Trying to Figure Out Where I Stand...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So, I got a lot of help looking for colleges here. I'm at 11 schools, many of which are free to apply to (I don't mind an essay extra or two), though I do think it could be pared down a bit with some advice. I still feel like I'm too heavy on reaches, so I'm looking for the collective wisdom of CC on this. </p>

<p>Stats:
- White Male
- Competitive, Nationally Ranked Kentucky Public School
- 3.6 GPA (Unweighted, no grade inflation. An A=93%+)
- Difficult Courseload (Only two non-advanced or not AP courses)
- 31 ACT (Retake in Sept.)
- SAT I: Taking in October
- SAT II:World: 800; Bio: 740; Lit: 650
- APs: Human Geo (9th); Bio and World History (10th); US History and English Language (11th); Stats, Psych, Euro, and English Literature (12th)
A's in all AP course except English Language, and 5's on all tests except... English Language
- EC's: Academic Team, Science Fair (several awards), Science Olympiad, Ky Junior Academy of Science, NHS Vice President, Drama Club, Young Democrats, Volunteer with Obama campaign (yeah, that will really stick out... not) and several other local campaigns, Internship with local Symphony, Governor's School, Working</p>

<p>What I Want in a School:
- Small student body
- "Liberal" e.g. Socially and Environmentally Conscious (both school and students)
- "Sophisticated" (The NY Times in on sale on campus... the cafeteria has organic ethnic food for dinner)
- My favorite seasons are autumn and winter... so I like cold.
- I tend to prefer urban areas, but I appreciate small towns and would be fine with a solid Internet connection
- Fairly groomed grounds, natural beauty, and students who take advantage
- Arts present on campus, accessible to other students (i.e., Drama Clubs, Exhibitions, Music)
- Politically active
- Other Liberal Arts School "stuff" (good accessible professors, a competent administration, low red tape, etc.)</p>

<p>So I'm thinking right now (in order of how I feel my chances are, from low to high):
Brown (Exception to the small rule)
Middlebury
Bowdoin
Carleton
Macalester
Kenyon
Wesleyan
Oberlin
Grinnell
Centre
Transylvania</p>

<p>Is this a good list? Should I remove a reach school, or two? Do I have enough matches? </p>

<p>A lot of those came from advice here... now I need advice from here on removing schools.</p>

2

<p>seriously, you only have centre as a match and transylvania as a safety. the rest are either reaches or high reaches. i'd recommend sewanee, rhodes, new college of florida as solid matches. if you prefer schools in the midwest try knox, lawrence, beloit, earlham, denison or st olaf.</p>

3

<p>I'd also mention that Wesleyan is probably more of a reach than Kenyon and Mac (though your Midwest status will help there more than the other two, it's still generally a tad more selective), and I'd move Oberlin and maybe Grinnell above Kenyon as well.</p>

<p>I'd say collegeprep is right, only because of your GPA...a 3.6 is low for many of those schools (though what it would look like weighted should also be taken into account, even if your school doesn't actually weight, if that makes sense). However, as it's a nationally ranked highschool, a 3.6 from your school might mean a lot more from a 3.6 from other schools...if you know this to be true, than your list is probably pretty good, becauseI'd say Kenyon, Grinnell, Oberlin are all pretty solid matches based on your test scores and ECs, and even most of the more reach-y schools are not out of reach (esp. the east-coast ones that will like someone from Kentucky). If you haven't already, you should talk with your GC about how your GPA will looked compared to a GPA at a "normal" school.</p>

4

<p>I realize the GPA is low, but it is unweighted. The weighted one probably looks better, especially because the classes holding my GPA down are non-AP classes that frankly, had poor teachers. I've only gotten two B's out of 10 semester grades in AP classes. I'm hoping with good essays and recs I can get in somewhere, though I know the list is skewed towards reaches. Plus, I'll probably be the only applicant from my school to some of these schools.</p>

<p>I'd also say that I agree that Oberlin, Grinnell, and Kenyon are reaches, but I don't think they are super reaches.</p>

5

<p>A 31 ACT is a good pretty score. I'd investigate which schools would permit you to subsitute your ACT score for your SATIs.</p>

6

<p>Thanks. My problem is that my 31 doesn't include the writing. I've taken the writing, and got a 29 on that. But it was on the June ACT, and I don't think I did as well because a.) I didn't get enough sleep (whole Friday in summer thing), and b.) I incidentally ended up sitting next to my best friend from middle school, with whom I'm estranged. I'm taking it one last time in September and I'm optimistic about doing well. </p>

<p>Anyway, doesn't every school in the US accept the ACT?</p>

7

<p>Okay, so I pared down my list a bit, and added I few safeties I had researched and was holding in the back of my mind.</p>

<p>First, I removed Brown. I wasn't too attached to it. Then I did two thought processes. Carleton vs. Macalester and Middlebury vs. Bowdoin. I looked at which one I would like more out of the two, and ended up thinking I'd prefer Bowdoin to Midd and Mac to Carleton. </p>

<p>I added Beloit and Bard as safeties. I kind find good things about both. </p>

<p>So the new list is (in no particular order):</p>

<p>Bowdoin
Macalester
Kenyon
Oberlin
Grinnel
Beloit
Bard
Centre
Transy
Wesleyan
Denison</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

8

<p>I think you're good to go.</p>