I’d like to be chanced to these schools ^. I have matches and safeties in mind, but I wanted to know my chances for these schools.
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): superscored : 770 math 730 english
SAT II: 730 math 2 and 700 literature
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.6uw 9th-10th grade, 3.85 11th grade
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): national merit commended (not sure how impactful this is)
Subjective
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): red cross (secretary), varsity soccer (co-captain), free art workshop in 11th grade, church (group leader)
Job/Work Experience: none
Volunteer/Community service: volunteer 1hr/wk since 11th grade at a hospital
Summer Activities: Soccer and summer program on a scholarship, volunteer camp, SAT Prep
Essays: 8-9/10, I know a ton of mentors I can go to for help.
Teacher Recommendation: 9/10, my teacher loves me lol, 8/10 for the other teacher
Counselor Rec: I don’t know my counselor too well, but I don’t think any other students in my school do
Other
School Type: small public
Ethnicity: asian
Gender: male
Income Bracket: 30k/yr, I will be applying to questbridge (chance me for this too!)
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First gen, low income
The question on the Common App isn’t whether you had help with SAT or took a prep class for standarized tests, it’s whether or not anyone helped you with your application.
Hey- received your message earlier and glad you appreciated my honesty For UCHI And Swarthmore, I’d say the GPA is a bit on the low side. Not impossible, but it might hold you back (you’re basically on the brink/edge of admission/rejection in my opinion). Not a bad thing-- if you have good SAT )which you do) and good EC’s, this can push you off the edge and help you. The fact that you’re first generation DEFINITELY helps. I think you’ll get into Wesleyan. Don’t know much about Haverford. Uchi and Swartmore are reaches, but not high reaches. I think your EC’s are a bit low (no recognition outside of school, like state competitions or national awards or research), so I personally am a little hesitant about UChi.
@hungrihippo thanks!!! And do you know much about questbridge? If I apply for questbridge stuff I think I’d be able to list it under accomplishments/awards (maybe that’ll help with my chances for other schools). But I’m not sure how I stand compared to other questbridge applicants.
@ClarinetDad16 that’s something I am currently struggling to answer… Nothing listed above is fantastic and my ec’s don’t seem too focused (which is why I am asking you guys, haha). My ec’s might not clearly demonstrate this, but I think i my drive will help me and those around me, which (i think) helped me look past community colleges or state school despite my low income.
@ClarinetDad16 soccer’s the first thing that comes to mind but idk if ill keep doing that in college. also i just noticed that my last comment, while it may be true, sounds very cliche
If these schools appeal to you, then you should check out Reed College, a liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. Reed is commonly considered a West Coast alternative to Wesleyan, Haverford, or Swarthmore, and it has an intellectual atmosphere that is often compared to Chicago.
Reed has a terrible USN&WR ranking, but that’s because they are philosophically opposed to rankings and refuse to provide USN&WR with the info that they request. Their test scores are comparable to much more highly rated LACs, such as Wesleyan.
For UCHI And Swarthmore, I’d say the GPA is a bit on the low side. Not impossible, but it might hold you back (you’re basically on the brink/edge of admission/rejection in my opinion). Not a bad thing-- if you have good SAT )which you do) and good EC’s, this can push you off the edge and help you. The fact that you’re first generation DEFINITELY helps. I think you’ll get into Wesleyan. Don’t know much about Haverford. Uchi and Swartmore are reaches, but not high reaches. I think your EC’s are a bit low (no recognition outside of school, like state competitions or national awards or research), so I personally am a little hesitant about UChi.