This *thread* has no title, just words and a tune [chances and safeties please]

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>You're doubly awesome if you know what song that is from :).</p>

<p>Basics:
White/Hispanic (Spanish) female from MI.
Grew up lower-class but now live in a middle class city.
Parents income is virtually nonexistent because my mom was laid off and my dad has been on disability since I was in 7th grade because of a car accident.
First generation college student
First generation American (mom’s side)</p>

<p>The numbers:
GPA: 3.57 UW / 3.73 W [I was diagnosed with depression in about February of my junior year. It really made my junior grades pretty bad, but after I recovered, my grades went up, but not really in time to affect my semester grades. My essays will explain what happened as will my counselor rec.]</p>

<p>ACT: 33 (29 E, 34 M, 33 R, 34 S)
SAT: 710 M, 630 CR, 590 W
SAT 2s: 800 Math 2, 640 Bio M, 600 World History (retaking).
APs: English Lit (3), World History (4), Calculus AB (4). Self studied: Psych (4), US Gov (4), English Lang (3), and Bio (3).</p>

<p>Significant ECs:
-Help found an all-girls basketball league in a poor Detroit neighborhood.
-Coached basketball for league above for 3 years.
-Coached softball and volleyball for 2.
-Help found an Animal Rights club at school. President Senior year.
-Well over 500 hours of community service.
-Over 200 hours of tech on school plays. Thespian (11-12).
-Awareness and Activism (charity based club).
-Have played Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, and Swimming for 13 years (for community sports. Busted knee in 8th grade so I couldn't play competitively after that).</p>

<ul>
<li>My passion is working with disadvantaged children. I came from a disadvantaged background and want to give other kids the same opportunity to overcome it that I had. This is probably what my essays will be about.</li>
</ul>

<p>I know that was long. Thanks so much though</p>

<p>Oh yeah, I want to go into Anthropology/History and Spanish and then go on to law (not that it matters lol)</p>

<p>So far I think... : (Please feel free to move these).</p>

<p>High Reaches (I am trying to narrow it down to only two of these):
Reed.
Amherst.
Brown.
Oberlin. </p>

<p>Matches:
Michigan State.
Kalamazoo.
Lawrence University. </p>

<p>Could you tell me if I'm on the right track and if you could suggest some safeties, that'd be great :).</p>

2

<p>ur GPA and ur SATs r quite low. i would recommend either take SATs again and get much higher, or use ur ACT. ur ACT is good =) since i think ur "matches" section is correct, ill go for the high reaches section:</p>

<p>Reed & Amherst-low reach/reach (GPA =/)
Brown-high reach (ivy =///)
Oberlin- not sure but prolly low reach/reach.</p>

3

<p>Oh sorry I put the SAT there by habit. I am using my ACT only, except for those who require subject tests.</p>

<p>AHH! IGNORE SAT lol.</p>

4

<p>Bump. Also my seniors schedule is: </p>

<p>AP Prob and Stats
Spanish IV
Honors Cultural Anthropology
Honors Humanities I and II
Honors Philosophy OR Algebra I tutor
Tao in Thought and Lit
Ecology
Comp Apps I (required)
Lifeguarding (required)</p>

<p>Yeah, I'm really humanities oriented and I wanted to take some classes I was really passionate about.</p>

5

<p>Bump. Please I'd really like some safeties that are in line with the schools I listed. Thanks :).</p>

6

<p>Beloit in Wisconsin has a very strong anthropology department. They actually beat out Reed in terms of percentage of grads going on for PhD's in anthro. I would also say Beloit is closer to Reed in terms of overall feel than Lawrence (although Lawrence is a great school!)</p>

<p>If you like Oberlin, you might also take a look at Earlham. They share certain similarities. Earlham would probably fall into the safer match category for you.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

7

<p>I think MSU is a safety with that ACT, plus your explanations for the kinda low GPA. I think that you said you didn't care for UMich, otherwise try there too.</p>

8

<p>I think that if you can base your essays on your activism and raise your SATs, I think you would have a shot at the schools you mentioned, even Brown.</p>

<p>Can you look at my thread too?
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/545982-hi-guys-i-would-love-hear-what-you-have-say.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/545982-hi-guys-i-would-love-hear-what-you-have-say.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

9

<p>carolyn, thanks. I like Reed in the overall sense, but I'd prefer not to go all the way over to the east coast, so a closer Reed-type school would be amazing :). Plus, I've never heard of the other school you mentioned so I'll check that out. </p>

<p>Knights, yeah I didn't like UMich. But I have friends going there this fall and I'm going to reconsider and change my views on it, but I don't knowif that will happen.</p>

10

<p>Well in any case I think you have your safety in MSU.</p>

11

<p>Haha, thanks. Yes I like MSU's RCAH program.</p>

12

<p>I'd say you're on track; I would tell you to add UMich to that list, but you don't seem to like it. Also, raising your CR score a bit wouldn't hurt for some of your reach schools.</p>

13

<p>^ Thanks, but like I said, I'm using my ACT score instead of my SAT. (ACT R is 33 vs the 630 for SAT CR.)</p>

14

<p>I have to say I really like the Elton John reference in the title. If it were up to me you would get extra points for that!</p>

15

<p>^ Haha somebody got it :). The song's been stuck in my head ever since I tried to play it on the piano.</p>

16

<p>I like your ACT score, definitely in the top. The GPA was practically out of your control, when things like that happen school becomes the least of your priorities. Only those who have experienced that can fully understand that, I think.</p>

<p>I also like your passion statement, it shows that you didnt do what you did just so colleges can like you.</p>

<p>APs = good, the self taught shows your have motivation </p>

<p>Def in at MSU. im pretty sure youre in a Kalamazoo too </p>

<p>Idunno much about brown but... shouldnt ivies like diversity? all smarts kids dont have perfect lives... things happen. I think if you explain tht in your essay, thtll be good. but i have no stats and stuff to reflect tht on. </p>

<p>also, if you do great this semester [once school starts] thtll show your potential - tht you can recover, etc. i wouldnt lose hope</p>

17

<p>oh. and i dunno about the rest of the colleges you posted. sorry =/
good luck :]</p>

18

<p>Thanks for your chance!! This forum is kind of what I'm using to bump down the number of schools. I'm looking to end up with around 9 or 10.</p>

<p>Brown - I hate to say it, but Brown looks like an impossibility with those stats. If you could pull your SAT up to a 2300, you might be a low reach, but right now, VERY high reach. ACT is solid, but combined with GPA, not enough
Amherst - Same situation as Brown. Amherst is the second best liberal arts school in the nation, and sort of harder to get into than the top, Williams College. Get that SAT up.
Reed - Unpredictable. Some would say match, some would say reach. I say high match, due to your family history and strong math side.
Oberlin - High match as well.
MSU - Low match to safety. You should get in.
Kalamazoo - Low match to safety as well.
Lawrence - Unfamiliar</p>

<p>I suggest U of M - Ann Arbor. A very solid school with excellent academics, and since you're in-state, that would be a good school to look at. Also, if you can boost your SAT score, the Claremont colleges (Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Scripps, etc.), as you tend to be math-focused, and so are they.</p>

19

<p>I'm not using the SAT. I really regret putting it down. </p>

<p>I'm using the ACT because it's a lot better.
Why do people on these boards always ignore the ACT? :(</p>

20

<p>
[quote]
I'm not using the SAT. I really regret putting it down. </p>

<p>I'm using the ACT because it's a lot better.
Why do people on these boards always ignore the ACT?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don't know.. My ACT is 200+ points higher than my SAT :(</p>