The Final Chance Me!

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
1

<p>So, my application has been sent in. And I'll be pretty anxious for the next month and a half or so. </p>

<p>Anyway, how about a final "chances" thread?</p>

<p>College Status: First Generation
GPA: 4.0 (unweighted)/ 4.06 (weighted as of Junior year)
Rank: 5/78
Applying for Aid?: Yes
School: Rarely sends grads to top schools
IS or OOS?: In-state</p>

<hr>

<p>ACT: 32</p>

<p>English: 36
Reading: 34
Science: 30
Math: ....26 (I know. Shut up. I can't do math quickly to save my life)</p>

<p>SAT: 1850 </p>

<p>CR: 600
Math: 510
Writing: 740</p>

<p>(NOTE: I never intended to send my SAT scores anywhere. However, because my GC lied about when she was going to send my transcript, the SAT scores ended up on my transcript. </p>

<p>I asked when she would send them, she says "Next week." I look over the copy of my transcript she gave me that day, mark a few things I want her to change or remove, go in the next day and "Oh...well, I sent them at the end of the day yesterday."</p>

<p>I don't know how this will affect my chances. I tried out both the SAT and ACT to see which test better suited me, and obviously it was the ACT. I didn't even bother to have my SAT scores sent anywhere.</p>

<p>I know W&M says they only look at the highest test scores, but...-sigh-)</p>

<hr>

<p>APs</p>

<p>AP US History: 5
AP English Language and Composition: 5
AP Psychology: Not taken yet
AP English Literature: Not taken yet</p>

<hr>

<p>Freshman</p>

<p>Academic Earth Science
Academic English
World History Part I
Japanese I
Concert Band
Geometry
PE (required)</p>

<p>(No APs/DEs/Honors/IB)</p>

<p>Sophomore</p>

<p>Academic Biology
Academic English
World History Part II
Japanese II
Chinese I
Algebra II
PE (required)</p>

<p>(No APs/DEs/Honors/IB)</p>

<p>Junior</p>

<p>Academic English
Chemistry
Japanese III
Chinese II
Pre-Calculus
AP US History</p>

<p>(APs: AP English Lang and Comp, APUSH; DEs: Psychology and Sociology (you can only fit one in to any schedule and neither fit into mine)) </p>

<p>(NOTE: As of this year, my school offers DE Pre-Calc. It did NOT when I was taking Pre-Calc last year)</p>

<p>Senior </p>

<p>AP English Lit
DE Entrepreneurship
Mass Media
Environmental Science
DE Government
AP Psychology</p>

<p>(APs: AP English Lit, AP Psychology (online), AP Physics B (online), AP Calc AB (online); DEs: Pre-Calc, Government, Psychology, and Sociology (you can only take both Pre-Calc and another since the other three are end-of-the-day classes if you wish to take more than one)</p>

<ul>
<li>(I didn't take Calc or Physics because they would have been my first AP science and math (in fact, Chemistry is only offered as regular level), they would have been strictly timed, I would have to call and email my teacher instead of getting tutoring, and I would have been alone (no one is taking either).</li>
</ul>

<p>I am not confident enough in my math skills to take on that level of class with absolutely no peer support and little teacher support. Both classes have only been offered as of this year.)</p>

<p>Other Classes (from middle school for high school credit):</p>

<ul>
<li>Latin I</li>
<li>Latin II</li>
<li>Band</li>
<li>Algebra I</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>ECs</p>

<p>Asian Pacific Culture Club
- Founder/President</p>

<p>Beta Club
- Community Service (Salvation Bell Ringing, Helping at local festivals, raising money for Charities, etc.)
- Third Place in Creative Writing at the State Level Beta Convention</p>

<p>Performing Arts Club</p>

<p>Color Guard
- Former Captain</p>

<p>Art
- Photography
- Graphite</p>

<p>Writing
-Writing my first novel
-Published several times locally </p>

<p>Instruments
- Play the flute
- Learning piano and harmonica</p>

<hr>

<p>Application</p>

<p>Supplement?: Yes, plus optional submission
Essays?: Well, I a decent writer, but I still don't know how they'll react to my essays.</p>

<ul>
<li>Common App essay was about my passion for my first novel idea</li>
<li>Supplement was about me asking myself the question "Who am I?"</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<p>So, thoughts? Concerns?</p>

<p>Will my lopsidedness towards English and slowness at Math make them laugh at me and toss my application?</p>

<p>Should I be packing for JMU instead?</p>

2

<p>Glad to hear you like William & Mary so much that you’re apply early. W&M considers a wide variety of factors both academic and non-academic. W&M definitely evaluates the best standardized test score so your ACT will be what comes through. Most students shine in some areas and not in others so whereas you might not shine in math you might shine elsewhere in your application. The good news is that the lack of minimum criteria means everyone gets a fair shot.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Anyone else have comments?</p>

4

<p>i think you have a good shot</p>

5

<p>Wow, I’m not getting too much feedback. xD</p>

6

<p>I predict a waitlisted status. You have done a great job and your ACT’s are very good. Your SAT’s are very low. You didn’t take Calc. You do stand out as a first generation student with a good foreign language, good class ranking. I have absolutely no doubt that you will wow the adcom’s with your essays. I mean, it could go either way for you and of course, I wish you all the best. I hope you get accepted. Good luck.</p>

<p>Pedsox, William and Mary Alumni (so damn proud)</p>

7

<p>Are you saying they won’t take the higher score? They’ll consider both equally?</p>

<p>And Calc is everything these days? I was told by a W&M senior during my info session and tour that he didn’t even have to take Calc at W&M…</p>

<p>So you’re predicting waitlisting because of those two things alone?</p>

8

<p>You have a good ACT, which I think they will look at instead. I think you would get in, especially for ED, although your senior year schedule is comparatively weak compared with the “norm” without a hard math class.</p>

9

<p>-sigh- It’s all about Math these days, isn’t it? The only thing I can’t do quickly.</p>

10

<p>lol, don’t worry man… I have the same issue with Math and I’m still amazed that I pulled a 28 in Math (I ended up pulling a 32 ACT composite at well); they prob won’t even bother looking at the SAT scores, so I wouldn’t worry; your ACT is def in the higher end; the lack of AP’s/Honors fresh and soph year is pretty disconcerting, but the first generation should stand out; the novelist/writing aspects of your app should scream out to W & M, but otherwise, your extra-currics are sorely lacking; if it’s ED, I think you’re in… RD, I’m thinking deferral, but you’ll be at the top of the wait-list, espec. b/c ur school could hurt you in not being too competitive/academically rigorous… anyway, I’m also applying to W & M, but regardless, I think you have a great shot… I’m also applying, so good luck!! (and if you have a chance, plz comment on my thread for chances at W & M, thanks!)</p>

11

<p>My school doesn’t offer APs until Junior year. And we don’t have honors at all. ><</p>

<p>Unfortunately, my school has almost zero clubs. I had to start the APCC myself to even have a culture/foreign language club that wasn’t for Spanish. Performance Arts is forensics, debate, creative writing, and plays all in one.</p>

<p>And as for my community…finding a job is almost impossible. -sigh- I feel so limited…</p>