SAT : 1430/1600 (Math 730, English 700)
SAT II’s : 710 Math 2, 660 Literature
GPA : 3.6 for 9th-10th grade, 3.85 for 11th grade. If I continue doing well in Senior year my overall GPA would be around 3.75 unweighted
My school does not rank
My school does not offer AP’s or IB’s - it offers only a higher level spanish class which I have taken since 11th grade, (though it was offered since freshman year) and an honors trigonometry for 10th grade which I have taken. I also took Calculus in the second half of junior year (not sure if this is standard or impressive, or in between).
Subjective :
Red Cross 10-12 I honestly don’t do too much lol
Varsity Soccer 9-12 (Co captain, 12) We were league champions in 10th grade
College Preparation Program 9-12 It’s a program that guides people through the college application process and also gives test prep
Church volunteer 9-11 I’m a member of a club that introduces newcomers to our church and helps them feel welcomed
(Christian) Summer Camp 9-12 Various volunteer activities like helping out in homeless shelters, renovating abandoned homes, etc.
Work at YMCA for 1 summer
Volunteer at a physical therapy clinic for about a month in the summer
Income : 30k/yr
Hooks : First gen
Ethnicity : Asian-American male in Washington
There are hundreds of liberal arts colleges. You need to tell us which ones you are interested in so we can help you determine which ones are reaches and which ones are matches.
@doschicos haha I thought his/her request was a little weird as well.
I’m interested in small/medium schools in the northeast. I’m thinking of several schools like Swarthmore, Vassar, Bard, Fordham, Amherst, Northwestern, and tufts. Not sure if those schools have much in common, but yeah.
What do you think of my chances at these colleges?
I guess I want a more relaxed vibe and I don’t mind whether the campus is urban/rural.
Also, I think applying to state schools should suffice in terms of safeties.
Do you think being a College Prep Scholar is a noteworthy award/achievement to colleges?
I don’t know much about College Prep Scholar but it can only help, right?
Swarthmore, Amherst, Northwestern, Tufts are going to be reaches but they are for pretty much everyone.
I’d put Vassar as a low reach. Bard/Fordham as matches.
If you really want a LAC experience, apply to some less selective but still stellar LACs as possible safeties in addition to your state schools. Some ones to look at: Dickinson, St. Lawrence, Conn College in the Northeast. Whitman in your home state is a great school.
Based on the schools you listed, it seems like you prefer LACs in less isolated locales. Take a look at Haverford and Wesleyan, 2 of my favorite LAC environments. Both are academically strong but more cooperative than competitive.
@doschicos
Yes! I forgot to mention Haverford and Wesleyan! I am also interested in those two lol. Those would be reaches as well, correct? And thanks for the suggestions, I’ll be looking into them soon Also, what do you think is the weakest aspect of my application? I feel my EC’s are thin and lack a focus. Not sure if having good EC’s means having a focus though.
Yes, I would consider Haverford and Wesleyan to be reaches as well, although slightly less selective than LACs like Amherst and Swarthmore.
Your ECs might seem a little thin but its all in the context of your own environment and opportunities. Don’t compare yourself to others. As first gen and lower income, the expectations are going to be different from someone who is born into a situation with certain opportunities. Don’t sweat stuff you can’t change at this point. Focus on developing a list of safeties, matches and reaches and present your unique voice in your essays and applications. There are wonderful schools where you’ll get a top notch education, even among those that aren’t top 10 or top 20 on the USNews lists.
If you like math, take a look at St. Olaf in MN. Not one of the tippy top schools for selectivity but one of the sgtrngest in math, a very attractive campus and nice people. I think your chances there would be strong.
By SAT score, your application would be appropriate for Hamilton or Haverford. However, by GPA, and possibly course rigor, these colleges might present significant reaches for you. Holy Cross and St. Lawrence would seem to fit your profile more assuredly. All of these schools are included in a Princeton Review category, “Great Schools for Mathematics Majors.”
Also, many of these LACs have programs in the fall where you can apply for a fly-in weekend for first gen/minority students. You might want to apply to a few if you haven’t already seen the campuses.
Tufts, Swarthmore, and Amherst are going to be reaches, but they are tough schools anyways. Youre test scores are good but if you really want to have a shot at going for the 3 aforementioned schools, then may consider retaking SAT for higher score? GPA is good, but again, higher SAT will compensate for lower GPAs as the average GPAs at these 3 schools will probably be soemwhat high. As other people have said, you should def still apply to these schools and write good essays, and also consider other schools for safety/target.
Also, what do you think is the weakest aspect of my application? I feel my EC’s are thin and lack a focus. Not sure if having good EC’s means having a focus though.