Washington and Lee

<p>Throughout my college search, Washington and Lee has been my "dream school." I just turned in my ED app for DePauw into my CC office at school, and I fear I may have made a mistake. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>*3.0 GPA un-weighted
*No class rank
*32 ACT
*660 on Math 1C and Writing (need to take a third, US history didn’t turn out too great)
*Lots of extra cirics. co-chair of Campus Republicans, head of a community service organization, and I am on the StuCo comm. service board. I also co-founded my school's weekly newscast (I want to major in journalism).
*I played water polo for two years. I am managing the polo team this year. I have also swum on the swim team for three years, and will swim again this season.</p>

<p>I know that my GPA is low. Consider, however, that I go to a very competitive high school (Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day (MICDS)). My transcript also shows obvious signs of improvement. </p>

<p>Thus past summer, I was in the journalism program at W&L's Summer Scholars and received very good evaluations (in the top two or three of my classes) from my professors (two of whom are long-time mainstays). One of my professors took a particular liking to me, and visa versa. I sat down with him in private and explained that my academic record was "improving", but I was extremely interested in coming to Washington and Lee as a student. He promised to "do what he could" to see that I would return (i.e. write a letter).</p>

<p>Until a recent second visit to DePauw University, my plan was to apply under ED2 to W&L. From my first visit to DePauw, however, I knew that I would love the school. Thus, I decided to apply ED to DePauw, as I stand a much better chance (every student from my school with my numbers has been accepted and MICDS sends at least 2 kids to DePauw nearly every year). I also felt that DePauw's communications department seemed a little more professional than W&L's journalism department. W&L has a more prestigious reputation and is held in high regard, however. This has caused me to question my decision to make DePauw my first choice.</p>

<p>A good friend of mine has an uncle (also another MICDS parent) who attended W&L, so I can have a letter written for me on behalf of an alum, though I doubt this will have any impact.</p>

<p>Soo, let met get to the point. Do you feel I made the right decision (I'ts not quite too late to change my mind)? Given my background and my previous experience with W&L, do you think I have enough of a chance for me to think about giving it a shot?</p>

<p>You made the right decision, IMHO.</p>

<p>Glad to hear that. If I get in, I know I will love DePauw, so now I just have to hope for the best! I just have to keep in mind that a prestigous name isn't everything....though DePauw isn't too shabby...</p>

<p>---bump-----</p>

<p>I forgot to mention that I've taken AP Music theory and I am taking AP US Government and Polotics and AP English Language. I will have taken math thru Calculus I, Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Trig Physics), Electronics, 4 years of English, 4 years of history, 4 years of Band, Spanish thru level III, and Intro. to Italian (a Senior elective)......so, anybody else have an opinion?</p>

<p>DePauw is a great school for you. Just read why you EDed at DePauw for confirmation. You'll do well at the college, so relax. I'm pretty sure the decision was the correct one, in my humble opinion.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>