Rejected…didn’t have a ton of interest in the school so that may be why but I had a WGPA 5.102, 1420 SAT, good community service and extracurriculars
Decision: Waitlisted
Objective:
ACT - 36
Math 2 Subject Test - 800
GPA - 4.28
6 AP Tests, all 5s
ECs/Awards:
Debate: US national team finalist, 2nd at national championship and 2nd at an international competition
Robotics: World champion
Homeless shelter: Board of directors, 9 years volunteering
Founded a business consulting agency working with multi-million dollar startups
Other:
CAS
White Male
Income: $20k
Reason for decision: Wash U is need aware, not sure why I bothered to apply tbh
So far have regents invites for Berkeley and UCSB, acceptance at UCSD, and a full ride at my safety plus a statement of interest from admissions at Yale
Best of luck to all! Also a warning to other low income students not to waste your time and money applying
Decision: Accepted
Merit Scholarship, if received: N/A
School/Major: College of Arts & Sciences/Philosophy
Objective:
[ul]
[]ACT: 32C, 35E, 35M, 33R, 26S, 27W (34 SS)
[]SAT II: US History (760)
[]Unweighted GPA: 3.94
[]Unweighted GPA (updated w/1st semester data): 3.95
[]Weighted GPA: 4.22
[]Weighted GPA (updated w/1st semester data): 4.33
[]Capped UCGPA: 4.27
[]Capped GPA (updated w/1st semester data): 4.21
[]Uncapped UCGPA: 4.36
[]Uncapped GPA (updated w/1st semester data): 4.50
[]Rank: 11/522 unweighted, 17/522 weighted
[]Rank (updated w/1st semester data): 8/522 unweighted, 11/522 weighted
[]AP: European History (4), US History (5), Psychology (5), English Language (5)
[]Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, AP Studio Art 2D, AP Spanish Language, AP Macroeconomics, AP Government, AP English Literature
[li]Major Awards: AP Scholar with Honor[/li][/ul]
Subjective:
- []Extracurriculars: JV Soccer (Captain), Club Soccer, Youth & Government, NHS
[]Job/Work Experience: Math Tutor, Babysitter
[]Volunteer/Community Service: Take care of my 4 younger brothers and 1 younger sister (pickup from school, take to appointments, feed snacks, help with homework)
[]Summer Activities: Student Research Intern performing breast and colorectal cancer research at major research university
[]Essays: 9/10
[]Teacher Rec #1: 9/10
[]Teacher Rec #2: 7/10
[]Counselor Rec: 9/10
[]Additional Rec: 10/10
[]Interview: N/A
Other:
[ul]
[]State: California
[]Country: N/A
[]School Type: Public
[]Ethnicity: White
[]Gender: Female
[]Income Bracket: $150k
[li]Hooks: N/A[/li][/ul]
Reflection:
[ul]
[]Strengths: GPA, test scores, essays, letters of recommendations
[]Weaknesses: My volunteer and community service work is virtually non-existent due to family obligations, and my decision to not take a 4th year science to double up on math might be detrimental.
[]Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: High class rank, essays, recs, class rigor, test scores
[]Where else you are applying or have already applied:
[list]
[li]Accepted - Davis, Michigan, Minnesota (Honors), Oregon (Honors), Pitt (Honors), Texas, Tulane (Honors), UCSC, UCSD, Wisconsin, WUSTL[/li][li]Applied - Berkeley, UCLA, UCSB, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington[/li][li]Deferred - N/A[/li][li]Rejected - N/A[/li][/ul]
[li]General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Stay positive and be yourself![/li][/list]
Waitlisted(rip)
Stats:
ACT: 35 (E35 M36 R34 S36)
GPA: 4.23/4.3 (highest possible=4.3)
Rank: Not offered
Other Tests (AMC, AP, IB): AP*9
SAT Subject Tests: M2/Ph/Ch 800
Subjective /b]
Essays: I think they are fine
Teacher Recs: I think they are fine
Counselor Rec: I think it is fine
Supplementary Material: 2 research papers
Hook(recruited athlete, legacy, Nobel Prize): None
Personal
Location: US
High School Type: Private boarding
Ethnicity: International (China, w/o green card)
Gender: Male
Other
Extracurriculars: Science/math stuff, peer tutoring, NHS, CS internship, orchestra, researches both independent & w/ professor, some other volunteering stuff
Awards: Intel ISEF Grand award mathematics, AJAS/AAAS, USAMO (not in MOSP), USAPhO silver, all state orchestra, and other stuff (like National Latin Exam Gold, etc.)
Advice? Commiserations? Feel like bragging?: Might be viewed as not fit... though I don't think I'm not a good fit.
Decision: Accepted
College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 34 (35 M, 35 E, 34 R, 33 S), 35 superscored
SAT II: 800 Math II, 720 US History (didn’t send)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10% (school ranks by deciles)
AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (5), US History (5), Lit + Comp (5), Art History (5), Chemistry (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Psychology, AP Government + (H) Econ, AP Lang + Comp, (H) Molecular Genetics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, CSF Outstanding Pretrial Lawyer, Certificate of Merit - Levels 6-9
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Debate (9-12; Secretary - 10, VP - 11, President - 12), Model UN (Founder + Co-Pres: 11-12), STEM Academy (10-12), School’s Business Academy (10-12), Piano (2-12), Mock Trial (12), Freshman Counselor (11-12), Tutor at School’s Writing Center (11-12)
Job/Work Experience: Internship with large nutrition bar company over 11th grade summer. Intern at the Democratic Party of Orange County. Intern at my aunt’s law firm.
Volunteer/Community service: Work regularly with the OC Court System through Peer Court. Local volunteering with my church.
Summer Activities: Internships mentioned above, classes, UCLA summer Mock Trial camp.
Essays: 8/10. Talked about working in the Peer Court system and how that helped develop my identity as a Mexican-American.
Teacher Recommendation: 10/10. English teacher - we got along really well and I was one of her favorite students, according to her.
Counselor Rec: 9/10. She knows me well from dealing with personal situations, so I think that may have helped.
Additional Rec: 9/10. AP Chemistry teacher. Not my best class, but he saw me try as hard as I could and I think that reflected in his recommendation.
Interview: Didn’t have one. Requested one, though.
Other
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): US
Intended major(s): Psychology and Brain Sciences
School Type: Parochial
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: M
Income Bracket: $200k+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM
Reflection
Strengths: Test Scores, Letters of Recommendation, Demonstrated Interest (applied to 4 scholarships)
Weaknesses: GPA (had a drop second semester of sophomore year)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: See above
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Accepted: UC Irvine, William & Mary
Waitlisted: UCSD
Deferred: Brown ED, UChicago EA
General Comments:
I’m still in shock. Congratulations to everyone!
Decision: Accepted
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): didn’t take
ACT: 32 (34 E; 32 M 32 R 31 S)
Superscore: 33C (34 E 32 M 33 R 31 S
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): UW:3.86, W: 4.3
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 29/340
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Bio, AP Stat, AP World, AP US History, AP Psychology, AP Physics
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP US Gov, AP Lit, AP Macroeconomics, Organic Chemistry
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
a fair amount, i don’t feel like listing them all
Job/Work Experience: Certified Nursing Assistant, Gym Daycare Attendant
Volunteer/Community service: 150+ hours of community service, volunteered in my community, helped start community service projects
Summer Activities: attended a summer science academy at Emory University
Essays: common app essay on my love for Disney movies and i tied it in with my love for working with students with disabilities
Teacher Recommendation: both teachers liked me a lot, so i think they wrote pretty good ones!
Counselor Rec: probably really generic
Additional Rec:
Interview: on-campus, it went pretty well, it was really casual
Other
State (if domestic applicant): GA
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Biology and Global Health pre-med track
School Type: Public, class of about 300
Ethnicity: Black
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM
Reflection
Strengths: essay, showing interest
Weaknesses: stats probably, my ACT score wasn’t the best obviously
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: i showed lots of interest, i visited, had an interview and applied for academic scholarships!
General Comments:
[/noparse]
Decision: Accepted
Pick one:
College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): didn’t take
ACT: 34
SAT II: Physics (800), Math II (800)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 13/652
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Physics C: Mech (5), APUSH (5), AP Eng Lang (5), AP World (5), AP Calc AB (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics C: EM, AP French, AP Calc BC, AP English Lit, Gov/Econ
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, National Commended Scholar
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Student council president, the arts
Job/Work Experience: tutoring
Volunteer/Community service: part of an organization that volunteers, local elderly program
Summer Activities: premed summer program
Essays: I liked my essay a lot, thought it portrayed me in a good light. I worked hard on it.
Teacher Recommendation: I’m really advanced in one of the subjects so that was a great letter I’m sure. And the other teacher is so elegant in her writing and has known me since middle school.
Counselor Rec: She didn’t know me at all so who knows. I’m sure it was a laundry list of my activities
Additional Rec: My dance teacher who showed me in a different light.
Interview: I live nowhere near the school.
Other
State (if domestic applicant):CA
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Physics
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: HAHAHA too high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I submitted an arts supplement? Not really a hook.
Accepted: UCI, UC Davis, UCSD UCSB, Purdue
Rejected: Stanford
Waiting for: Vanderbilt, UChicago, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Duke, Claremont McKenna, Notre Dame
Reflection
Strengths: Test scores, writing, GPA
Weaknesses: strength of applicant pool, number of applicants, lack of major awards
General Comments: I cannot believe it! I’ve been expecting a rejection since the day I submitted the application. I’m pleasantly surprised however. Congratulations to all those accepted and if you were denied keep your head up! It can be random sometimes!
Decision: Accepted
Merit Scholarship, if received: N/A
School/Major: College of Arts & Sciences/Economics
Objective:
SAT : 2290 - 800 reading, 800 writing, 690 math
SAT II: Math 2 - 730, Literature - 720
Unweighted GPA: 3.93
Weighted GPA: 4.36
Rank: top 10%
AP: World History (5), Biology (5), English Language (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, AP English Literature, AP US Government, AP French Language, Physics, Show Choir, Theology
Major Awards: National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar
Subjective:
Extracurriculars: Theatre, Show Choir, Piano, Voice Lessons, Mock Trial, Young Democrats, Lend-a-hand club (microloans club me and my friends started), Chamber Choir, Job as a Barista.
Volunteer/Community Service: 200+ hours, camp counselor
Summer Activities: USC summer classes before junior year, summer job (that I ended up continuing to work at) at a cafe.
Essays: 9/10
Teacher Rec #1: 11/10 – wrote my nhs letter last year, which said I was the best student he ever taught.
Teacher Rec #2: 8/10
Counselor Rec: 9/10
Interview: N/A
Other:
State: California
Country: N/A
School Type: Private, Catholic, All-Girls
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~$600k, divorced parents.
Hooks: N/A
Reflection:
Strengths: Test scores, national merit finalist, letters of recommendations
Weaknesses: I have a lot of extra curriculars but nothing that stands out amazingly
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: test scores,
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
Accepted - UCSD, UCSB, UCI, Santa Clara, SDSU honors, USF half ride
Applied - like 15 other schools.
Deferred - N/A
Rejected - Stanford REA
Decision: Accepted
Merit Scholarship, if received: Langsdorf and McKelvey
School/Major: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences/Biomedical Engineering
Objective:
ACT: 36
Unweighted GPA: 4.00
Weighted GPA: 4.793
Rank: 1/401
AP: US History (4), Chemistry (5), Biology (5), English Language (5), Calc AB (5), Psychology (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP English Literature, Government, AP Physics, Engineering, Band
Major Awards: National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction
Subjective:
Extracurriculars: Marching Band (Field Commander); school and community bands (oboe); All State Band and Orchestra (oboe); Piano; NHS; Rec Softball; Math Club (President); Church Youth Group
Volunteer/Community Service: 400 hours, mostly within my church
Summer Activities: Volunteering, Softball, Engineering Summer Camps
Essays: 9/10
Interview: 7/10; wasn’t spectacular but it wasn’t a train wreck.
Other:
State: Ohio
Country: N/A
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Prefer not to answer
Hooks: Woman in engineering
Reflection:
Strengths: Test scores, academics, demonstrated interest
Weaknesses: Extracurriculars in engineering
Why you think you were accepted: I showed a lot of interest, and then my scores are top notch, as well. I think my scholarship essays were very good, which is important if you want merit money.
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
Accepted - Ohio State, Pitt, University of Rochester
Applied - Duke, Northwestern
Deferred - N/A
Rejected - N/A
Decision: Accepted
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): CR: 760, Math: 770, Writing: 680 (old), English: 740, Math: 750 (new)
ACT: none
SAT II: US History: 770, Lit: 730
Unweighted GPA: 3.95
Weighted GPA: 4.63
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (5), Lang (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: AP Government & Politics, AP Literature, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Calculus AB, Honors Jazz Band
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): #1 in the state on clarinet, Multiple Best Delegate awards at Model UN conferences, Principal of All New England Band Festival, National Honors Society, Tri-M, Scholar Athlete Award
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Debate Team (VP), Climbing Club (President for two years), French Club (VP), Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Pep Band, NHS, Tri-M, Writer’s Club, Ski Club, Pit Orchestra, Varsity Soccer (3 years)
Job/Work Experience: Intern at 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in SF, CA
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteer at local community music school and soup kitchen, NHS, Tri-M
Summer Activities: Internship at US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, music camp
Essays: 9/10, wrote about my experience working for a top federal court
Teacher Recommendation: 10/10, AP Lang teacher, 9/10 APUSH teacher
Counselor Rec: 9/10
Additional Rec: 10/10, staff attorney who I worked for at the 9th Circuit
Interview: none
Other
State (if domestic applicant): New Hampshire
Country (if international applicant): USA
Intended major(s): Political Science
School Type: Public, highly competitive
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: >$100K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Unusual and prestigious work experience in a high-level federal court, #1 in the state on my instrument.
Reflection
Strengths: Strong academics, prestigious internship, regionally ranked musician with submitted audition tape, numerous awards in Model UN, strong EC leadership positions.
Weaknesses: Low demonstrated interest, as I have never visited or interviewed; SAT scores can always be better as well.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: (See strengths)
General Comments: Extremely happy I was accepted, good luck to everyone else here! Maybe I’ll see some of you next fall.
Decision: Accepted
College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 790 CR, 800 M, 750 W (superscored)
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Chemistry, 800 Literature
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.99
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Calculus AB (5), AP Calculus BC (5), AP Chemistry (5), AP English Language and Composition (5), AP U.S. History (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Macroeconomics, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Biology, AP English Literature and Composition, Multivariable Calculus (plus choir and a semester theology class)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Presidential Scholars Program candidate
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Youth orchestra (concertmaster), Chemistry Club (President/Founder), Spanish National Honor Society (President), JV ski team, campus ministry (retreat leadership), National Honor Society
Job/Work Experience: Summer internship at a college chemistry lab, assistant counselor at a music camp
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteered at a hospital and at a women’s shelter (200+ hours total)
Summer Activities: See above
Essays: 7.5/10, wrote about my prospective major and why I’m passionate about the subject
Teacher Recommendation: No idea, but I had good personal relationships with both teachers, so I’m assuming they were pretty good.
Counselor Rec: See above
Additional Rec: I had my internship mentor write me a recommendation.
Interview: My interview really wasn’t great. The guy didn’t seem too interested in learning about me, and the interview was very short. He did seem appreciative when he replied to my thank-you email, though.
Other
State (if domestic applicant): OR
Intended major(s): Biochemistry
School Type: Parochial
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: F
Income Bracket: $200,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
Reflection
Strengths: My grades, test scores, and (probably) recommendations
Weaknesses: I didn’t really have any standout extracurriculars or awards, and my Common App essay wasn’t all that exceptional.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Most likely demonstrated interest. I visited campus, went to my admissions rep’s info session at my school, and interviewed.
General Comments: It’s impossible for me to summarize the emotions of the college application process in a short comment, but for any younger students out there: there are going to be lots of times when you feel like giving up and that you can’t possibly keep pushing through, but hang in there. Your strength and capabilities will surprise you.
Decision: Rejected
Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1500 (770 CR, 730 M)
SAT II: 750 Latin, 710 Literature, 800 Spanish (forgot to send them)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): not sure, but like 90 per cent
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): NA
AP (place score in parenthesis): Euro (5), Calc, Spanish, Lit, US History, Latin
Senior Year Course Load: APs and honors
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): not really, just at the regional science fair and some awarded by colleges near my area plus a couple of school awards
Other
State (if domestic applicant): weird situation, moved to northeastern US my junior year from Europe
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Linguistics
School Type:
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female
Income Bracket: 150k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
Reflection
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: the fact that I was an international student asking for financial aid probably contributed to my rejection. Honestly, I only applied because the uni sent me a fee waiver, so I’m not that sad, though downright rejection certainly stinks. I hope the other colleges where I applied give me a chance! BTW, congrats to all who got in!
Decision: Accepted
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Objective: Pre-Med
SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t Take
ACT: 35 superscore, (35M,35E,34R,34S)
SAT II: Didn’t take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.85
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Nope
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5s: Calc BC (AB Subscore), Comp Poli; 4s: USH, Human Geo, Env Sci, Lang and Comp; 3s: Psych, Gov
IB (place score in parenthesis): Nope
Senior Year Course Load: AP Chem, Spanish 6 CIS, Honors English 12- Humanities, French 2, AP Macro, AP Stats, Honors World History, Middle Eastern Conflicts and Crisis
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
Subjective: None
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience: Kumon Tutor
Volunteer/Community service: Random Volunteering, Hospital Volunteer
Summer Activities: None
Essays: 7/10 maybe, relative to others
Teacher Recommendation: No clue, don’t want to guess.
Counselor Rec: No clue, don’t want to guess.
Additional Rec: No clue, don’t want to guess.
Interview: Didn’t get one.
Other
State (if domestic applicant): MN
Intended major(s): Biochemistry
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 200,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
Reflection
Strengths: ACT score I guess.
Weaknesses: GPA, lack of strong EC, lack of strong awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
I honestly have no idea why I got accepted; I showed absolutely no interest but maybe my recs and essays carried me in.
Decision: Accepted
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1420 I think?
ACT: 33 one sitting, 34 superscored
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.79
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school doesnt rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): too many to list sorry
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: Ap Calc ab, Ap Physics C mechanics, Ap stats, Ap french, AS business, honors gov, honors econ, dual enrollment english, executive internship
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nopee
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Nationally ranked soccer team (captain)
School varsity soccer team all 4 years (was captain last 2)
Mu alpha theta (treasurer)
Science Honor society (president)
French honor society (treasurer)
Student government (treasurer)
National Honor society
Job/Work Experience: cancer research internship? Wasnt paid though so idk if this goes here
Volunteer/Community service: 300+ hours at a camp for disabled children teaching them to sail
Summer Activities: some dual enrollment classes while volunteering (see above)
Essays: 8/10 talked about how I missed a penalty during the state finals and we lost the game. Came out pretty dope, like I connected it to Murphy’s Law and how it was meant to happen so I can grow from it and face my fear.
Teacher Recommendation: both teachers love me so deff 10/10
Counselor Rec: v generic
Additional Rec: didnt have one
Interview: didn’t have one
Other
State (if domestic applicant):FL
Country (if international applicant):usa
Intended major(s): applied as bio major but at this point idrk
School Type: public magnet school specialized in stem
Ethnicity: hispanic
Gender: female
Income Bracket: upper middle
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): urm?
Reflection
Strengths: deff course load throughout the years, alongside internship and who even knows at this point test scores maybe?
Weaknesses: gpa?
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: no clue lol luck?
General Comments: YAY congrats to everyone who got in!
Decision: Accepted
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
ACT: 36E, 33R, 30M - superscored 36E, 36R, 30M - 34C
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.86
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 8/344
AP (place score in parenthesis): 4s on art history, calculus BC, 3s on government, english literature
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: ap computer science, ap chemistry, ap english language, ap psychology, honors spanish 4, teacher’s aide for ap calculus AB
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): assemblies of god bible quiz (began in 7th grade, was at one point ranked first regionally), varsity speech and debate junior/senior year, varsity track, math tutoring, nhs, mock trial
Job/Work Experience: none
Volunteer/Community service: volunteered at church for a few years but nothing major
Summer Activities: none
Essays: my common app essay was about my initial ‘failures’ upon entering my current high school during junior year (as i had been cyberschooled prior to that); it showed personality but i personally thought it was a bit obnoxious in places
Teacher Recommendation:
- my calculus and programming teacher, he watched me go from 68% in AB to a 91% and loved my commitment to the class and to my programming projects (as well as the fact that i teacher aided for him). he was also the only teacher who i had for every semester between junior and senior year, guessing his recommendation was pretty good.
- my spanish teacher - had her for spanish 3 junior year and spanish 4 senior year. we clashed at first due to personality differences but later i developed a decent rapport with her and she’s said i’m one of the best students she’s ever taught … she’s an amazing writer, so her rec was probably great.
- my ap gov teacher … i asked him to write me a letter primarily because he can vouch for my meeting government officials (through programs he set up for his gov classes), but he also actually threatened to not write my recommendation at one point and i had to talk him into writing it for me. i can’t imagine his being too good.
Counselor Rec: probably good, he knows my story (cyberschool to public) and has always known my academic ability
Additional Rec: my bible quiz coach - he’s seen my character growth beginning in 7th grade and saw my leadership skills firsthand in captaining my team. i’ve always viewed him as a father figure of sorts and he was one of the people i confided in during a rough patch second semester senior year. he isn’t as good with words but i know his letter had to have been genuine
Interview:
Other
State (if domestic applicant): PA
Country (if international applicant): USA
Intended major(s): neuroscience
School Type: public (~1500)
Ethnicity: taiwanese/jamaican
Gender: female
Income Bracket: ~$200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): ethnic minority. i’m 15 years old currently as i skipped grades during my time in cyberschool, and i’m not sure if that helped me or not.
Reflection
Strengths: i’m from rural pennsylvania (unsure of whether or not this helped), strong academics/test scores, common app essay, recommendations, STEM major (especially given that i’m a minority)
Weaknesses: i showed NO interest; i pretty much forgot i’d even applied. i also have next to no volunteer/work experience and my extracurriculars were weak as i’d only had two years to build them up
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: honestly? i have no idea. guessing that my essay and recommendations did a good job of expressing my strength of character, and maybe the fact that i have such an unusual background (two years younger than senior age + cyberschooling until junior year) stood out to them.
General Comments:
if i’m being honest, i only really applied because they didn’t ask for a writing supplement. i find it hard to believe that they place that much emphasis on demonstrated interest because i had none … also kind of weird that many of the rejections i’m seeing on here were given to people with much stronger statistics and extracurricular involvement than mine. i completely expected a rejection given how good wustl is and how little interest i expressed.
in terms of acceptances/rejections, i’ve only heard back from pomona college (which was my dream school and i got rejected) after applying edii.
congrats to all who got in!
Decision: Accepted
College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 32 one sitting, 33 super score
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, weighted is 4.05
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10%
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Literature, AP Comparative Government and Politics
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Religion class, Chemistry 1, Chemistry 2, Probability and Statistics, Spanish 5, AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP Literature, Business Management
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Student Council 9-12 (Freshman VP, Executive President-Elect, President), Varsity Dance Team 9-13 (captain), JV Boys Tennis Team 9-12 (manager), National Honor Society 10-12 (class officer), Key Club, Freshman/new student ambassador, Teens for Life club, devotional group leader, Spanish Club (president), Girl Scout for 13 years
Job/Work Experience: part time job at retail store for 1.5 yrs, intern on gubernatorial campaign last fall, Board of Directors member for well-known non-profit organization
Volunteer/Community service: animal shelter, church, Kiwanis Club, school. award for 50+ service hours in 2015, award for 100+ service hours in 2016
Summer Activities: N/A
Essays: wrote essay about two huge surgerys junior year that put me in a wheelchair for 4 months
Teacher Recommendation: amazing
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview: was with current student. It went so well, more like a conversation.
Other
State (if domestic applicant): Missouri
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Political Science, Spanish
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: about $185,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): legacy applicant
Reflection
Strengths: extracurriculars with leadership
Weaknesses: only have 3 AP classes at my school, took 2 of them
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: my essay about my surgeries showed overcoming of adversity, internship and Board of Directors member for nonprofit were really good indications of leadership
Decision: Accepted
College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): didn’t take
ACT: 34 (35 E: 32 M: 35 R: 33 S)
SAT II: didn’t take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t technically rank but I’m 1/68 (4.22 GPA)
AP (place score in parenthesis): 4 on APUSH (never sent score and don’t plan on it because it won’t transfer, school offers only 1 AP course [AP Calc AB] and the rest are DE, since I chose to take AP in a DE class I think it maybe helped me stand out but am not sure)
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, Advanced College Credit (ACC) Biology, ACC English 4, Electives (believe it or not this is the hardest schedule a senior can take at my school. It’s a small school. Despite this the academics are actually quite rigorous.)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing major. Won a couple of school awards (Math Student of the Year & Social Studies Student of the Year) and won St. Louis County Outstanding Student Leader Award
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Technical Theater (Stage Manager/Head of Set Construction), Stuco (Student Body VP), Selected to Youth Leadership St. Louis Class of 2017, Selected to be a Sites of Conscience Youth Facilitator for inter-generational dialogues on race and was selected from my group of facilitators to attend a national conference this coming November, Missouri Boys State Class of 2017 (City Councilman/ Parks and Recreation Head) I was asked to return as a councilor for Boys State which I feel was significant. Student Newspaper (News/Entertainment Editor), Math Competition Participant (Won a lot of ribbons)
Job/Work Experience: Grocery Store Bagger for 6 months (12 hrs/week) and then promoted to Deli Associate (18 hrs/week) I didn’t have much free time in high school.
Volunteer/Community service: Honduran Mission Trip (10 days in summer)
Summer Activities: Work and ^^^
Essays: (8/10) I told a good story in my essay but not the best written. I am very critical of my own writing though.
Teacher Recommendation: Probably pretty decent
Counselor Rec: Probably very good
Additional Rec: Probably okay
Interview: didn’t do
Other
State (if domestic applicant): Missouri
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Super Undecided! Probably leaning toward Urban Studies or Economics or maybe Computer Science… I find many many things interesting and super excited to potentially get to study with a bunch of other cool people!
School Type: Small Catholic Private (school is actually closing at the end of the year)
Ethnicity: White Hispanic
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Around 150,000 methinks
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): urm
Reflection
Incredibly, super duper amazing excited!!! I hope that I can be proof to some kids out there that you don’t need to have taken 5,000 AP classes or aced a bunch of SAT subject tests to get in. Just put your best foot forward and show that you are an interesting person and they’ll love you. Also college admissions is a pretty screwed up system and somehow makes some kids believe that their lives are defined by a couple of acceptance letters. There are an infinite amount of ways to live a fulfilling life! Don’t let one rejection get you down.
Strengths: Test Score, GPA, ECs, A lot of leadership
Weaknesses: No SAT subject tests, not many APs or major awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Maybe it’s as simple as my being a Hispanic with a 34. Maybe I just got lucky. I hope it’s cause they think I’m interesting and would be an asset on campus but who really knows except the people in that admissions office. Waiting on U Chicago now…
General Comments:
I’d just like to encourage everyone getting ready to apply to make sure that you have plenty of great options. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you have to go to a name brand school to be successful! Give yourself some cheaper in state options, browse through a lot of schools, and just find the place that is right for you. Don’t bank on admission to a school that only lets 10 kids in for every 100 applications because it is in truth a crapshoot. My heart goes out to all those on the short end of this horrible crapshoot that is senior year/college admissions. Have a wonderful day!
Pick one:
Decision: Accepted
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: Composite:35 E:36 M:32 R:36 S:35
SAT II: US History: 800 World History: 800 Spanish: 770
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): Spanish (5), APUSH (5), US Gopo (5), Comp. Gopo (5), Lang (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Art history, AP Econ, AP Lit, AP Spanish Lit, Honors Physics, Calc
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National AP Scholar
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): : Worked on several campaigns, intern in congressman’s office in DC
Job/Work Experience: : Campaigns, tutoring.
Volunteer/Community service: N/A
Summer Activities: Campaigns/Debate camp (for 1 week)
Essays: 9/10 – I talked about my love for politics and how I had loved it since I was a baby.
Teacher Recommendation: Never read it but my teacher and I are BFF’s
Counselor Rec:Never read it, prob was generic
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A
Other
State (if domestic applicant): NJ
Country (if international applicant): USA
Intended major(s): Political Science
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Israeli
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 200K +
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): My aunt went there but idk how much that helped. I also showed demonstrated interest. (Visited campus, went to info sessions, etc)
Reflection
Strengths: Scores + ECs + Essay
Weaknesses: GPA, Counselor Rec
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Idk. As Gwen Stefani said: This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
General Comments:
WUSTL 2021 YALL LEGO WE OUT
Decision: Rejected - RD
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 31 (34 English, 29 Math, 33 Reading, 29 Science) (26 W)
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.77
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (5), Statistics (5), Chemistry (3), Calculus BC (test in May), Biology (test in May), Psychology (test in May), English Literature and Composition (test in May)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, AP Psychology, Economics, Ethics, Media Literacy
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): International Biomedical Olympiad 2014 Gold Medal Winner, AP Scholar
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Class Leadership (Secretary), MUN (Chair, Secretary General), Cross Country, DJ, Tutoring, Volunteering, Fundraising Spokesperson for CMF
Job/Work Experience:None
Volunteer/Community service: Tutored a group of Pakistani refugee children, volunteered with the IT Department at my school,
Summer Activities: Observership in Singapore with Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Soliciting charitable donations on behalf of a Christian organization, Laborer for Sounds of Language Foundation working to build an adobe earth house with my friend
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App-: 10/10 I thought it was a great essay. I wrote about my quest to find out the fate of my great uncle during the Korean War and the historical research that I have done. I also talked about how one of the Korean War veterans I contacted still suffered from PTSD, and how I wish I could let him know about the freedom that comes with letting go. I ended with a nice tribute to the families of those lost in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: Math- 8/10 He’s my class sponsor as well and was probably able to provide good details about my involvement in class leadership and student government. I had him for a number of years, and while I got A’s and B+'s in his class, I think he really liked me.
Teacher Rec #2: AP US History - 9/10 She really likes me, and she’s also the sponsor for MUN, so she likely talked about that as well. I have no doubt she only had good things to say, buy I
Counselor Rec: 7/10 Although I personally don’t like him very much, I think he likes me, and so his recommendation was probably okay. It certainly did not hurt, and may have been beneficial slightly.
Additional Rec: None
Interview: None
Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: History
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant): Thailand
School Type: Private, Christian
Ethnicity: White (Caucasian)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $40,000-45,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Not first generation, not minority, so not in this regard. However, I thought the international aspect of my application could have been a hook.
Strengths: Growing up overseas, unique extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, essays (at least some of them)
Weaknesses: ACT score, GPA, AP scores (Chemistry), relatively low class ranking (even though we technically don’t rank), maybe my interview situation with the interviewer being my friend’s mom, white ethnicity, being a twin…
Why you think you were rejected: Kind of low ACT scores, no strong athletic hook
General Comments: Honestly, being rejected isn’t a big deal. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to go, but just threw it out there to see if I could get in because I heard it was a great school. Also, since I come from a pretty low-income family, the financial aid offer of a college is really important, and so I had hope for WashU. Great job to everyone who got in!
Decision: Accepted
Pick one:
College of Arts and Sciences
SAT I (breakdown): 1560 (800 math, 760 reading/writing)
SAT II: 800 Math 2, 720 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):Probably like a 3.85-3.9 but my school only shows weighted which is a 4.48
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): No rank. Around top 5% I’d guess
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (5), Calc AB (5), Psych (5), Physics 1 (3), Micro (5), Enviro (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Marco, AP Calc BC, AP Gov Pol, AP Prob Stat, Honors Lit, Honors Abnormal Psychology, Spanish 5
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NHS
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Lots of Theater all four years, lead role in some shows. Karate for over 7 years, Adult Black Belt. Juggling for 6 years, very good and hold a world record. Write poetry, working on a children’s poetry book. Co-founded my HS Improv comedy Club.
Job/Work Experience:Worked as assistant instructor at my Karate School for 2 years and was promoted last summer to Head Instructor (3 years of experience there). Landscaping work over the summer. Teach juggling at summer camps.
Volunteer/Community service: Teaching juggling to underprivilagd and sick children through an organization I’m a part of. Tutor other students for free.
Summer Activities: Work in the 3 jobs listed above. Nothing too exciting here.
Essays: Common App one I’m still not a fan of. Maybe a 7/10 because it at least showed my personality well.
Teacher Recommendation:Two very good letters from my Sophomore Math teacher and Junior AP Psych teacher. I knew them both quite well and still visit them often to chat and stuff.
Counselor Rec: Should be pretty good aswell. Most students at my HS of 3,000 kids don’t get to know their couselors really at all, but I made an effort and we had a pretty nice relationship.
Additional Rec: One from my Sensei. He let me read it and it was excessively nice.
Interview: On campus Interview during Spring break of last year. My first one and we both had a good time!
State (if domestic applicant): NJ
Intended major(s): Psych
School Type: Large Suburban Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $200,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
Reflection
Strengths: Personality, demonstrated interest, interesting extracurriculars, no superficial material done just for the sake of colleges, LORs
Weaknesses: AP Physics score, No major awards or programs. Freshman year grades were less than stellar.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: See strengths.
General Comments: Quite surprised and honored. Congrats to everyone else accepted! Best of luck to future applicants and all of us still waiting on more decisions!