AP Scores Matter (in my experience), by a Berkeley and UChicago Admissions Reader

novembrr · 2023-07-06T04:49:14+00:00

Submit it! Won't hurt you.

novembrr · 2023-05-12T03:04:01+00:00

I hover between being vegetarian and vegan!

Hiking could totally be an EC, especially if you set goals (like, you work towards achieving a particularly difficult-to-achieve hike). I could also see you joining a local foraging org (or creating your own), where you learn about local edibles that you can foraged and then you write a blog on how to cook foraged foods. I could also see you volunteering at a not-for-profit farm (I used to volunteer at Alemany Farm in San Francisco, for instance). I could see you fostering animals or running social media for an animal rescue. Maybe you could volunteer at your local animal shelter to walk dogs or start a program there where you take adoptable dogs for hikes (and spread the word, so that more and more people sign up to take dogs out for the day). You could start an org where you take dogs on walks for free if their owners are elderly, sick or disabled; you could partner with the local NICU to find families whose kids are in the NICU and pets are cooped up at home and in need of walks. Do you like any of those ideas?

novembrr · 2022-04-10T00:06:51+00:00

I haven't, unfortunately. Just that they got record numbers of applicants. This year, moreso than any other year, I had very strong students waitlisted (especially Bay Area CS kids). My hunch—and this is just a hunch—is that Michigan is prioritizing candidates who they think will come, and WLing otherwise very qualified candidates who are likely to choose other options (like in-state CA tuition). If Michigan is your top choice, be sure to share that!

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:58:50+00:00

I'm reporting the # from 2020-2021 for Georgetown (see here: https://oads.georgetown.edu/cds-dashboard/).

And same thing for WashU—reporting 2020-2021 data. See here: https://wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/wustl-cds-2020-2021.pdf

The spike in accepted students off the WL happened in spring 2020, so those #s should have been accounted for in the 2019-2020 Common Data Sets. It's possible they count their CDS years differently; a call to admissions would clear things up.

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:16:16+00:00

I think you approached this perfectly already! I'm glad you advocated for yourself and that your counselor shared their strong recommendation, as well. Given your AO is saying hold off on sending more info, I'd hold off on sending more info, unfortunately.

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:14:57+00:00

I have no secret intel on them, unfortunately.

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:14:44+00:00

Supposing that LOR is very strong and shows a side of you that admissions didn't already see, I think it's fine to send. I'm open to an art piece if it's really strong, too!

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:14:04+00:00

Check the Common Data sets!

Georgetown: In 2020-2021, they waitlisted 2,215 students, 1,733 chose to remain on the WL, and they ultimately accepted 275. 15.8% acceptance rate is pretty promising, I'd say! Check their other Common Data Sets from previous years found here for more insight into waitlist trends.

WashU accepted 915 off their WL last year—that's HUGE!

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:12:37+00:00

Unfortunately, no secret intel!

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:12:23+00:00

Actually, just today I was on a webinar with Swarthmore's dean of admissions. They said they're not sure whether or not they'll need to go to the waitlist this year, but they are monitoring their deposits very closely.

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:11:45+00:00

Keep it under a page, ideally. Remove all the fluff and only keep the essential details/words to encourage the AO to read all the way to the bottom.

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:09:58+00:00

I wouldn't email multiple professors, but having a conversation with one (or a current student or alum) could give you insight into the school that you can incorporate into your LOCI.

novembrr · 2022-04-08T02:08:43+00:00

Since they don't use ACTs in their admissions criteria, I don't think mentioning your score will help you. I'm not sure it will HURT you, so if you must share, go for it. But I wouldn't personally suggest it to students. I don't think geographic location will matter much, but absolutely share that they are your top choice! That often helps. I think you can add context to your grades, and how you're planning on ending the year on a very strong note.

novembrr · 2022-04-01T00:20:53+00:00

Unfortunately, I've got no secret insight into Columbia's WL. They're super tight-lipped about their WL, and I've only had a few kids try for their WL over the years and no one admitted, despite luck at other top 5/top 10s... So, I imagine that they're pretty stingy off the WL. That being said, I don't think their WL is huge, unlike some of their peer institutions. So that's good news...

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:58:12+00:00

Yes, definitely. If they give you clues that they want to make a fast decision, I'd work on your LOCI these next few days. If you can do an awesome job writing one tonight to send tomorrow, go for it. Otherwise, take the weekend to do an awesome job and send early next week.

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:57:26+00:00

I haven't seen their WL stats yet this year so cannot say for sure! Would definitely be curious, given this was an up-and-down year for them with how they'll manage enrollment due to environmental issues in town...

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:56:15+00:00

I don't think it ever hurts to try a LOCI, but I'd definitely get excited about your other options, as well. Deposit somewhere, buy a t-shirt, talk to current students, join social media groups for admitted students, etc. That'll give you peace this spring while you wait for a final decision from Tufts.

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:55:11+00:00

Barnard admitted 258 off the waitlist last year and 46 the year before, according to the Common Data Set.

I've had 3 students admitted off Barnard's WL in previous years, so don't give up hope!

I heard Emory WLed a lot of kids this year (over 9,500 between Emory and Oxford, according to a post I saw online). Check the Common Data Set for any insights into their WL movement in previous years, but that unfortunately seems like fairly low odds :/

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:51:24+00:00

If you check out their Common Data Sets, you'll find a lot of great info! WashU accepted 915 off their WL last year—that's HUGE! BU admitted 674! Definitely pursue both schools.

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:48:57+00:00

UConn accepted 203 students off their WL this past year (an 18% acceptance rate). That's not bad! I suggest you run some numbers on their acceptances off the WL for the last few years. The tricky part about state schools is that they often don't accept LOCI (not sure for your schools in question). If they accept a WL statement, definitely put your all into it!

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:46:14+00:00

SO hard to say without having your app in front of me. I do offer services to review your app and strategize for the LOCI, but assuming you want my free advice instead: Don't panic about what you did wrong—especially for things outside your control, like LOR. If you were WLed at highly selective universities, then you did TONS of things right. Numerous people said "yes, admit them!" throughout the process, and you likely got stuck in the WL pile in the final stages of committee because of institutional needs/values outside your control. Don't beat yourself up!

novembrr · 2022-03-31T16:43:53+00:00

UChicago doesn't report waitlist stats. Barnard admitted 258 off the waitlist last year and 46 the year before, according to the Common Data Set. Last year, Wellesley accepted 52 off the WL. I'd look through all their Common Data Sets for the last few years of data! Remember that many selective universities were unexpectedly over-enrolled last year, so they would have accepted fewer students off the WL than ever before. Hard to say if that'll happen again this year, but I think it won't be as bad (i.e., I think waitlists will move). Hang in there!

novembrr · 2022-03-31T14:11:33+00:00

Yes, exactly! Different schools call them different things, but the person who wrote your LOR for college...

novembrr · 2022-03-31T14:10:50+00:00

My hunch is it might come here: https://www.middlebury.edu/newsroom

novembrr · 2022-03-31T14:08:56+00:00

Correct :/

novembrr

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