What are my chances / What can I do?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Richmond
1

<p>Allright, well I'm a junior in high school and I very badly want to go to UR, here are my stats:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.2 uw due to a 2.3 in 9th grade. In 10th I got a 3.5 and this year I have a 4.0, so I at least have an upward trend. It will also be significantly higher after 12th grade.</p>

<p>SAT's: right now, 2040. Reading: 650, Math: 690, Writing: 700, But I didn't study whatsoever, and I plan to retake them in May and do significantly better (I hope to at least get around 2200).</p>

<p>ExtraCurriculars: No sports, but I write for the Lit Mag, I'm in the Ski/Snowboard club and have gone to a couple of other clubs on occasion. I worked as a cashier at a grocery store for 2 years. NHS. I'm going to Japan this summer for 1 month and staying with a Japanese family, like an exchange student. I'm currently trying to start a club with my friend so that I'll be able to say I was the co-president of a club (since I'm screwed due to having no sports).</p>

<p>AP's: At graduation, I will have taken 5 AP courses; AP US History, AP US Government, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP English. I haven't taken any AP exams yet. I also have 5 honors courses.</p>

<p>Language: I will have 2 years of Japanese (and one year of Spanish), unfortunately the program wasn't created until I was already a junior.</p>

<p>My essays should be very good, and I'm interested in their Engineering 3-2 program (could that have an effect on my admission decision?). </p>

<p>I also know a kid who goes there who is an amazing student (4.3, 1550, NHS, Sports all 4 years, etc) and got in with a full scholarship, and is really excelling. Do you think I should ask him to put in a good word for me?</p>

<p>So what do you think are my chances of getting in, and also since I'm still a junior, what do you suggest I do to increase my chances?</p>

<p>EDIT: I would also apply ED1. Oh and I'm male, I think I heard more girls apply, but I'm not sure.</p>

2

<p>The best thing you can do is not worry about it too much. Visit U of R as many times as you need to really KNOW that you want to go here. There are ample opportunities for you to meet many different students and faculty on visits, and I remember calling in to the admissions office with any questions I had. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Stephen, you have a good chance. Your SAT is in the median range, which isn't bad. The University loves to accept student who took challenging courses in high school, so your AP courses are perfect. Your grades are improving which are good, as they show that you're trying harder in preparation for university. </p>

<p>Since the University doesn't like anyone sending more than 3 letters of recommendation, you should only ask your friend to write a letter for you if that is necessary. You'll have your counselor's letter, a teacher's letter, and then your friend's. In my case I sent in my counselor's letter, and letters from two teachers. </p>

<p>I got in with full tuition, room, and board, but I didn't do any sports in high school, either. You shouldn't worry!</p>

4

<p>i am a high school senior who was just admitted to the univ of richmond last week. it is my no. 1 choice, and depending on the financial package they offer me, i plan on enrolling there this fall.</p>

<p>my numbers were in fact very similar to yours. i had a little higher gpa, but my sat scores were lesser than yours for the first try. our extra-curriculars are pretty comparable. i was an all-american wrestler in hs, but i don't know how much weight that had on the admissions committee since UR doesnt have a wrestling team. </p>

<p>i would say keep that gpa up and definitely find a way to increase your sat a little. i took a course between tests and was able to raise my score by 90 pts. it really works.</p>

<p>good luck.</p>

<p>ps- good screen name choice</p>

5

<p>I think your numbers look decent for U of R, but keep the grades up. I don't think your interest in the 3-2 program would affect your chances at Richmond. Since it's an LAC, and I have friends there, I know every student must take the same general courses, like one math, one english, etc., so UR is going to accept you as a general student rather than as a B school guy or a Eng. guy (do they really have engineering?!) </p>

<p>And yes, girls apply at much higher rates than guys to U of R but are admitted at lower rates because of housing, and their symbolic coordinate college system (The Richmond and Westhampton thing).</p>

6

<p>yeah i got in with like the same score like ~2060 but my reading was way lower, maybe cause im asian haha. o well, i think im going there this fall, they did give a full ride =D. Oh yeah, i read portrait of the artist as a young man.</p>

7

<p>Thank you so much for all the replies!</p>

<p>wmalum: Alright thanks, Richmond itself does not have engineering, but it has a partnership with several schools including Columbia, UVA, Virginia Tech, and VCU that guarantees admission into any of those schools' engineering programs as long as the student maintains a 3.0 gpa at Richmond and majors in physics (or interdisciplinary physics). I could choose which of those schools I wanted to go to if I was accepted.</p>

<p>Superman19: That's awesome, and I was wondering if anyone would pick up on the Portrait reference :) </p>

<p>--Oh and skunk picked up on that too, very nice.</p>

<p>Wisse: Thanks a lot, I'll refrain from asking my neighbor to write one.</p>

<p>I was just there visiting yesterday, and I really loved it, so my desire to go there has really intensified (It was actually a little depressing because the campus was so beautiful and I couldn't stop thinking about my freshman grades, but I was able to meet with a physics professor and head of the engineering dual degree program who seemed interested in me, so I think it could be beneficial.</p>

<p>EDIT: Also, does anyone know if you have to write a personal statement?</p>

8

<p>Stephen - You do have to write a personal statement essay on the Common Application. As of this year the prompts are:</p>

<p>
[quote]
* Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
* Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
* Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
* Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
* A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
* Topic of your choice.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>There's a section on the Common Application where you can give additional information to support your personal statement. </p>

<p>You also have to write an essay for the University of Richmond Supplement form. As of this year, there are 5 essay questions, and you choose 1 to answer: <a href="http://www.richmond.edu/prospective/forms/pdf/CommonAppSupplement2006.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.richmond.edu/prospective/forms/pdf/CommonAppSupplement2006.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>