What are my chances and how can I improve them?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>I am a college junior and have been reading posts on College Confidential for the last six months or so, but, until now, have been too afraid to post anything myself. Finally, I've decided to post so I'm wondering what people think of my chances and, especially, how I can improve them.</p>

<p>PSAT: 240
SAT I: 2400
SAT II: 740 Bio (Freshman year), 770 Math IC, 800 World History, took Math IIC last Saturday and hope for 750+</p>

<p>AP's: AP World (5), AP US (hoping for 4 or 5), AP English (hoping for 4 or 5), and, next year, AP Physics, AP Calc AB (my school doesn't offer BC), AP English 12, AP Euro, AP Spanish, AP Italian</p>

<p>Potential Hook: 2 AP languages?</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 (my school doesn't weight)</p>

<p>white male from wealthy suburb in New York</p>

<p>Awards: Havard Book Award, Baush and Lomb Honorary Science Prize, hopefully National Merit Finalist or at least semifinalist, National Honors Foreign Language Society, hopefully National Honors Society</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: -Four years Peer Tutoring Club (VP 11, President 12)
-School Newspaper (10, 11, 12) Film editor 10 and 11, culture editor 12
-founder and president of film society (film discussion club) (10,11,12)
-theater (9 productions from freshman to senior year, 5 as cast, 4 as crew)
-varsity tennis 9-12 but not good enough to be recruited or make college team
-school chorus
-debate team (9, 10, 11 (captain), 12 (captain)
-president's council (organization of club presidents in school) (11,12)
-captain of film society relay for life time 11 and 12
-Tsunami relief committee (11)-group of club presidents that worked to aid tsunami relief
-School senate (12?) hopefully</p>

<p>Work Experience: interned at Kenmar Hedge Fund 11 and 12
I'm writing an article this year for national financial publication on statistical analysis of financial risk at Kenrmar this summer with a John Hopkins professor. Hoping to get recommendation from the John Hopkins professor.</p>

2

<p>What are you worried about? You seem to have a pretty good chance, probably a better chance than I did. I guess the best thing you can do is have your essays and recs make you stand out from the rich-white-male crowd in some meaningful way.</p>

3

<p>your chances look pretty good, the only thing i can thikn of for you is to take care in presenting your app bc its possible in your case to look like a "dabbler" which may lessen the significance of all your stuff</p>

4

<p>and why did you say you are a college junior?</p>

5

<p>i think he's a little too enthusiastic ;)</p>

6

<p>whoops, sorry, high school junior</p>

7

<p>Your case looked a hell alot stronger than mine did. No worries mate.</p>

8

<p>wow you people scare me! explain how this guy could possibly get rejected, really. This is like the perfect person except he doesn't exactly have a hook, I would expect him to get into 1-3 HYPSM, so he should be good at Dartmouth. You guys are talking like he is midpack. If I hadn't seen such people on CC before, I would doubt such a person existed.</p>

9

<p>Jessgill either you are lying through your teeth or you are one of those super students who makes everyone around them feel like crap. You will most likely be admitted into every school you apply to.....</p>

10

<p>king- my stats were very similar (strictly number speaking) and i can say that nothing is guarenteed.</p>

11

<p>you got a perfect score on the new SAT?</p>

12

<p>i second sangel (not out of my own stats, but i go to thomas jefferson sci/tech and there were definitely a lot of amazing kids--with slightly better stats than the OP, even--who in my opinion got shortchanged in the admissions process). doesn't mean the OP's screwed... it's just that you never know. he's from a wealthy suburb (similar background as a lot of TJ kids), so colleges do have higher expectations of this type of kids.</p>

13

<p>PSAT: 240
SAT I: 2400</p>

<p>Tell me what's "slightly" better then that, taurus.</p>

14

<p>if you check, the OP didn't just post his SAT scores. when i said "slightly", i took his whole post into account. slightly = perfect SAT IIs (usually, 800SATIIC, 800 Writing, 800 of a science). "slightly" also referred to strong hooks... national merit finalist (so semi-finalist during admissions process; OP will probably be one too), intel/micron semi-finalist, presidential scholar nominees, etc. i'll give a specific example of one guy. he has a 4.1 GPA at one of the top publics (4.0 unweighted, i'm guessing), perfect SAT/SAT IIs, is a national merit finalist, an intel semi-finalist (researches at NIH), has awesome volunteer record and strong leadership positions (i don't want to get too specific in case he doesn't want me talking about him). he was waitlisted from brown (comparable to dartmouth) and rejected from johns hopkins. he's heading to baylor on a full-ride, and i'm praying that he gets off their 8-yr med program's waitlist.</p>

15

<p>Your stats are amazing (that 2400 is QUITE impressive) and you have solid EC's and experience. I wouldn't be so worried if I were you, but as taurustorus pointed out, strange things happen. I'd say just to have a little more confidence in yourself and show that you are confident in your application. Essays can make or break you, and make sure you have solid teacher recommendations. I'd be very, very surprised if you didn't get into your choice schools, though.</p>

16

<p>2400 doesn't gurantee anything but i would believe you would be accepted to at least one of hyps and all of the other ives</p>

17

<p>I just graduated from Dartmouth this June, and I've gone to their admissions seminars a couple of times.</p>

<p>Jessgill, you have a good chance, but it doesn't guarantee you anything. Other than SAT I, test scores are not spectacular; your ECs are solid, but again, not mindblowing. (although looks like much more than mine)</p>

<p>What Dartmouth admission is thinking when viewing applications is that can the applicant think? You have to differentiate yourself from a vast number of applicants who spend their four years in high school rather mindlessly just so they can list the test scores and activities they've done. Admissions want to see that you did those activities for reason, not just to fill up the application. And in your essay you must demonstrate creativity and critical thinking.</p>

<p>Hope this helps, and good luck!</p>