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I am applying to

Drew
Bennington
Ithaca
Columbia
Williams
NYU
Sarah Lawrence
Conn College
UNH
Barnard
Emerson

The problem is, although my SATs aren't bad (740 verbal, 630 math), I (at least for my own standards) crapped up my SAT IIs (we never learned literature/poetry terms in school, I was at disadvantage w/ Lit SAT II). I got a 690 in writing which I am fine with. I got a 620 in Math IC which is comparable to my math SAT I so I'm not too upset. However, there's that 600 in lit. I wouldn't be too worried, because I do well in school (3.9 out of 4.0 GPA at the moment) and will likely get good teacher recs, but will Williams and Columbia use my app for TP when they see my SAT II scores?

Also, I have v. few ECs. I have no time for ECs. On days when my classes do not go until six, I have homework that goes to eleven, PM that is. Pretty much everyone in my school is in the same situation so nobody really does too much outside of school except for a few people and they're going to get burnt out. I am in a few clubs at school but we rarely meet and there aren't any interesting ones (I'm in Yearbook and Community Service Association, would have done A Capella but there were already too many altos).

Will the fact that I go to a specialized school (I am at a private arts school in the Northeast) make up for the fact that I don't have ECs?

Aaaaah.

By Crnchycereal (Crnchycereal) on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 02:34 pm: Edit

I think your lack of ECs will significantly hurt you for schools like NYU, Columbia, and Williams. I don't know enough about the rest of the schools to say much, but I imagine that most of them will not look favorably upon this.

By Emilyp114 (Emilyp114) on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 02:44 pm: Edit

What college are you applying to at NYU? Your SAT's are ok but the SAT II's are really low. NYU doesn't require them but they DO strongly recommend and most kids who get in and have taken them, usually have scores in the 700's. The biggest problem you're going to have is the lack of e/c's. And frankly, I don't buy the 'no time' argument. Most applicants are busy with school and homework, etc. but most also have a good number of e/c's and even part time jobs. NYU likes at least 3-4 longterm commitments to e/c's, not a long list of one year choices. I also went to an arts school (and am now a freshman at Tisch) and even with many productions a year which involved long rehearsal periods, I still had other e/c involvements.

By Divinebovine (Divinebovine) on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 02:47 pm: Edit

I am applying to Tisch. And just curious, which arts school did you go to?

Oh, and my ECs are as follows

4 Years Theater (more than that, actually, but they just care about HS)
3 years Voice
2 years Yearbook
1 year CSA

By Emilyp114 (Emilyp114) on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 04:21 pm: Edit

I went to an arts school in NY. I don't like to publicly post the name because I have a sibling still attending and promised I wouldn't embarrass her.

Yeah, your e/c's could definitely be a problem for you. If you go to an arts school, they're not going to look at school-related productions necessarily as e/c. If, however, you have community theatre type things, or summer stock, then yes, that would be fine. Just to give you an idea of what I had when I applied last year, if you're interested? Outside drama festival productions each year, school volleyball and soccer teams each year, community rep soccer for 12 years, piano for 8 years, voice for 5 years, school orchestra each year. In the drama resume that you do separately for Tisch, that's where you detail the school productions you've been involved in; the one acts, the improv, the mainstage productions, the tech positions you've held. When do you audition? I can fill you in on that fun day if you'd like.

By Divinebovine (Divinebovine) on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 07:37 pm: Edit

My audition is 2/24. Does summer theater count if it's done at a camp?

Due to my school being supercompetitive, I haven't been in a lot of productions there, so I was not planning to count the show (yeah, one show) I have been in as an EC. However, my school does not count its arts classes in its credits so I was wondering if they could be considered ECs (I started there in sophomore year, taking four arts classes, took six arts classes my junior year due to the fact I had taken freshman arts classes in my soph year and had to catch up with the rest of my grade, and now I am taking three arts classes). My college counselor (a graduate of my school) advised I put theater under the EC heading in my common app. I also wrote my "most important EC" paragraph about theater. I had related to her a fear about not having enough ECs and she said exactly what you said, that schools would rather see a short list of longterms than a long list of short-terms.

I also scrapbook and am an avid dog photographer. I put this in my additional info part of my common app and in my "activities" part of my Columbia app.

By Freak4korn72 (Freak4korn72) on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 07:42 pm: Edit

Holy crap your scores are almost like mine, I got a 740 math and 630 verbal however, and a 590 writing instead of 690. Then I got a 600 chem and 620 Math IIc. Woah. Im applying Cornell though.

By Deeny1414 (Deeny1414) on Wednesday, December 24, 2003 - 11:09 pm: Edit

I know exactly what you're going through. I went to a private school where three days a week, I got out at 5:00 and I could only do a few ECs that were offered like Student Council and Fundraising...I also know what it's like to get home at 8 and be up until 11 just doing homework. If your school has crazy hours like mine, your school should make that apparent. Also, I know of ppl who got into Tisch with an SAT I of 1040, so I really wouldn't be too worried about that. Just make sure ur essays reflect that your school day is very rigorous and time consuming and perhaps volunteer or get a job on the weekends to help compensate for your lack of ECs...hope I helped and good luck!

By Divinebovine (Divinebovine) on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 11:07 am: Edit

I'm not as much concerned about NYU as I am about Columbia and Williams. Especially Columbia. I know a bit more about Williams, having gone on their tour, but the material I have received from Columbia has made me strongly lean towards Columbia.

My top three in my mind are NYU, Columbia and Emerson in no particular order. I am not so much worried about getting into Emerson academically, it's mainly the audition I'm worried about there.

I hate that I am a legacy student at so many schools I am totally not interested in. I'm somewhat of a legacy @ NYU (through marriage), but I don't know how to inform the school and I don't know if my beloved step-great-grandfather ever finished there.

By Pgs1300 (Pgs1300) on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 11:14 am: Edit

I think the EC's play a big role and having so few will hurt, don't worry about the SAT II score if you are not going for engineering.I think you a great chance at NYU,but not at the buisness school.Please eval my stats under

Rolling Admissions and
Rate these colleges

By Emilyp114 (Emilyp114) on Thursday, December 25, 2003 - 05:49 pm: Edit

Legacy only works for immediate family at most colleges and definitely not through marriage.
If you're interested in drama, I'm curious why you're applying to Columbia.

Deeny1414, yes, sometimes someone is admitted to Tisch with a lower SAT I but it is rare and it usually happens when their other stats are superlative and their audition is great. I have one friend who got in with an 1100 but she's done all kinds of professional acting and had a 3.9 GPA. It's not the norm for that to happen. I'll say once again that last year, the Tisch stats rivalled those of Sternies so yeah, it gets a little annoying to constantly hear (and always from someone who ISN'T at Tisch) that you don't need good grades, scores, etc. to get in. Bah.

By Divinebovine (Divinebovine) on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 05:32 pm: Edit

Columbia, while it doesn't have the best theater department, has a RIDICULOUS amount of clubs and student activities that I am interested in.

By Ebudes (Ebudes) on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 07:39 pm: Edit

Columbia--and just about any other school--seeks well-rounded candidates that will diversify their freshman class. So, as of right now, your resume looks lop-sided without hardly any EC's, so that and the fact that you have low SAT II scores may greatly hinder your chances. I do know a girl, though, that got into SEAS with a 1290, but she had a 4.3 GPA and lots of math and science awards, including Intel. NYU and Williams should be a little bit easier but not much.

By Emilyp114 (Emilyp114) on Friday, December 26, 2003 - 09:41 pm: Edit

Divinebovine,

Well to be honest, it sounds to me like you really don't know what you want to study. I would not recommend you plan on Tisch unless you are definite that theatre is what you want to do with your life. It's a very stressful, competitive, and challenging program that really isn't for individuals who are not dedicated to a career on stage. From what you've said about the lack of involvement in shows at your h/s, it doesn't sound like Tisch is for you. Your desire to go to Columbia would kind of emphasize this point, wouldn't it? It's not known for its theatre dept., at all, plus your reason for wanting to go there is for clubs and student activities?? This from someone who was hardly involved in anything in h/s? Makes no sense to me. That's not a good enough reason to be paying $40,000+ a year for four years of college, in my opinion.

By Divinebovine (Divinebovine) on Saturday, December 27, 2003 - 10:40 am: Edit

I do want to study theater. Theater is what I want to do with my life. However, I realize that the process of getting into NYU is two-part. The "getting into the school" and the audition. I don't remember asking (although I have gotten some good feedback) as to what NYU will think of my application. All I have asked was how will my scores affect Columbia and Williams chances. I am applying to other, non-audition schools because due to the fact that I have a lot of experience (I have done a TON of summer shows), I came to the whole "training" thing a little late in the process and I know there are a few schools (Ithaca and Emerson for example) that I would probably have no problem getting into academically, but also have audition requirements for what I want to do. I would not consider applying to regular Ithaca or regular NYU (therefore perhaps slightly increasing my chances of getting in) and have the fact that I'm NOT there to do the thing I want to do rubbed in my face constantly. Also, I have not been uninvolved with shows in my high school. I have auditioned for every single one of them (except for the children's show which is underclassmen only) and worked tech for all those I was not cast in. I have only been cast in one show at WH (my school). I was in two in ninth grade at my old high school. Still, I know that while I might be successful at an audition, I probably will not "ace it" and I have to leave my options open.

And as I've said before, it is not fully my fault that I have not been involved in a lot in h/s. My school offers CSA, GSA, AIDS action, a capella (which I tried out for and was rejected from), environmental club, yearbook and political awareness club. We are only allowed to sign up for three each year (new policy), so I signed up for A Capella, Yearbook and CSA. I realize I kind of screwed myself over in my previous h/s years by not doing ECs, but at that point I was just trying to survive high school. I've found my niche now, I have a goal.

As for Columbia, you asked why I would want to go there for student activities if I haven't done that many in high school? It's like you've answered your own question. I can count the number of clubs in my school on my fingers. That's limiting. I don't want to sit and discuss the war at lunch like my school's political awareness club does. I want to make changes, help sway people's votes a certain way. I know that the PA club in a high school is limited cause nobody in the group except the faculty advisor can vote, but I think the club could do more. I'd join the club in a minute if they did something more than post war news on the bulletin board. I want to use my college years to make up for my less than interesting high school ones.

As for why I would go to Columbia:

* Small campus, big city
* Surrounded by brilliant people (a lot of my friends are great people but they don't work up to their potential in school and studying with them, well, let's just say the environment is not conducive to a learning experience)
* Approachable faculty
* Amazing internship opportunities
* It creates well-rounded students
* Lot of student-run theater stuff (my school puts on a few student-directed pieces per year and they're always AMAZING)
* Again, the clubs/activities (College Democrats, Columbia Culinary Society, Columbia Review, CTV, Yearbook, Everyone Allied against Homophobia, Jester of Columbia, Jewish Student Union, Varsity Show, Two Left Feet, range of a capella groups, Quiz Bowl...I'm a trivia dork)
* I love writing and discussion, I'm not JUST a theater person.

By Divinebovine (Divinebovine) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 01:03 pm: Edit

UPDATE:

Drew ACCEPTED
Bennington ACCEPTED
Ithaca ACCEPTED TO SCHOOL, NOT TO ARTS PROGRAM
Columbia REJECTED
Williams REJECTED
NYU REJECTED
Sarah Lawrence ACCEPTED, ATTENDING
Conn College ACCEPTED
UNH ACCEPTED
Barnard REJECTED
Emerson ACCEPTED TO SCHOOL, NOT TO ARTS PROGRAM