<p>What are the most important parts of admissions at Dartmouth because although I'm not tops in my class (top 10% though), I was wondering how much weight is carried by extracurriculars and other things. Also, how are the numbers for acceptance different between ED and RD...very important for me seeing as I'm from NH.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Look at the Common Data Set. ED is most important for legacies and probably athletic recruits. Very high-statted URMs too. D and all of the other Ivies and top schools get applications from enough kids to fill their class who have 5+ APs and mostly honors, some kind of A average, SATs 2200+, SATIIs 2100+, and so forth. ECs must matter, and so do recs and essays. Otherwise they would go strictly by stats.</p>
<p>Alright thanks! After reading some of the previous “chances” threads and seeing the unhuman amount of activities people can cram into a day that get denied from top schools shocked me because I certainly haven’t done summer-long immersion trips or independent studies. My ACT was at the tail end of the average (29) and I’m top 10% percent at a highly qualified private Catholic high shcool where virtually everyone ahead of me is guarenteed an Ivy or equivelant. We don’t offer all these extra APs, just the basic ones (USH, Bio, English, Calc 1 and 2, Chem, Physics, Gov). The only problem for me is that D typically only takes one student per NH high school (if qualified), leaving me wondering how much my EC’s and leadership set me apart from a better GPA, etc.</p>
<p>Your course choices are compared to those available to you, so the fact that your school only offers a few APs is not a problem as long as you take a reasonable array of them. From the sound of it, it is likely that D is familiar with your school and so will be able to put you in context. The question is: how do you stack up in that context?</p>
<p>I have noted on CC that some private school kids simply assume that their school just MUST be so much better and more difficult than any public school that of course they would have gotten straight As at any public. Wrong. On the other hand, if the top 10% of your school always attends Ivies or the equivalent, that does mean something.</p>
<p>But a 29 ACT does not bode well for D acceptance.</p>
<p>Is that such a dealbreaker though? Will my decision hang on that?</p>
<p>Yes, you will need something extremely significant in your app to overcome a significant weakness (test scores, for example).</p>
<p>It all depends on what they consider significant…</p>
<p>Your academic performance is your first measure. If lacking or mediocre in any way, you’ll need significant offsets (having an attribute that D is really really looking for), not run of the mill ECs</p>
<p>Alright then chance me then just for kicks (I’m not expecting too much with it being a reach school)</p>
<p>GPA: 3.75 UW, 4.1 W (top 10%)
ACT: 29
SAT: taking Saturday 10/9
Classes:15 honors/AP classes all 4 years (most rigorous course load provided at school)-AP’s=USH (4), Calc, English, Bio
Sports: 4 year varsity alpine race team (MVP 2010), 3 year varsity lacrosse, 2 year varsity golf
EC’s: Student Ambassadors (leadership at school events such as frosh jumpstart, orientations, tours, shadowing, fundraising events, school cleanups, etc. for 3 years); Campus Ministry (3 years) faith based leadership group, CORE leadership team as a senior which helps facilitate meetings, masses & prayer services, fundraisers, etc.;Political Club (3 years); Granite State Challenge (captain) televised high school game show; member of Appalachian Mountain Club and Onondaga Ski Club (both are outing clubs)
Service:2 1-week immersion trips done in Worcester, MA through Young Neighbors in Action (100+ hours), First Tee of NH (teaching life skills to young children through the game of golf (4 hours/week for 2 summers), St. Ann’s Nursing Home visitation program run by school during the year
Work:fall 2008-fall 2009 workerd as a cart attendant at a golf course, may 2009-present=sales representative at Golf and Ski Warehouse retail store (30+ a week in summer, 6-10 in school year)</p>
<p>other schools: Colby, Holy Cross, BC, Providence, UVM, St. Mikes, Villanova</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I would say not likely, sorry. I think a higher SAT or ACT would really help you. But I think you are solid at a lot of the other schools on your list. Good luck in any case at D and elsewhere. (BTW, SATIIs?)</p>
<p>Haha thanks I figured as much but I’m going for it anyways I’ll never know if I don’t try. And my best was 720 on USH so definitely not over 2200 like you mentioned before…Colby is my top choice anyway</p>
<p>A 29 put you in the bottom quartile at BC, which is not a good (admissions) place to be at a D1 school (with recruited athletes).</p>