what are my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Swarthmore College
1

<p>I got a 1980 on my SATs (690M, 630V, 660W)
I did terribly on my SATIIs with a 500 French, 530 Math IIC, 730 Biology
I got a 4 on the AP Bio test</p>

<p>I think I have a 3.6 unweighted GPA and a 3.7 or higer weighted. At my school, GPAs can't exceed 4.0. My average is about a 95 which is probably a better GPA at other schools.</p>

<p>I'm not sure about my ranking because my school doesn't use it. Junior year I know I was one of the top 8 in the class because we were featured in the graduation but I don't know about now. My guidance counselor marked top 10% on my applications, though.</p>

<p>In my junior year I took AP Biology (online), Honors English (AP didn't fit in my schedule), and AP US History. This year I'm taking AP Lang&Comp, Honors Gov. and Ec., AP Chemistry (online), Honors Calc, and Honors French V. I'm also teaching myself Spanish because Honors Spanish V is the same period as Honors French V. The only AP classes I didn't take were AP Physics (I took physics junior year though) and AP Lit&Comp (because of scheduling).</p>

<p>My credits are as follows:
Science:6
Math:5
Foreign Language: 8 (4 French, 4 Spanish)
English: 4.5
Social Studies:4.5</p>

<p>My ECs are:
NHS - 9 to 12
SNHS - 9 to 12
FNHS - 10 to 12
Senior Class Treasurer
Lit. Magazine - 9,12 (Co-Editor-in-Chief)
Yearbook - 9 to 12 (Section Editor & Staff Writer 9,10,11; Chief Financial Officer & Senior Editor 12)
Newspaper - 9 to 12 (Staff Writer 9,10,11; Editor of Entertainment Section 12)
Track and Field - 11
Model United Nations - 10
Environmental Club - 10,11,12 (unofficial treasurer)
Reading Olympics - 9,10
Middle School Book Club - 12 (Founder; ran for 7th and 8th graders)</p>

<p>I know my SATs and SATIIs are really killing me but I have no time to retake them.....what do you think my chances are?</p>

2

<p>I'm sorry, but I would say your chances aren't very good. High schools vary wildly by how challenging they are, and what it means to be top 5% in the class, and Swarthmore puts quite a bit of emphasis on SATs. You aren't an URM by any chance, are you? By all means go ahead and apply though, if you really like the school, as a reach. Write a really compelling essay. If you want an excellent LAC that truly does not look very carefully at SATs, check out Bowdoin. Smith, somewhat weaker, also does not put much emphasis on SATs.</p>

3

<p>I'd disagree with the SAT comment, ecape. Yea, they like high SATs...but there are people here with SATs in the high 1200s that I know of. Though perhaps those individuals got in based on truly extraordinary ECs or somesuch.</p>

<p>Essays > SATs. I think.</p>

4

<p>I'd agree that essays matter more than SATs, and GPA is most important of all...</p>

5

<p>Would you guys say SATs are less important than essays? Like would Swat rather have outstanding essay ~1950 SAT than a ~2400 SAT avg essay?</p>

6

<p>Your chances are pretty slim based on the info you listed.</p>

7

<p>Re en Kam:</p>

<p>I think that, realistically, you would have to get a boost from being an under-represented minority, first generation college from your family, athlete, inner-city school, or something along those lines to have a decent shot at Swarthmore. I can't really tell from what you have posted if anything like that applies. I also don't have any sense about your high school, which could make a difference.</p>

<p>You are strong applicant for a lot of schools and being in the top 10% of your class will really help, but Swarthmore is really tough. Generally speaking, you have to be pretty strong across the board and have something that really stands out.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
Would you guys say SATs are less important than essays? Like would Swat rather have outstanding essay ~1950 SAT than a ~2400 SAT avg essay?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I wish it were that simple, but it's not. They evaluate the whole package. SATs, for example, will be viewed in the context of the applicant with different expectations based on type of high school, socio-economic factors, etc. For example, if they know a kid had the opportunity for $$$ test prep, they'll expect higher scores than a first generation Mexican-American from Laredo, Texas.</p>

<p>There are very few "perfect" applicants. Most everybody has a little something in their package that could be a little better. That's not the end of the world. For example, my daughter's "less than perfect" was her SAT scores, which were only mid-pack for Swarthmore (she only took them once, as a junior, thanks to getting snowed out of TWO cancelled test dates that she couldn't make up). Fortunately, she had enough other "stuff" that it didn't blow her out of the water. There are schools where it probably would have.</p>

<p>I think the most important thing is to communicate something that really stands out and to articulate a genuine, well-researched interest in the school. For example, you stand out by being a varsity baseball player and by your AIME math stuff. Those will count for more than SAT scores (although yours certainly won't hurt). By doing an overnight, visiting classes, meeting the coaches, applying ED, etc., you aced the "genuine interest" part.</p>

<p>The element that I can't help much with is class rank. It's important, but it is so inter-twined with the particular high school that it is impossible to judge without knowing what class rank is good enough at that school. At my daughter's run-of-the-mill public high school, you'd have to be top 2 or 3 to have a shot. There are other schools where being in the top half of the class might do the trick.</p>

9

<p>To the OP, it seems like your school is rather limited, but you've done pretty close to the best you could. Where are you from? The SATs are low, but arador made a good point. Average means roughly half fall below that number too.</p>

<p>And to ID;</p>

<p>I am constantly impressed with your responses, and I don't think I've had the chance to thank you. That last post really hit me when you actually remembered that I did AIME and baseball, and my SAT scores (although I took them a second time in Oct and they drastically improved, I just never mentioned it on these boards, lol), and I realized that you actually have been taking the time and genuinely helping. You're making this process way easier than it otherwise would have been (btw, is it sad that I set my settings so that I could read last years posts about the ED decisions? And then got nervous while I was reading them? Haha). Again, thanks.</p>

10

<p>My school is really small so my only other choices for more ECs would be sports.Does anyone think it would help that neither of my parents went to college or that I've written novels? For the writing, where would I mention that on the application.</p>

11

<p>Re en Kam: yes, both those things would help tremendously. You could have an English teacher read your novels and write a comment on them. You should send a 5-page excerpt for the "extra" application information, as you can see on a Swat application.</p>

12

<p>Thanks. I'll probably send a short story just because it won't be confusing concerning the plot and everything.</p>

13

<p>Re en Kam:</p>

<p>Yes. Both of those things would definitely help. </p>

<p>As for your interest in writing, you need to list writing novels on your EC list, perhaps has your number one item. EC's don't have to be organized school activities. My daughter's #1 EC had absolutely nothing to do with her school. They didn't even know about it until we had the place where she was doing it send a letter to her school guidance office so it would be noted in her file.</p>

<p>There is a short essay on your most meaningful EC. This could be the ideal place to emphasize your interest in writing.</p>

<p>It would also be good if you can get one of your teacher recommendations to mention your writing interest.</p>

<p>Think about your applications in the same way you would think about character development in one of your novels. You have all these little "snippets" that tell us about the character's background and interests. In a novel, you would use various scenes to communicate all that. Same in a college application. Pick and chose the various parts of the application (the lists, the essays, the recommendations, etc.) to paint a picture of your "character".</p>

14

<p>interesteddad:</p>

<p>have you thought about being a guidance counselor? you really should because you gave me more information in that one post than I've gotten all year at my school. maybe you should write a book about getting into college....i'd definitely by it. i had no idea i could list non-school ECs on my EC list...I would have done so for my EA&ED schools. thanks sooo much for the info</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
i had no idea i could list non-school ECs on my EC list...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not only can you list them, but sometimes the non-school ECs are the most effective. After all, the colleges see student council reps, yearbook editors, and stuff like that all the time. </p>

<p>If playing in a rock band is "your thing", then go with it. In many cases, schools are looking for spunkiness and it doesn't really matter so much what the particular interest is.</p>

<p>Also, just listing an EC doesn't do much. To really make an interest jump off the page, you've got to figure out a way to highlight it one of the essays. Just like in one of your novels: if something is essential to understanding one of your characters, you aren't going to just briefly mention it in one place. Instead, you would weave it as a theme for the character throughout the novel.</p>

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<p>I did write one essay about my interest in writing but it was answering a "significant experience or realized accomplishment that’s defined you" type question. Maybe I'll write another one that's more what I'd want to say and not talking about realizing accomplishments so much.</p>

17

<p>I don't have anything factual to add, just wanted to wish all of the ED applicants good luck. My son applied and was accepted ED last year. He had a strong application in several ways, but I think, most importantly, what he did during high school, and what he wrote in his application made it apparent that he would be a good fit for Swarthmore. Several of you sound like you would do very well there, and I am sure Swarthmore will recognize that. And to NJPitcher, I sure hope that anyone as enthusiastic and talented as you seem to be will stand out to the Admissions Committee!</p>

18

<p>interesteddad, just out of curiosity, I believe that you said your daughter went to a public highschool just outside of Boston. Can I ask which town?</p>

19

<p>I don't want to get that specific. It's a long way outside of Boston (solid hour to Logan if it's not rush hour), not one of the 128 corridor schools that anyone has heard of. Just a regional public high school serving three small towns. Our town only has a population of about 10,000. I'm pretty sure she was the first student from her high school that had ever applied to Swarthmore...or at least as far back as anyone could remember. </p>

<p>It's a decent school, probably ranked somewhere in the top third to quarter of Massachusetts high schools, but nowhere near the elite levels like the Newton Souths or Hamilton/Wenhams or the other ritzy suburban schools.</p>

20

<p>Gotcha, thanks.</p>