The "OFFICIAL" RD Smith Decisions Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
1

<p>I very rarely start threads on CC, but I wanted to start a fresh thread for the students who just got their decisions on Friday. For those that were accepted: Congratulations! For those who were waitlisted or not accepted, I'm so very sorry, and I wish you the best of luck in finding that perfect college for you. </p>

<p>Some of the other colleges <em>cough</em> Wellesley <em>cough</em> have students posting their stats, so that those who are interested in applying next year can see what the class looks like. While I discourage any of you from posting personally identifiable info (internet safety!), if you'd like to post your stats, I'm sure people would be interested. SO I'm including the form below. Copy and paste, complete, and remove all the spaces within the brackets [ ] and put into your own post. </p>

<p>I was: Decision: Accepted.....in 2005 :-)</p>

<p>Pick one:
[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted[ /b][ /color][ /size]
[ size=+2][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted[ /b][ /color][ /size]
[ size=+2][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected[ /b][ /color][ /size]</p>

<p>[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown):
[ *] ACT:
[ *] SAT II:
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load:
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
[ *] Job/Work Experience:
[ *] Volunteer/Community service:
[ *] Summer Activities:
[ *] Essays:
[ *] Teacher Recommendation:
[ *] Counselor Rec:
[ *] Additional Rec:
[ *] Interview:
[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type:
[ *] Ethnicity:
[ *] Gender:
[ *] Income Bracket:
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
[ /list][ b]Reflection[ /b][ list]
[ *] Strengths:
[ *] Weaknesses:
[ *] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] Good Luck!!</p>

2

<p>Good idea since the other thread was <em>hijacked</em> a bit.</p>

3

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>SAT I (breakdown): 2150</p>

<p>reading 740, math 740, writing 670*</p>

<p>ACT:
SAT II: Lit 700, Math II 690
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): I don’t know, I took the A levels! We didn’t do GPA
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): normally 60th percentile, thereabouts
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: 12 academic units, most people do 10 or 11 units
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):</p>

<p>Soccer
Cross country running (captain)
Track and Field - just 3000m in my senior year</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience:</p>

<p>Intern at a feminist advocacy organization</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service:
Volunteer at a queer women’s research, advocacy and outreach organization*
Summer Activities:
Essays:</p>

<p>My common app essay was about the impact of Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando” on my coming out experience.</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendation: glowing, if slightly blown up</p>

<p>Counselor Rec: same
Additional Rec: none
Interview: it went well! My interviewer said I’d be a good fit.</p>

<p>State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
Singapore*
School Type: a small government-aided high school*
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: female
Income Bracket: $400, 000?
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
Reflection
Strengths: my essay and supplement essay, defo.*
Weaknesses: my high school grades were very mediocre. I performed a little above average, but my grades never showed any tangible results till the A level exams.*</p>

<p>Why you think you were accepted:
It was my essay. I think it was the most honest reflection of my life. It also took me over two weeks to brew!*</p>

4

<p>Decision: Accepted with an Early Write and STRIDE Scholarship</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>SAT: 2240 (800R, 770W, 670M)
SAT IIs: Literature, 790 & U.S. History, 760
GPA: 104.4/100.0
Rank: 2/214
Awards: AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Commended Scholar, National Hispanic Scholar
APs: World History, English Language, Human Geography (5s): Calculus AB, Psychology, U.S. History (4s), Calculus BC (3) [didn’t send in that score lol]
Also, I’m taking AP Environmental Science, AP Government, AP Macro Economics, and AP English Lit this year.</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
National Honor Society<a href=“member%20junior%20year,%20President%20senior”>/u</a>
Interact<a href=“member%20sophomore%20year,%20President%20junior/senior”>/u</a>
Academic UIL<a href=“member%20sophomore%20year,%20Captain%20junior/senior”>/u</a> (state alternate in Ready Writing sophomore year, district champion in Ready Writing junior year, Literary Criticism district champion sophomore/junior year)(lettered)
Athletic Trainer<a href=“freshman-senior”>/u</a>(trained football and basketball)(lettered)
Job/Work Experience: Theme park retail worker summer 2010, hostess at a local restaurant from August 2011 to this very night. Literally, I just got back from my shift haha.
Volunteer/Community service: It was mostly all covered by my experience and work in Interact, which is a community service club. Its parent organization is Rotary International, so we do a lot of work with our local chapter.
** Summer Activities:** I worked over the 2010 summer, and during the 2011 summer I spent three weeks at Columbia University doing their high school program.
Essays: Main essay about my overcoming of an eating disorder, and how it led to finding strength and solidity in myself; short essay about my activities in Interact and this art festival we put on every year called Goodstock
Teacher Recs: One from English teacher who’s been my NJHS/NHS head and personal friend, one from my government teacher.
Counselor Rec: Pretty amazing, she really went out of the way to state my passion for knowledge and my ambition, motivation, etc., as well as my involvement with the community and pleasant demeanor and everything.
** Interview:** Didn’t really have one; I got an e-card from a Smithie in my area, and we e-mailed a bit.</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>School Type: Small, rural
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: Female
** Income Bracket:** That awkward one where my family makes too much to qualify for any substantial aid, but too little to be able to truly afford a liberal arts education…yay scholarships and loans
** Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):** URM, I guess? If being Hispanic still counts.</p>

<p>Reflection:</p>

<p>** Strengths:** I was genuine in everything that I wrote. I didn’t write to impress, or enrapture. I just wrote to show them who I was. I think the admissions office can truly see that. My long essay was incredibly personal and probably unique-ish, so that likely stood out to them. Smith’s all about global community, too; my strong involvement with Interact was actually mentioned on a personal, hand-written addendum to my early write.
** Weaknesses:** Class rigor, especially in my senior year. I never took AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics, or AP Stats. Didn’t really feel the need, given that I’m not going into the sciences. Well, I definitely should’ve taken stats, but…shut up I didn’t want too LOL
** Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:** Essentially, what I wrote in my strengths section. I’m a strong-yet-open-minded woman who’s passionate about my local community, our nation, and the world. I know who I am, what I want, and I’m eager to start that journey.</p>

<p>General Comments: I know it’s corny, and everyone says it, but guys. We will all go to the colleges we’re supposed to go to. If you didn’t get in, it hurts now, and it probably still will later, but before you know it everything will be fine. To those who did, congratulations, and good luck with the picking process!</p>

5

<p>Decision: Accepted with an Early Write</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown):2240 (760 M, 750 W, 730 CR)
[</em>] SAT II: Literature 730, Math 1 740
[<em>] GPA: 4.32/4.0
[</em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/146
[<em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): My high school only offers AP classes to seniors. Currently enrolled in AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP English Lit, and AP European History.
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: Those listed above, Introduction to Philosophy (First semester), High School Choir, and Spanish 5 honors.</p>

<p>[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): National Honors Society (Member junior year, secretary senior year), involved full year in theater department, member of high school select a cappella choir, four year Vermont All State Chorus admit.
[</em>] Job/Work Experience: Preparer of delicious food at a local country store.
[<em>] Volunteer/Community service: Cleaned up my community after Irene hit, work in the Math Lab during free blocks in my school, volunteering at school events through NHS.
[</em>] Summer Activities: Theater through a local company, Governor’s Institute of Vermont Program for Mathematics, went to an Episcopalian summer camp for 7 years.
[<em>] Essays: Main essay about a secret family cookie recipe and how it has taught and and encouraged me to give and give back. Short essay for activities was on my experience at the Governor’s Institute of Vermont program.
[</em>] Teacher Recommendation: 1 from my Philosophy/Civics teacher, 1 from my AP Calc teacher. I only read the first one, and it was outstanding.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Personal and very wonderful. She interviewed me for about an hour to get the material that was needed.
[</em>] Interview: I had a wonderful chat with an interviewer from my area over coffee/tea. I had a good time and laughed a lot. :slight_smile:
[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): VT
[</em>] School Type: Small, public, rural
[<em>] Ethnicity: White
[</em>] Gender:Female (Of course)
[<em>] Income Bracket: 60-80,000 but soon to be less due to downsizing.
[</em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Legacy, my grandmother attended Smith.
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[<em>] Strengths: Recommendation letters, interview, location, legacy (sometimes I worry that’s the only reason I got in), essays.
[</em>] Weaknesses: Extracurriculars are mostly concentrated in one area, SAT i and ii scores are pretty average for a school of this caliber, essays (I did them in two days).
[li] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I showed myself to be an independent woman in my interview and seemed to fit what Smith was looking for. Legacy status probably had something to do with it as well.[/li][/ul]General Comments: Congrats to all the ladies who got in! And for those who were disappointed recently, either by Smith or another school, keep your heads up. There are always bumps in the road, but we’ll all end up where we need to be in the end. Excuse me sounding incredibly cliche.</p>

6

<p>Decision: Accepted with an Early Write</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] ACT: 29
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.833
[<em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 22
[</em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (4), US History (3), English Language (5)
[<em>] IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: AP Statistics, AP English Literature, AP Psychology, Academic Decathalon Honors, AP Government, AP Economics, American Music History Honors, Office Aide, Off-campus
[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar, Academic Excellence, Most Improved Choir Member
[/ul] Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Mother and brother caretaker<a href=“my%20mom%20has%20health%20issues”>/u</a>
Text roleplayer<a href=“six%20years”>/u</a>
Editor-in-chief of school literary magazine<a href=“one%20year”>/u</a>
Library aide<a href=“two%20years”>/u</a>
Creative writer<a href=“six%20years”>/u</a>
AcDec District and Regionals participant<a href=“one%20year”>/u</a>
Diversity Quiz Bowl alternate<a href=“one%20year”>/u</a>
Diversity Conference school representative<a href=“one%20year”>/u</a>
[<em>] Volunteer/Community service: Library Aide
[</em>] Essays: For the personal statement, I wrote about how a play of mine was picked to be directed and acted by the Theatre III and IV students. I went on how it solidified confidence in myself as a writer, how it geared me to want a career in writing, and how it also has allowed me to be receptive to criticism.
For the short Common Application essay, I discussed how I didn’t consider myself maternal—READ: Never having kids!—but I ended up taking care of my mother and brother.
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: I know that my recommendation from my AP English III, also my AcDec coach, is awesome. I’ve never even seen it, but I trust he did a spectacular job. I expect my Gov/Eco recommendation to be average.
[</em>] Counselor Rec: As for my counselor, she actually went around and asked teachers about me, so I think hers was a bit more informative about me.
[<em>] Interview: Didn’t have one.
[/ul]Other[ul]
[</em>] State (if domestic applicant): Texas
[<em>] School Type: Public
[</em>] Ethnicity: Filipino
[<em>] Gender: Yeah, I’m definitely a male…
[</em>] Income Bracket: $30k
[<em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First Generation
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[</em>] Strengths: Personal statement, supplement, English teacher’s rec, and GPA.
[<em>] Weaknesses: Extracurriculars and significant financial need.
[</em>] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
I believe that they managed to get a sense of who I truly am through my essays and my English teacher’s recommendations and thought I was a definite fit for their school. I also made it certain that I conveyed that Smith was my top choice and that I absolutely adore the college.
[/ul]General Comments:
Smith is my first choice (tied with Scripps, though), so I’m pretty hyped about my acceptance. I think what helped me the most was my personal statement and supplement. I put a lot of effort in writing the both of them. As for my extra-curriculars, I’m convinced they are the weakness of my application. I don’t have much love for clubs at the high school level and I had limited transportation. As for if I’m going to Smith, it depends if I get into Scripps and whether it has better financial aid for me.</p>

7

<p>Decision: Accepted early write with Zollman Scholarship</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): 2260 composite, 800 CR, 760 M, 700 W (one sitting)
[</em>] ACT: 32 (one sitting)
[<em>] SAT II: 800 U.S. History, 730 Literature
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): school only reports weighted; 4.34. I’d guess 3.93 unweighted.
[<em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/225
[</em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): English Lit & Comp (5), English Lang & Comp (5), U.S. History (5), European History (5), Computer Science (3), Physics B (lawlz)
[<em>] Senior Year Course Load:
AP U.S. Government @ normal high school, AP Statistics, AP Calc AB, Honors Geology/Honors Astronomy @ math and science magnet school, Arabic 1000/1010, History and Cinema (HIST 3015), Writing Creative Non-fiction (ENGL 3700) @ Western Michigan University.
[</em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Commended, AP Scholar w/Distinction, various local shenanigans.
[/ul]
Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
-Gay Straight Alliance<a href=“member%209-10,%20executive%20board%2011-12”>/u</a>
-National Honors Society<a href=“member%2011,%20elected%20Secretary/Communications%20Officer%2012”>/u</a>
-Community Literary Awards Judge I’ve judged a bunch of categories over seven years, mostly poetry, although I’ve judged Youth and Teen short story several times.
-Research paper grader for a Western Michigan University professor I’m a graduate of a special program for middle and high school students with skills in English, and I’ve graded the year II research papers for their professor since 9th grade
-Kalamazoo Area Math & Science Center computer science team 10,11
-Four poems published in The Laureate, the undergraduate literary magazine of Lee Honors College at WMU
-Math League + cumulative research program for KAMSC<a href=“ML:%2011,12;%20Research:%209-11”>/u</a>
[</em>] Job/Work Experience:
-Internship with Michigan Citizen Action, a progressive nonprofit that lobbies for consumer protections in Michigan. I joined as an unpaid intern in June 2010 and will be hired as a part-time staffer as soon as I graduate.
-Janitor for a local landscape architect<a href=“11,%2012”>/u</a>
[<em>] Volunteer/Community service:
-Volunteer Field Staffer for One Kalamazoo volunteered and ran canvasses/canvass trainings for a campaign to pass a local queer-rights ordinance (10)
-Helped organize a local Walk For Choice<a href=“11”>/u</a>
[</em>] Summer Activities: Mostly spent at work, but I also toured several schools, trolled a lot of bookstores (thereby helping complete my goal of reading the entire works of Japanese author Haruki Murakami), went to Europe as a People to People student ambassador in 2009.
[<em>] Essays: Good, I hope. The Common App one was about visiting a concentration camp and how having one half of my family be Nazis with the other half being Jewish messed with my sense of good guys/bad guys, especially growing up during the Iraq/Afghanistan wars. The Smith one was a little less thought out; I related my favorite song to watching and reading Matilda (by Roald Dahl) as a little girl.
[</em>] Teacher Recommendation: I’m sure they were great.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Surprisingly personal, mostly because I’m constantly having schedule issues and therefore am constantly in the guidance office.
[</em>] Interview: Went pretty well, I hope, although I spent most of the time explaining where my hometown is using my hand (it’s a Michigan thing).
[/ul]
Other:[ul]
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): Michigan
[</em>] School Type: Urban public (1500 students), competitive magnet (60 students in my graduating class, have to apply to be admitted and maintain a certain GPA), state university (I’ve been at WMU since spring '10)
[<em>] Ethnicity: white
[</em>] Gender: is a construct
[<em>] Income Bracket: was 100k ish, then my dad got laid off, then my mom got laid off, looking at 40-60k next year.
[</em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I am really damn queer and look like Rachel Maddow? does that count?
[/ul]
Reflection[ul]
[<em>] Strengths: My test scores are pretty high (ignoring my ACT and SAT writing), I’ve got a fairly well-rounded and rigorous curriculum, strong essays - in my early write acceptance letter, Dean Shaver wrote that she was glad I wanted to major in English because of my writing skills.
[</em>] Weaknesses: I’m sure my ECs look a little bizarre together, I’m not terribly involved at any one school because I go to three.
[<em>] Other schools you applied to: University of Michigan EA (accepted), Wellesley College (accepted), Princeton University EA (deferred, waiting final decision Thursday), NYU Global Liberal Studies, Barnard College, Columbia University (although I’d rather go to Barnard, Columbia has better FA)
[</em>] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think my essays helped a lot, and, unlike most prospective English/History majors, I have a very strong science and research background.
[/ul]
General Comments: I hope everything works out for everyone!</p>

8

<p>I was: Decision:
Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I: 600 Math, 640 CR, 690 Writing
[</em>] ACT: 26 (did not submit- unless Guidance accidentally submitted like they did with Colby ~_~ They were supposed to take it off of my transcript but it somehow got back on.)
[<em>] SAT II: Did not take
[</em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): I’m not sure, probably close to a 4.0, 4.42 weighted
[<em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/94
[</em>] AP : haven’t taken any tests yet, but I’ve had AP English, Ap Chemistry, and AP Art
[<em>] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A at my school
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: AP English (full year), Calculus, SS12, Ap Chem (all year), Physics, French 3 Independent Study
[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): DAR recipient, NH State Scholar, lots of small yearly awards that I didn’t submit to college
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): National Honor Society (11-12, VP Senior Year), Student Entrepreneurial Student Leadership Challenge (10), Drama (11), Art Club (9-12), Student Senate (10-12)
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: Animal Hospital for 4 years, about 8 hours a week
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: 15+ hrs for NHS Junior year, 16+ hrs Senior Year, and 24+ hours Senior Year for Capstone project (mainly at a Cat Shelter)
[<em>] Summer Activities: not much, couldn’t afford the Summer Program I wanted to attend last year
[</em>] Essays: College Essay was on my experiences working in an Animal Hospital, it was very personal and showed how the stress/troubles of the job can actually make me a stronger person
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: one from my English teacher Freshman-Junior year, one from my AP Chem/Chem teacher, both should be pretty good
[</em>] Counselor Rec: From the Guidance Director, should be very positive
[<em>] Additional Rec: N/A
[&lt;/em>] Interview: N/A
[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): New Hampshire
[</em>] Country (if international applicant):
[<em>] School Type: Small Public School
[</em>] Ethnicity: White
[<em>] Gender: Female
[</em>] Income Bracket: just under $100,000
[<em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First generation college student
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[</em>] Strengths: our school didn’t offer many AP Classes (and they rotate bi-yearly) and I took most I could get my hands on (except ones I thought were irrelevant, such as US History which I had a year of last year), and I took mostly honors classes; Valedictorian
[<em>] Weaknesses: Small school, low/average test scores
[</em>] Why you think you were accepted: Probably because I’m Valedictorian and most of my extracurriculars/classes link back to my main interests- my job exposed me to some Science in a Veterinary Hospital, I volunteered at a Cat Shelter (reinforces that I love animals), I took as many Science classes as I could fit into my schedule, I’ve only had 2 free blocks throughout all of High School (Senior Year). I did the best with what I had at a small school, in a small town.
[/ul]General Comments: I was surprised I got accepted. My friend (our school’s Salutatorian) got waitlisted. She had very similar stats to me, but my GPA and test scores were slightly higher, and our extracurriculars varied a little bit (she’s President of NHS and yearbook editor, but doesn’t have a job) </p>

<p>Good Luck to everyone else! I hope to see some of you at Smith next year (I’m not 100% sure I’m attending, but I’m fairly certain.)</p>