Vassar, Amherst, and Skidmore -- possible bottom 25% of admits?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>These are currently my top three schools, and for most of them, I'm within the grade range (for Skidmore I'm at match level, Vassar and Amherst I'm within the bottom 25% of people they will admit). So what do you think my possible chances of admission are at any or all of the three, considering good essays and recommendations?</p>

<p>Stats:
Female, upstate New York
In need of aid; has free lunch, etc
White
Not sure of ranking -- but lots of kids cheat their way to the top, so I'm going to assume between 30-55/180
One of those kids who seems to just miss things :/</p>

<p>Academia
* GPA: 3.4, and my school doesn't weight.
* SAT: 660 CR, 550 M, 730 W -- I can do far better, but I was very ill that day, so I am retaking the test this fall.
* Great recs so far, the two that completed them already know me well and I have a good feeling.
* 90+ on 7/9 Regents exams, including two 98s, a 99, and a 100.
* My school does not offer AP courses, but they do offer college credit courses through Syracuse University, SUNY Albany, and the local community colleges. I have scored (without a curve) 90 or better as an average in every course. Currently, I have four AP equivalent courses under my belt, am taking another two this year, and my cumulative would-be college GPA thus far is 3.75.
* Dedicated to band. And although our band program is not huge, by "dedicated," I mean that I help out with every fundraiser, practice, am a section leader, will be Band Co-President this year, and so on.
* Four honours courses: chemistry, and four years of being in an English class above my grade level (that is, they aren't labeled as "honours", but when I was in 9th grade they put me into 10th grade English, 10th they put me into 11th, 11th grade they put me into college English and this year should be a 200-level English).
* Six years of language! I have taken Spanish every year, and although it doesn't fit into my schedule for senior year, I am taking it as an independent study sort of option this year (not for credit, just teaching myself) in addition to French I my sophomore year and French II this year. That has to count for something, right?
* I will have AWESOME essays. They're already written and, if I may toot my own flute, pretty spifftacular.
* Uh, my guidance counselor doesn't like me much because I'm not in Key Club, so she will -not- give me a good letter. Just to put that out there.
* My GPA went from a 78 at the end of my freshman year to an 89 (90!? I hope so) by the end of this year's summer semester. I hope that makes me look decent.</p>

<p>Junior Schedule
Band
Mathematics B
Honors Chemistry
Honors Chemistry lab
Dual Enrollment with Syracuse Univeristy: SUPA Biology 121 and 123 and lab
Dual Enrollment with University at Albany: UHS Spanish IV
Dual Enrollment with Community College: English 104 H, American History I and II</p>

<p>Senior Schedule
Band
Physical Education
Music Theory
Precalculus
French II
Health
Dual enrollment with Syracuse: SUPA Psychology and Sociology
Dual enrollment with University at Albany: UHS English 12 H</p>

<p>ECs
Art Club, 2006-2007
Concert Band, 2005-2009</p>

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<p>My volunteer experience is somewhat bald; it mostly has to do with band fundraising and helping my best friend with her church festivals.</p>

<p>Eeep? Thanks a ton, guys. If there is anything else you need to know (as if I'm not long-winded enough), please ask.</p>

2

<p>You look great, especially for Amherst.
Try to get those scores as high as you can.
If you score 700+ on all three sections, you would be perfect</p>

<p>You need two SAT II Subject Tests too.</p>

3

<p>I don't know if it is even remotely possible for me to score 700+ on math, but I'm great for CR and W. CR I should already be at 700+, and writing is my strongest suit so I'm going to try to boost that to 12 from the 11 I was at. As for II, I'm taking US History and Biology in November or December, depending on whether I can get a fee waiver soon or not.</p>

<p>Isn't Amherst terribly selective? Thanks for letting me know I have a chance.</p>

4

<p>12-char bumpage, hope everyone is having a good day and all that. :**)</p>

5

<p>Ehhhhhhhhhh, GPA is terribly low for those schools, I mean even if you consider those classes college level, I don't think that they hardly equate, as I have seen what the Syracuse Accounting class is, and it's pretty damn easy compared to an AP. Currently you have a 1210, which again is way low for the schools you are considering, but if you really were sick, and you think you can do better then do so, I would imagine that above 1350 could put you in a somewhat easier position because of your gpa. You have MILLIONS of ECs so that can hardly be used against you, do you have a prospective major?</p>

6

<p>My GPA is really "terribly low" for any school I'm applying to, SUNY included, because I had a dreadfully difficult freshman year but I've really pulled it around since then, you know? I've improved drastically, although I'm thinking it really won't matter in the long run because the class of 2009 seems to be incredibly competitive and I fell off of the run when it really mattered, and I am continuously kicking myself for it. Also, the Syracuse biology class is pretty hard, although I can't say the same for psych.</p>

<p>I think that I might be able to bump myself up to 600 on math, and I can definitely score at least 700 on CR. My score is dreadful, honestly, in comparison to what I'm capable of. I'm just so insecure about being accepted anywhere, and maybe it's blinding me.</p>

<p>I do have majors in mind, though, I want to double in Music and Neuroscience as well as minor in Spanish. But again, I'm not really the greatest candidate in any of them. :/</p>

7

<p>Evidently, my average translates more to a 3.6 than a 3.4, according to some people? That definitely helps. I can't seem to find the numbers for all of them that told me stats such as 16% 3.75-4.0, 18% 3.45-3.6, etc; I remember seeing it somewhere, but maybe just not all schools post them. Anyway, if I can boost my SAT scores, there are promising numbers:</p>

<p>Amherst
* 86% in top tenth of high school graduating class
* **97% in top quarter of high school graduating class<a href="Bolded%20ones%20match%20me">/b</a>
* 100% in top half of high school graduating class
* 0% in bottom half of high school graduating</p>

<p>Skidmore
* 39% in top 10th of graduating class
*** 80% in top quarter of graduating class**
* 97% in top half of graduating class</p>

<p>16% had h.s. GPA of 3.75 and higher
**20% had h.s. GPA between 3.5 and 3.74
22% had h.s. GPA between 3.25 and 3.49<a href="I'm%20not%20sure%20which%20one%20applies">/b</a>
23% had h.s. GPA between 3.0 and 3.24
18% had h.s. GPA between 2.5 and 2.99
1% had h.s. GPA between 2.0 and 2.49</p>

<p>Vassar
* 69% in top 10th of graduating class
*** 95% in top quarter of graduating class**
* 100% in top half of graduating class</p>

<p>50% had h.s. GPA of 3.75 and higher
31% had h.s. GPA between 3.5 and 3.74
15% had h.s. GPA between 3.25 and 3.49
4% had h.s. GPA between 3.0 and 3.24</p>

8

<p>You have a definite shot at Skidmore. In all honesty, however, both Vassar and Amherst are probably longshots. Yes, Amherst is terribly selective. One of the most selective schools in the country. But do well in your classes this semester, try to bring up your SAT math score to 600+, take your SAT II tests in subjects you know you will do well in and -- if Vassar and Amherst are dream schools -- go for it.</p>

<p>I do hope you've got some good match schools and at least one safety on your list also. Have you considered Hobart & William Smith, Wheaton or Dickinson?</p>

9

<p>I would also recommend Bard, very near Vassar.</p>

10

<p>My list is much longer than what I've posted; I only asked about these three out of curiosity. I don't know much about Hobart & William Smith, Wheaton, or Dickinson, and Bard is more of a writing than a science school, isn't it?</p>

11

<p>12-char bumpage, hope everyone is having a good day and all that. :)</p>

12

<p>Something to keep in mind is that at many schools, almost everyone in the bottom 25% of the class on the SAT is a legacy, a recruited athlete or a URM. Same with bottom 25% on class rank.
I think you have a shot at Skidmore. Smith and Mount Holyoke are in your SAT range and have significant numbers of students below the top 10% of their high school class. They also have somewhat higher proportions of lower income kids than some other schools I would suggest- Connecticut College, Union, Trinity and Franklin and Marshall. You would likely get in at St. Lawrence.
Good luck!</p>

13

<p>I know another girl who was looking at Trinity and Connecticut and, despite graduating 4/120 and having a GPA of 96, was waitlisted at both (eventually ended up attending Trinity), and since I'm somewhere around 50/180 and my SATs aren't as high as hers (although they will be), I can't easily believe that I can get in. I do, however, like the idea of Mount Holyoke. My GPA is just so low compared to my abilities...</p>

14

<p>Bard has a huge science initiative and is very supportive of its science students. The two kids I know there went in planning on double majoring: one physics/art, and the other history/theater.</p>

<p>The first is a physics major; the second is now a math major.</p>

15

<p>That's good to hear, then! After browsing the website, Bard seems like a good fit. Thanks for the advice.</p>

16

<p>Re: post #13
Complicating the admissions business is that schools will often waitlist students who they think would rather go elsewhere, namely stronger applicants than they are used to enrolling. I'm not saying that that happened to the student you are mentioning, but it very well may have.
Just one of the bad results for the schools which do this is to discourage reasonable applicants like you from applying.
I wouldn't let that student's experience discourage you.</p>

17

<p>Well, based on stats, I do seem to have a definite chance at Trinity, and that certainly seems to have been my friend's sister's case. I have heard mixed reviews about it, so I'll wait until I get more info from her to put it on my list, but my current schools are:</p>

<p>Amherst College
Bard College
Beloit College
Boston University
Mount Holyoke College
Penn State University Park -- my real number one school, which strangely doesn't seem to fit on this list
Simmons College
Skidmore College
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Purchase
SUNY Stony Brook
Syracuse University
Vassar College
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wheaton College</p>

18

<p>As long as you have a huge variety in admissions acceptance percentages, which you do, it is fine to have reach schools. Amherst is a big reach for everyone, in my opinion. You have geographics and female sex that is a strike against you for NE LACs that tend to get more female applicants than male. Something to consider. If you like Penn State so much, you may want to look at schools similar to it. Apply ASAP to Penn State as the earlier you apply, the better your chances and you are in the running there. They do not tend to give good financial aid, however, and you are out of state which makes it very expensive. Take a look at James Madison for a lower sticker price or Virginia Tech.</p>

19

<p>I won't be able to apply to Penn State for another two weeks, 'cause even though my application has been finished since August, I have to wait until my dad has money to pay. =[</p>

<p>VT and JMU seem like good schools; PSU is on my list because it's been a favourite school of mine since I was three, but since I liked their atmosphere, I may like the others, as well. Can't hurt to apply as many as possible, since I have fee waivers for most of them...</p>

<p>Also, good news! I just had an interview at Skidmore and it seemed to go well. Chances there improved, methinks.</p>

20

<p>Another new list (I swear, it changes by the day) :
Amherst (R)
Bard (M)
Beloit (M)
Boston U (SR)
Mount Holyoke (R)
Penn State U (SR)
Simmons (M)
Skidmore (M)
SUNY Fredonia (M)
SUNY Potsdam (S)
SUNY Purchase (S)
SUNY Stony Brook (SR)
Vassar (R)
Virginia Commonwealth U (M)
Virginia Tech (R)
Wheaton (M)</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>