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Well, I'm confused. To say the least. I have no idea as to where I should apply. I am a former Junior (rising Senior) with a 3.1 UW 3.5 W GPA (top 25% in a nationally prestigious private catholic school). I've taken a few hnrs. courses, one AP course (Chemistry: 5, B+ in class). I haven't participated much in school activities; in fact the only thing I've done is the mandatory "Loyola Project" which entailed 50 community service hours of teaching kids in underpriveleged areas. My domestic life has been riddled with dysfunction.... i've moved 3 times during my schooling because of parental issues... i am bi-polar and have been commited to a hospital for awhile because of mental health issues... My test scores are decent 1530 (800 V) (though I am a better math student)... 800s in Math IIc and Lit., expecting a 700+ in Writing... I have intense interest in the Liberal Arts and am seriously considering St. John's College (Maryland / New Mexico). I am not an overachiever, but a thinker with a passion for certain subject matter... I am getting EXTREMELY good recs from my school principal and my therapist (imo they are grandiose depictions of my abilities) a really good essay with the guidance of ESSAYEDGE. I really want to do Swarthmore ED, maybe Yale ED (legacy). Which is realistic. What is the caliber of my application? And should I mention my personal health issues in my essay or.. where..? Sorry all jumbled up.

By Sam Hickey on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 12:56 pm: Edit

Could I get some advice Dave B? It'd be greatly appreciated.

By Dave Berry on Wednesday, June 26, 2002 - 04:23 pm: Edit

Sam, you've faced and apparently overcome a fair amount of difficulty in your young life so far. You should definitely address these issues in your essays, being careful, though, not to whine. Be forthright in telling how you managed to deal with them.

Frankly, I don't think you'll have a strong chance at Yale (even with a legacy connection) or even Swat. The profiles of their admits are much stronger than yours. However, I think St. Johns would be a good fit for you if you can deal with the Great Books curriculum, smallish groups, and generally intensive intellectual atmosphere.

Another possibility you might want to consider would be the University of Chicago. They are much more forgiving on acceptance percentages than Yale and Swat and have a significantly intellectual bent that you could find appealing.

The key to success for you will be to find the right balance of sincere personal revelation, an aura of late bloomerism, and humor. If you can speak of overcoming your difficulties with some elan and lighthearted objectivity, I'm sure you'll catch admissions officers' eyes at some great schools.

Good luck, Sam. Keep us posted.