so I have an official transcript with a grade for Calc I). I'm taking Arabic I there at night this semester.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: figure skating (13 years, high test/competition level, about a 15-25 hour/week commitment), flute (9 years), orchestra (principal, chamber orchestra member, played at Carnegie Hall), musical (pit, every year of high school), political discussion group co-founder and president (since 10th grade), Model UN (since 10th grade, national awards -- WAMUNC, COWAC, JHUMUNC), a couple academic based summer programs ("nerd camp," writing workshop, world affairs discussion/guest speaker program, 2-week homestay in France, etc.), NHS</p>

<p>Community Service: tutoring, skating competition aid/preformances/coaching, musical preformances, environmental litigation summer internship, Children's Hospital (it will be about 250 hours when I graduate)</p>

<p>Other stuff: I had an on-campus interview last month, and I think it went fairly well -- I'm also going to do an alumni interview.
I'm applying ED.
My essays are good (the EC is about skating and struggling back from a two-year injury; the longer one is about being raised in a socially-conscious union family where futile requests for Happy Meals were met with 30-minute lectures on child labor in Laos), but I don't consider myself an amazing writer.
One amazing teahcer rec, one pretty good (and I've had the same couselor since 6th grade); good peer rec.
No alumni connection, but I'm in touch with the skating coach. One of my surgeons also went to Dartmouth and encouraged me to mention him on my app, even though I hardly know him. Is this a good idea?</p>

<p>And one last question...I'm filling out the common app. online, but it has almost no room to show my accomplishments in anything (under "music," I barely typed "principal, chamber orchestra" before it cut me off!). Is it better to apply online and attach/mail a resume or simply apply via paper?</p>

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<p>I'd say you have about a 85-90 % chance of getting in. Good luck</p>

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<p>I'd say good shot, depending on the skating pull. Not 85% though!</p>

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<p>Well good shot....About your app.....do it online and print it out...attach any additional information and mail it.</p>

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<p>85-90%?! That would mean she could almost use Dartmouth as a safety. No one really has that good of a chance, even the most well qualified candidates.</p>

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<p>85 - 90% is excessive...more like 50%</p>

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<p>Interestingly enough, quagmire123 - A is for Admission, written by a former Dartmouth admissions officer, noted that those placed by the officers in the highest academic category (a "9") were admitted 94% of the time. Essentially, they were only rejected if there was something seriously wrong elsewhere in their applications. Additionally, the academic categories are formulaic enough that across-the-board perfect test scores and valedictorian status guarantee placement as a "9". As a result, if this is still true, there are indeed applicants who can count on Dartmouth as something of a "safety".</p>

<p>However, the book is a few years old. I imagine that life isn't quite as cushy anymore, but the pattern probably hasn't completely disappeared.</p>

<p>As far as the original poster's chances are concerned: you have a strong shot at admission. Probably not 90% as some have stated, but 40-50% is fairly reasonable.</p>

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<p>i think its stupid to be giving her such high expectations...while she has a good chance in theory, i ahve known plenty of academic 9s not to get into lesser schools than dartmouth...always have some safeties</p>

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<p>randomperson, we don't actually know her real probability of getting that "9" (if that system is even in place anymore). There could be applicants of similar quality that the college must choose, no one here really knows; all we can do is speculate. Nevertheless, hopefully she has a good shot of getting in because I have very similar stats (except my weighted GPA isn't that high b/c my school doesn't offer that many honors) and I'm applying ED as well...;).</p>

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<p>Good luck to both of you then =p</p>