Where I Stand

<p>Hello there. I am an incoming senior in high school and I wish to receive an informed perspective on the college application process. I am unsure of how competitive a candidate I am to colleges and if I'm looking in the right places. Any insight someone may have would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Firstly, I have a 93.3 unweighted gpa. (I am still unaware of what that correlates to in hte 4 point system). I also have a score of 2130 on the SATs, with 750 on Critical Reading, 700 on Writing, and 680 on Math. I have taken the most rigorous course offered at my school and have scored a 5 on the AP History Exam, a 5 on the AP English Exam, and a 4 on the AP Stats Exam. </p>

<p>I have also participated in a series of extracurricular activities. I have been on the chess team from Freshman year to present. I was elected into the Natural Helper program by my peers as a freshman and have continued participating in the group since. *Natural Helpers is a peer-support program in which members actively support their community and schoolmates. I play the saxophone and participated in jazz band my freshman and sophomore years. I was on the math team as a junior and was selected for a Leadership Program as a sophomore by my teachers but the program was discontinued following that year. I am a tri-varsity athlete with 3 years of varsity experience on the lacrosse team, 2 years on the soccer team, and one year on the basketball team along with one year on the indoor track team. I am a National Honor Society member and won the Connecticut College Book Award at the end of my junior year. I am also a National Latin Scholar and won suma cum laude honors on the National Latin Exam. </p>

<p>These are some of the colleges that I have shown serious interest in, and wonder what my chances are of being able to get in.</p>

<p>Bucknell University
University of Richmond
Wake Forest University
Davidson College
Colgate University
Elon University
Furman University</p>

<p>Thank you so much to any responders!</p>

<p>So a 93.3 GPA translates to a 4.0… Congratulations! I think you can get into all of these universities. The problem is, you are setting your standards too low. Ivy league universities are always a reach, but I think you would be a great canidate at schools like UPenn, Cornell, NYU, UVA, and Georgetown.</p>

<p>I’m not sure I’d put NYU over many of those schools (Colgate, Wake, Davidson) and Cornell/ Penn are probably too high reaches with that SAT. But I do agree that maybe some more reaches might be good.</p>

<p>ForgoI generally agree with slipper123. You have an excellent chance at the schools you list, and you could add a couple of slightly reachier schools if there are some you like. I would not include NYU, which IMHO is overpriced, unless you have a burning desire to go to college in NYC, and judging by the rest of your list, you don’t favor highly urban environments. :)</p>

<p>Do you have any financial or regional constraints? Is one of these schools your financial safety?</p>

<p>Other schools you might consider, some reachier and some not: Carleton, Bowdoin, U VA, Claremont McKenna, William and Mary, Georgetown, Middlebury, Emory, Johns Hopkins, Duke, WUSTL. I think Washington and Lee is somewhat similar to some of your list. If you want to take a flyer at an Ivy, it sounds as if Penn (except that it is urban), Cornell, or Dartmouth would suit you best. Certainly plenty of people with profiles like yours apply, although like most applicant pools most of them do not get in. </p>

<p>And your state flagship, whatever that may be.</p>

<p>PS Don’t forget the SATIIs.</p>

<p>PPS I forgot Vandy and Rice.</p>

<p>for all the colleges on your list, I think you have a good shot. People always think that mid 2100 SAT are always mediocre for top schools, but that is not necessarily true. I would take them one more time, just for the sake of improvement, and your chances would be even greater at those schools. And I would definitely recommend you apply to a Top 15 school. I’m not saying you would get in, but you would be a good candidate. Good Luck!
Please Chance me for all my schools!</p>

<p>Excellent chances at Furman and Elon. Very good chances at the rest. Best of luck!</p>

<p>Thank you all so much. I’m not as interested in Ivies as I am with strong liberal arts colleges. Also, I did take the English Lit. SAT II and scored a 710. I do have a cousin who goes to W&L and he loves it, but I’m worried it has too Southern of an atmosphere for me. (I am a Maine native). Any ideas on that? Also, I was considering Vanderbilt but I know it may be a tough get for me. What do people think my chances are? Thank you so much for replying and I appreciate any more advice I can get.</p>

<p>"Cornell/ Penn are probably too high reaches with that SAT’</p>

<p>…my D got into Cornell with an SAT score 80 points lower, similiar grades, & no hook. 1430 SAT score does not make these two schools “too high a reach”</p>

<p>First of all, seattlebulldog, I’m fairly certain that a 93 correlates to a 3.8 GPA on a 4.0 scale. 95-100 is a perfect 4.0.</p>

<p>Not to dishearten the original poster at all.</p>

<p>I agree with everyone else here; you can aim for higher colleges. :)</p>

<p>@seattlebulldog A 93 average doesn’t <em>necessarily</em> mean a perfect 4.0 (assuming any A=4.0) as she could have gotten B’s that averaged out with mid-high A’s. My numerical grade average is around a 92-94, but my UW GPA is a 3.85-3.9.</p>