Hey, totally in love with Oberlin in every single way and I’m driving myself insane with worry that I won’t get in
Stats:
White guy
Applying early decision from NC
4.68 W/3.59 UW- Got an A, 3 B’s, and a C junior year as I was having a really tough time with a loss of a friend and mental health in general
11 AP Classes- Human Geo, Gov, Psych, Stat, Bio, APUSH, Lang, Lit, 2D art, World, & APES
32 ACT
1360 SAT
46/360 class rank
My extra curriculars are pretty strong. Eagle Scout, a ton of certifications, NHS, 4 year XC runner, very solid photography portfolio, photography club VP, photos internationally published,
Essay is pretty personal- about photographing my friend for the last time and how it transformed me as an artist and person.
You have a good shot although it’s not a lock. Your scores and ECs are good. It’s also a small plus that you are male. Also although they certainly get applicants from NC you’ll stand out more than if you were from NY or NJ.
I don’t know if you applied ED or not but that would also help.
I’d strongly advise you that with your background you will end up somewhere good and you will very likely love it. Don’t get too fixated on Oberlin as there are many other great schools. I suspect you’ll get in, but if not it’s not you’ll find somewhere else great.
ED and being a male applicant will definitely boost your chances! Your ACT approaches the 75% mark so that is in your favor. GPA lower than average but still within range. ECs are good.
Okay, thanks. Is weighted or unweighted GPA generally a larger factor in admissions/ will the amount of APs I have taken properly explain the lower unweighted GPA?
@steeplechase I think I’m going to just run on my own for physical health right now, but thanks for the word! The rather calm athletics at Oberlin may be enticing later on.
@walkbanx I think you have a good shot for ED! My daughter is applying ED1 and she fell in love with Oberlin after she visited last month as well. She has a 31 ACT and similarly strong ECs but somewhat higher grades. As someone pointed out above, being male will really work in your favor at Oberlin! Have you looked at the most recent Common Data Set:
This should be really helpful to you in terms of what they are looking for in applicants. If you look at the tab for admissions you can see what they value and how it’s weighted. For example it looks like rigor, GPA and scores are all “very important” and you have strong rigor and decent scores so I would say that’s pretty good. Character and ECs are also “important” so highlight those. Last year it looks like they took 278 of the 444 ED applicants, which is great odds if they accept a similar percentage this year.
Have you been to Oberlin and talked to the admission staff? If so, mention what you did there, and why you think it is the right college for you. If not, see if you can arrange a visit and speak with the admissions staff as soon as possible.
Also, I would say in the application that because of your interest in photography, you would like to work for the Oberlin Review and maybe work for the college as a photographer. And, state you would be interested in being part of(or teach) an Experimental College class in photography. If you can do so with the application, you should provide samples of your work.
@LMC9902 Those stats are pretty reassuring- hoping all goes well. Thanks for the link! I’m surprised that class rank reaches “very important” for Oberlin. Best of luck to you and your daughter
@gratefulalum I spent the night at Oberlin, toured, and interviewed. Also met with head of photography/art dept. My experience on campus is the majority of my supplement essay.
I will do so! There is an art supplement that I am supposed to receive instructions on submitting after my application is submitted.
