<p>I started this thread last year because I had a Junior and wanted to see the stats of kids that were admitted. Thought I would start a new one this year. So anyone who is applying ED OR EA, please tell a little about yourself and why you love CC.</p>
<p>My S has been intrigued by CC since he was a freshman. He thinks the block plan would be perfect for his learning style, which is finding a way to combine learning with nature. He wants to find a school that would embrace the balance between the two. Wants to major in ES and then go on to med school to be a wilderness ER Dr. He has 2190 test scores and roughly a 3.6 UW GPA. He goes to a top private prep that does not rank. He has many focused and committed EC's with a lot of leadership. Eagle Scout, numerous National Scouting leadership positions, 1500 hrs community service, mostly working on conservation, trails, and forestry all over the country, search and rescue team, first responser, rescue diver, spent a semester last year going to a prestigious boarding school on a rural organic farm in VT.</p>
<p>He will be visiting next week for their open house, will interview, do an overnite and class visits. I will post back next week for anyone that may have questions regarding that. </p>
<p>So,here is to the 2012 EA'ers and ED'ers... let's stay positive and supportive.</p>
<p>Here is a link to CC’s common data set for 2010-11. They have them for several years. It gives you the percentages for admission by gender and the SAT and ACT ranges for enrolled students. Note that the writing component of the SAT and ACT is not considered in admission decisions.</p>
<p>BTW–of a class enrolled of 536, 149 were ED. There were 288 ED applicants and 149 were admitted.</p>
<p>The data set also gives the information on aid/scholarships</p>
<p>5 boys’ son sounds like the perfect CC kid! My son is cut from a similar mold. Extremely bright but never worked brutally hard to the exclusion of getting outdoors. Just never wanted to get caught up in chasing grades for their own sake. Skiing his primary EC passion but is also a nationally ranked squash player (no team at CC unfortunately). 2200 SAT first try, 740/690 subject tests. 3.7 unweighted GPA. Took about half the max number of AP/honors classes available. He loves the block plan concept, as he really likes to get heavily into what he’s doing when it catches his fancy. He’s planning to apply EA, and go to CC if he doesn’t get in ED to a similar, small east coast liberal arts school he’ll apply to at same time. He’d be happy at either, I’m sure.</p>
<p>I wonder if anyone knows whether EA applicants to CC get the same type of advantage ED applicants get??</p>
<p>That’s funny shrages… my S is also thinking about appying ED to a small east coast LAC. I wonder if it’s the same one… our boys sound very similar… “extremely bright, loves to learn, but never really chases grades”…sounds just like my S. He HATES busy work… as most bright boys do, and that is why his GPA is not higher. He also would rather be doing something outdoors instead of re-writing a paper or grinding himself too hard. His teachers all adore him though.</p>
<p>Go back into the last 3 years Colorado College threads on ED/EA . I recall digging out those stats at for at least two years. Or go to Colorado College’s website and look over the last 4-5 years of the common data sets. The information is in there.</p>
<p>But, yes–both ED and EA get quite an admission boost.</p>
<p>Outdoors… how exciting!! My S rwally wants to do the ED too, but I just feel uneasy about it because of the financial part. I really don’t think there is gong to be another school that can equal CC… especially because of the appeal of the block plan and location. So glad to hear about your visit. Sounds like there is a wide variety of stuff going on on the weekends. My S had a GREAT time just hanging out in the dorms. What a special place CC is!!!</p>
<p>5boy - thought I’d answer here instead of the 2012 thread. I cannot tell you how much my DS1 loves CC. We live 1800 mile away and I fear he will not be returning to this coast much more. Having way too much fun where he is. He loves his classes, loves the area, the students, dorm etc.
Has your son interviewed? DS1 did an alum interview at a Starbucks and they chatted for an hour. Easiest interview he had. I believe CC looks very hard at “fit” and it sounds like your on does. Obviously make sure the supplemental “block” essay demonstrates that you know the advantages the block plan has to offer.
The financial part was big for us too. I will say that CCs aid estimate they gave us in December for EA was dead-on to the “final” package. A bit suprising since I am self employed and our numbers did change a bit. Their Net Price Calculator program is up and running now and seems to be about right with what we received, for what that’s worth.<br>
CC actually ha a somewhat low % of students that apply for aid. Per the former President -They are actively looking to increase the socioeconomic diversity. Not that we are hurting but we couldnt swing 50K+. Seems to help families like ours. Also, the guaranteed affordability plan is huge. No worrying that aid will change for the worse.
We face a similar ED decision at the moment with DS2. His one and only “love it” school vs the need/desire to see all the aid offers. Personally leaning a bit toward ED based on the net price calculator from his love school that says it should be do-able. Can’t see making him take a far distant second choice if we CAN swing the love school but I almost break out in a sweat thinking of the reality of ED and not getting to see all the offers to compare.<br>
Good luck to you and your son!</p>
<p>Thanks for the supportive post skier!! I too feel like he is such a good fit for CC that there is no way they can turn him down… but I’m the mom not the admissions committe…LOL!! He did interview and he said it went really well. My S has done some unusual and intersting things, so this part of the application process is easy for him. He is also confident, well-spoken, unassuming, and very likeable. He thinks he will be able to write a really good “why CC” essay, and I think he has a few ideas for his Block Plan essay. He is really into organic farming and sustainabilty, so I’m sure it will be something along those lines. Probably combining learning with nature… something else he is passionate about. </p>
<p>As far as the EDvs EA thing it will probably go down to the wire. The calculator looked doable for us too, so if we get back from Maine and he doesn’t fall for one of those schools more, I might let him do the ED. If your DS2 really loves his ED school, and the calculator seems to confirm what you should receive, you should probably go for it. You can always back out if by chance the aid doesn’t meet need.</p>
<p>5boys - saw your sons stats above. Very similar to my S1 at CC if not a little higher. Also comparable ECs. Mine is a ski patroller, OEC etc but my S1 had fewer hours and less other activities. Did do full IB though. So, as you say, not the ad com but it looks promising to me! BEST OF LUCK!</p>
<p>As for my S2 I think we have (reluctantly and fearfully) decided on ED for Colgate. He so loves it above his other options. Spoke to GC tonight who think ED will make it very likely and RD could go either way. So very nerve wracking though! Finding it very difficult to give up knowing the outcome of other application and aid offers. He has one super reach that meets 100% need with no loans, and 2 safety/matches that offer merit, (Feel he has a good shot since 1600/2230 SATs). Ah well. It will all be decided soon</p>
<p>skier… my S has Colgate on his list too. As well, as the usual suspects, Whitman, Colby, Bates, Hamilton, Bowdoin and Midd. We will visit Maine in a few weeks and he will be able to make a better decision then. He was originally thinking of applying ED to Bowdoin or Midd.</p>
<p>I don’t think your S has to worry about Colgate with those SAT’s…WOW!!! On our schools Naviance… a top private prep… no one EVER with my S’s SAT scores have been denied, regardless of their GPA, so it is on the list. I’m pretty sure your S could get in RD too. </p>
<p>The one thing I worry about with the NE colleges is the athletic culture, as my S is more of a moutaineer/outdoorsy athlete instead of a ball sport guy. CC just seemd to be full of kids that were just like him and not so much of an athlete presence. I could be wrong though, as he LOVED his boarding school in VT. I pretty much have come to the conclusion that he would be happy at any of these outdoorsy schools, CC just offers something that none of the others do…the Block plan. </p>
<p>My S also has some safety schools on his list that offer merit aid… I want him to submit those,as you just never know. Most of them are EA…but now that he has that dream school, those are probably unlikely, unless he gets some terrrible packages elsewhere.</p>
<p>We live in upstate NY, 2 hrs from Colgate so the competition is a little stiff here - lots of applications from his HS etc. GPA is 92. and no one from his HS has ever been accepted with that. so you never know.</p>
<p>I agree with your assessment of CC. S1 has found it to be the “outdoorsy” sort rather than the ball sort (Though that is a presence as well). The eastern schools do seem a little more “ball team” oriented. S1 Never climbed before, now owns 3 pairs of climbing shoes etc. Spent WAY more at Eastern Mountain Sports prepping for school than we did at Bed Bath and Beyond. :-)</p>
<p>My son continues to rave about the Block plan. Class 9-12. lunch. problem sets 1-3 and has the rest of the day free. Climbs in the gym 3x/wk and he and friends are climbing the incline weekly to get in shape for ski season. Went on ski trips every weekend last year (great ski pass options!). stayed with friends, shared a condo (with 15 others) etc so the whole thing was pretty affordable.</p>
<p>skier… can see why now your S might be in a tougher spot admit wise for Colgate. I guess they can’t admit all applicants from the same geographic area, even if they are as strong as your S. I still think he has a pretty good chance with that 1600 CR+M score though, that is going to be hard for them to resist. What is your S at CC majoring in if you don’t mind me asking. My S is going to be pre-med but wants to major in ES. I worry about that a bit. One of the things I think is great about CC is that sense all the kids have the same schedule, there would be a lot of group studying and collaboration. If everyone is in it together it would seem to not be as painful.</p>
<p>5boys. an early word on majors for med school aps. son is a senior at CC (bio-chem) applying to med school. while “technically” you can major in anything and apply there is a LONG list of required classes to do so. we are currently caught in a requirement for statistics (even though he has 2 college level calc classes) with no room to put that. son will need to be keeping this in mind from day one no matter which school he chooses to assure that all requirements are met.</p>
<p>Thanks txcarol! Yes, he is aware of the pre-med requirements that he will have to take wherever he goes. It is weird that I have never seen Statistics as one of the requirements though… is this new? I have only seen the standard, Bio, Chem, Orgo Chem, Physics, and Calculus… do they recommend Statistics just for the MCAT’s? Just curious. One of the good things about CC is that you can always do some of those classes in one of the summer blocks, which is a way to squeeze them in if you are not majoring in Biology or Chem. I think ES does share some of those required Med School Science classes, so that will be good. I’m sure he will do Calc his first year to get it out of the way, as he is not enamored with math. Our tour guide was Pre-Med and he hates Physics, so wa going to take it after he graduated as he hasn’t taken the MCAT’s yet.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I was just looking at Carleton’s list of recommended pre-med classes. The list includes statistics, with a note that some, but not all, med schools require a class in statistics. Statistics is not included on the part of the list that pertains to MCAT preparation, though.</p>
<p>Son At CC is unsure of major. Taking alot of math so far. I have been joking that this is his “ology” year of exploration: Biology, geology, sociology. anthropology, psychology with a bit of calculus and linear algebra for good measure. He will have to decide soon but feeling good that he has his required courses done and is getting a great overall education so far.</p>