<p>I have received an "unlikely" for admission to Wellesley EE. I had done an interview for the college in December, which I had thought had gone fairly well, and I had attended Discover Wellesley Day. I think that the main thing holding me back was my low GPA (3.0 out of 4), and my SAT (1720 out of 2400 and 510 on Math 1 and 540 on Molecular Biology) Also my class rank was 190 out of 349. (However my grades and class rank were explained by the guidance counselor and myself because I had gone through some unusual circumstances. I am also a minority applicant (I had indicated on common app that I was black, because that is what I consider myself, but in my personal statement I had talked about being biracial). I have excellent EC's, and I thought my "why Wellesley" essay was pretty good. I talked about the value of a women's college, and I also talked about Wellesley's philosophy department and specific classes and a professor I had hoped to have. I also live in MA, about 20 min away from the college. I wondering if there is anything I can do at this point? I am basically treating this as a rejection, but I didn't know if anything else should be submitted or anything? I had written Wellesley a letter a few weeks ago which I submitted with my mid-year grade report about how my transcript does not accurately reflect my intellectual ability and how I feel that I am truly a match for the college, and that at Wellesley I would be able to thrive at my fullest potential. I had also taken the Feb 2011 ACT, and on the practice test I got a 33, but I am hoping for anywhere between 28-33 composite score (I receive results tomorrow). I had already registered Wellesley to receive my ACT score, so do you think this may help, or is it truly a lost cause?</p>
<p>I was also wondering if I need to update them on the fact that I just recently created my high school to be a “sister school” to the Darfur Dream Team (basically it partners up high schools with refugee schools in Darfur, and supplies them with educational materials, writes the students letters, ect). I made my school a sister school, because of my anti genocide efforts during high school. (I am the president/creator of my high school STAND chapter, which is a student anti genocide coalition and the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network with nearly 900 chapters worldwide). Should I inform Wellesley of this, (Wellesley is also a sister school of the Darfur Dream team), and talk about how I hope to be involved at Wellesley if I were admitted?</p>
<p>Well, it never hurts to try! It’s hard. What makes Wellesley so tough is that because its a women’s college, most people who apply want to go, and care about their academic experience enough to want the school specifically. It’s not a massive applicant pool, but everyone is a competitive applicant. I can’t say whether it will be able to make a difference, but doing something is generally better than not doing anything.</p>
<p>Also, if it doesn’t work out, you can always try bringing your grades up at another college freshman year, and transferring. I feel like every time I’ve visited, I’ve met girls who transferred in because something beyond their control happened in High School that hurt their grades. Seriously: over the summer, my tour guide was a transfer, my hostess for the Wellesley weekend was a transfer, and the girl who gave the info session talk was a transfer.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Definitely send in the new achievements that you have and the ACT scores too. Write a letter about how YOU will contribute to the Wellesley community; While they want to know how how interested you are, they also want to know what you will bring to Wellesley. Let them know you really want this!!! Good Luck!!</p>
<p>2015hopeful, are your recent grades higher? I know sometimes there are extenuating circumstances for a lower gpa, but my D has found Wellesley to be pretty challenging academically. She has to work very, very hard to keep up with the school work. Her first year she took one class where she went to a study group, office hours, tutoring, etc. and was happy to get a C. This is the same kid who used to freak out in high school if she got a B in anything!</p>
<p>Right now I know your focus is on getting in, but that’s not the end of the story, it’s only the beginning. If your gpa and test scores are truly not reflective of your academic ability to handle a demanding course load, then you should submit other information to support your case for admission. If you are unsuccessful in changing their mind, and you still want to attend Wellesley, then demonstrate at another institution that you are ready for the academic rigor at Wellesley and apply as a transfer student.</p>
<p>Oh no, I just got a 26 on the ACT. 27 for English, 23 for math (yikes!), (23 for science), (reading 32), writing score a 9</p>
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<p>So I had indicated to Wellesley originally that I had wanted to study philosophy at the university, and I had briefly touched on wanting to also study physics. One of my recommenders (russian lit teacher) told Wellesley I had wanted to study physics and philospophy, my other recommender said I wanted to be a journalist, and my GC said I was interested in political science. This is all what I had thought I had wanted but I keep changing my mind. What I am really meant to do is write. My essays are fantastic, and many people consider me to be a very strong writer. I have written creatively all my life, and I have been currently working on a 50 page novel that I am hoping to complete during college for publication. I had just taken the ACT, and I got a 26 (32 on reading, 27 on writing, and 23 on math and science). Based on my grades and this ACT score, there is an indication that science and math are not my strongest points. However I had told Wellesley that I am interested in studying phyiscs and college (I also told my interviewer that as well). Can I write them a letter or indicate them somehow, about how I really want to be a writer, and that is what I want to do, and that I am very interested in Wellesley’s creative writing department? It is very evident from my application that I am a very strong writer, but I would hate for them to reject me based on the science part, since I had indicated interest in that on my app. (They may think “Well, if she is such a srong writer, then why doesn’t she major in English or creative writing and not physics? Why would she want to major in a science if her records do not indicate great success in the sciences?”) Can I tell them? And can I tell them how I would contribute the creative writing department? Or is it too late?</p>
<p>Last year I was told ‘unlikely’ meant ‘no’ and that nobody gets that reversed. I went to another college instead.</p>
<p>Unlikely means no. 2015, I saw your posts on the Barnard and Bryn Mawr boards. Focus on those colleges.</p>
<p>2015hopeful,</p>
<p>I’ve seen some of the other schools you’re applying to. They are, from what I’ve seen, extremely selective institutions. Have you applied to a few safeties? If you were my daughter, I would encourage you to turn in a few applications right now to schools that do rolling admissions just so you’d have some choice in the event you weren’t accepted by any of your preferred schools. In my opinion, you may be aiming rather high for your stats, intelligent though you may be and notwithstanding the adversity and URM hooks which you possess. </p>
<p>Best wishes.</p>
<p>I don’t want to sound mean but I really wonder if the OP has discussed her situation with a guidance counselor at her school? Her stats are quite out of whack with the colleges she is applying to. I am sure there are dozens of schools that would love to have her as a student. Check out some of the other threads. I wish you well as you seem like a nice kid. But you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment. I know when I was in high school I wanted to go to an Ivy League school. But I was realistic and went on to Boston College, which did not have the reputation it has now back then. It turned out to be a great choice for me. Best of luck.</p>
<p>By all means, do not give up. If you really love Wellesley and believe you are a good match for the school, convey this to them and show them how you can be an assest to their community. I do, however, agree with the above comments in that you should focus on more realistic schools. If you end up at a college that does not suit you, you can always transfer to Wellesley or another similar college after your freshman year.</p>