Williams Regular Decision 2011!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Williams College
241

<p>**Decision: Rejected **</p>

<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT Verbal: 760
[</em>] SAT Math: 710
[<em>] SAT Writing: 770
[</em>] SAT Total: 740
[<em>] SAT II: U.S History (730), Math 1 (680), Literature (780)
[</em>] ACT: Didn’t take.
[<em>] AP/IB taken/scores: U.S. History (5), European History (5), English Literature (5), English Language (5).
[</em>] GPA weighted: We don’t weigh GPAs at my school.
[<em>] GPA unweighted: 3.79.
[</em>] Rank or % estimate: Definitely in the top ten percent.</p>

<p>[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: For the “looking in through a window” question, I wrote about the gymnastics center I’ve belonged to for the past ten years. I know it was a good essay because I cried while I was writing it. =P
[</em>] Teacher Recs: I would be shocked if they were anything less than excellent.
[<em>] Counselor Rec: My counselor seems proud of me, so I can imagine they were good.
[</em>] Hook (if any): My last name is Hispanic? Lol.</p>

<p>[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: USA.
[</em>] School Type: Public.
[<em>] Ethnicity: Didn’t specify.
[</em>] Gender: Female.
[<em>] Legacy Yes/No: No.
[</em>] Recruited Yes/No: No.
[<em>] Important ECs: Gymnastics for ten years, karate for six years (black belt).
[</em>] Likely Letter Yes/No: Huh?</p>

<p>[/ul]Other Factors: As I mentioned earlier, my writing is above average, so that may have helped with some of the essays.</p>

242

<p>for S:</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): 800cr, 740m, 760w = 2300 total
[</em>] SAT II: Math 2: 800
World: 800
Physics: 800
Chem: 790
US History: 790
[<em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 98.32
[</em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School does not rank; anecdotally #1 out of 63
[<em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc BC: 5
Chem: 5
Eng Lang.: 5 (self-studied)
World: 5 (self-studied)
USH: 5 (self-studied)
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: Hardest available: Multivariable Calc, AP Physics C, etc …
[<em>] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Intel Semi-Finalist, Stockholm Junior Water Prize – State Champ, #7 in nation, Moody’s Mega Math Challenge winner, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Commended
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Model UN (Secretary General), Investment Club (co-founder), Academic Team (Captain), NHS (President)
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: Congressional internship, quantum computing mentorship
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: USY (co-president)
[<em>] Summer Activities: CTY 4 years, Harvard SSP (Edward Fein Fellowship)
[</em>] Essays: Doesn’t everyone think their essays are great?
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: Alleged to be very good
[</em>] Counselor Rec: see above
[<em>] Additional Rec: Harvard TA
[</em>] Interview: Very good
[/ul]Other[ul]
[<em>] Applied for Financial Aid?: Y
[</em>] Intended Major: International Relations
[<em>] State (if domestic applicant): NJ
[</em>] School Type: public magnet (top 10 in the country)
[<em>] Ethnicity: white
[</em>] Gender: M
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None of the “classics”[/li][/ul]Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Typical hard-working, well-rounded kid</p>

<p>What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: Challenge of coming from a pre-engineering academy strong in math and science, yet personally having great interest in the social sciences</p>

<p>Weaknesses: Not an athlete, not a musician, would not be recruited for any such niches</p>

<p>Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Just a strong overall app</p>

<p>GENERAL COMMENTS: Received early write.</p>

243

<p>Rejected</p>

<p>Copied and pasted from another thread…sorry if formatting is weird. “—” means removed for anonymity</p>

<p>Numbers and Numbers:</p>

<p>SAT M: 800
SAT V: 740
SAT W: 800
SAT C: 2340</p>

<p>SAT Math II: 770
SAT Chemistry: 800
SAT Literature: 720</p>

<p>Class Rank: ~1-2/35
Small, Private School: rarely sends anyone to Ivy’s / any good schools
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Geography: Midwest - Ohio
GPA U: 3.95 / 4.00
GPA W: 4.41 / 5.00
*No honors past 8th or 9th grade, hence low weighted GPA
Commonapp essay: About submitting a position paper to the Ohio Congress and receiving an offer of co-sponsorship of a bill
Activity essay: About my long-held interest in photography, an exhibition I have up, and the success of sales
Recs: Should be pretty great
AP U.S. History: 4
AP Literature: 4
AP Calculus AB: 5
AP Calculus BC: 5
AP Psychology: 5
AP Chemistry: 5
AP Statistics: 5</p>

<p>Senior Coursework:
AP Environmental Science
AP Composition
AP Government
AP Physics C - Mechanics
Linear Algebra / Differential Equations
Performance Ensemble Band</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities:</p>

<p>National Science Olympiad (10, 11, 12) <— SCIENCE COMPETITION
-No officers; Founding member; Regional medalist; State medalist</p>

<p>Environmental Club (11, 12) <— ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM CLUB
-Prepared position paper for Ohio legislature; Presented at International Conference; Founding Member</p>

<p>National Beta Club (9, 10, 11, 12) <— SERVICE CLUB
-Treasurer, President</p>

<p>Varsity Jazz Band (9, 10, 11, 12) <— HIGH SCHOOL’S JAZZ BAND
-First Trombone; Approx. 15 concerts/yr</p>

<p>International Thespian Society (9, 10, 11, 12) <— DRAMA SOCIETY
-Approx. 8 productions/yr; Sound and light design and operation, Honor Bar)</p>

<p>Mock Trial team (9, 10, 11, 12) <— MOOT COURT
-No officers; Founding member, Outstanding Attorney, Student of the year)</p>

<p>A bunch of other crap…</p>

<p>Awards and Distinctions:
National Merit Semifinalist
AP Scholar with Distinction
AIME Participant and School Winner
International Thespian Society Honor Bar Award (Highest level of distinction)
Front page article in — for photography exhibition
Completion of the Suzuki method of Piano Instruction
Ohio Mathematics League Certificate of Merit for Superior Achievement (9, 10)
— Scholar Award (9, 10, 11, 12; School-awarded merit-based $500 scholarship)
Bunch of Departmental Awards at School…</p>

<p>Science Olympiad awards:
TONS OF REGIONAL MEDALS
State Competition - 12th place team overall (11)
State Competition Personal Medals - 5th place Chemistry Lab (11)</p>

<p>Non-Scholastic Education:
Junior Statesmen of America Symposium, Columbus, OH
National Youth Leadership Forum on Law, Washington, D.C.
Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference, Washington, D.C.
— Environmental Conference, New York City, NY</p>

<p>Service Activities:
Peer tutor in: Algebra II, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP Statistics (Fall 2009)
Volunteer staff for Vacation Bible School, (Summers 2003-2009)
— Mission Trip, —, OH (Summer 2008)
Mission Trip, — School, Honduras, C.A. (October 2009)
Total volunteer hours throughout high school: 550</p>

244

<p>Accepted!!!
sat:730cr, 710m, 740w, 2180total
gpa: 4.00uw, about 4.35w
hook: legacy</p>

245

<p>Accepted!!!</p>

246

<p>uhm I have a question… are international students allowed to apply for financial aid next year (while attending it)?</p>

247

<p>Decision: Accepted!!!</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<ul>
<li>SAT: 2250, 720v 750m 770w</li>
<li>SAT IIs: 740 Math II, 740 Math I, 720 Chemistry</li>
<li>GPA: 3.9 UW/4.4 W</li>
<li>Rank: Top 5%</li>
<li>Other stats: 9 APs by graduation, all 5s so far on AP Gov, AP Calc AB, AP Lang, AP Micro, AP Micro</li>
</ul>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<ul>
<li>Essays: Very personal, couldn’t have been written by anyone but myself.</li>
<li>Teacher Recs: didn’t see, but I assume they were good</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: Very good</li>
<li>Hook (if any): QuestBridge finalist, English as 2nd language, socioeconomic minority, bring different perspectives through a lot of moving around.</li>
</ul>

<p>Location/Person:</p>

<ul>
<li>State or Country: CO/AL</li>
<li>School Type: Big, very competitive, public high school</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Russian</li>
<li>Gender: Female</li>
<li>major strength/weakness: Community service, tutoring, a non-competitive, non-varisty sport that I love, strong academics, bring diversity</li>
<li>why you think you were accepted/rejected/deferred: diversity and different perspectives, have a good story of overcoming obstacles and coming out on top.
(which is a plus at Williams); I can bring different perspectives to the campus, and I’m fairly strong academically.
So excited!! Can’t believe it!!</li>
</ul>

248

<p>Accepted!</p>

<p>SAT: 2290 CR: 790 M: 780 W: 720
SAT II: 800 bio, 780 us history, 760 math 2</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 UW. 4.78 W
Rank: 1/~600
4 AP’s, all 5</p>

<p>Essays: personal, pretty good i guess.
Teacher Recs: definitely good
Counselor Rec: good
Hook (if any): ehrm. no idea. </p>

<p>State or Country: CA
School Type: big, public high school.
Ethnicity: asian
Gender: Female</p>

<p>why you think you were accepted/rejected/deferred: i definitely didn’t think i was going to get in. so i’m pretty shocked, but in a good way. can’t wait to visit the school and see what it’s all about!</p>

249

<p>Your essay and teacher recommendations were probably REALLY dry. Williams probably did the right thing by rejecting you… They want scholars that can think and relate to people, not academic machines that can just do work and score well on standardized tests. Maybe you should go to MIT or something… and first generation asian is NOT A HOOK… that’s barely a fishing net.</p>

250

<p>“I got into Columbia, Cornell and Chicago, all of which I would choose over Williams.” </p>

<p>So why are you complaining? That’s probably why they didn’t take you…</p>

251

<p>Alum here:</p>

<p>Just wanted to say congratulations to everyone in this thread, and feel free to e-mail me with the kinds of questions you’d want to ask someone who graduated a few years ago.
Hopefully…you can e-mail me through my profile, I’ll go make sure.</p>

252

<p>Certainly.</p>

253

<p>Congrats to the class of '10 :smiley: Well done, to all those who got in!
I’m applying in the class of '11. Any tips or suggestions about applying to Williams? I have a very unique interest in this college; its my FCU after all!!</p>

254

<p>What’s FCU?</p>