Humanities heavy candidate ok for Humanities major?

[Anonymous]

My DD is taking all hardest APs in English, History and Social Studies (getting all As). She is taking regular level math/science (getting As and A-'s).

She is doing terribly on SAT test since Math brings her score down. Her AP scores in English/History are both 5s.

Her letters of recommendation are from English and History teachers (no STEM).

Will she be at a disadvantage applying to a LAC like Wesleyan (open curriculum) if she's so lopsided towards Humanities excellence only? Her ECs are also humanities driven (Newspaper, Model UN, Debate) or Varsity sports.

[Anonymous]

I don’t see any problem as long as test optional. Grades are good.

Totally depends on the profiles of other students from the same school applying to the same college.

[Anonymous]

Try the ACT, my humanities kid has perfect on reading and English, near perfect on science (which is really reading comprehension over science), and abysmal math. Came out to a very respectable score despite the math.

[Anonymous]

What do you consider terrible?

[Anonymous]

Wesleyan requires that one recommendation is from STEM teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan requires that one recommendation is from STEM teacher

Wesleyan is not really open curriculum - gen eds required if doing a thesis or graduating with honors.

[Anonymous]

My kid applied to Wesleyan from a very respected public high school in NOVA with well over a 4.0 weighted GPA, AP classes in all subjects including stem classes through physics and Calculus BC and with impressive humanities-based extras. As a humanities major. And with mid 30s on the ACT.

Not even waitlisted.

It isn’t 2020 anymore. An applicant to a top college with a one-sided transcript and no test scores is not getting in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid applied to Wesleyan from a very respected public high school in NOVA with well over a 4.0 weighted GPA, AP classes in all subjects including stem classes through physics and Calculus BC and with impressive humanities-based extras. As a humanities major. And with mid 30s on the ACT.

Not even waitlisted.

It isn’t 2020 anymore. An applicant to a top college with a one-sided transcript and no test scores is not getting in.

These colleges are test optional

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see any problem as long as test optional. Grades are good.

Totally depends on the profiles of other students from the same school applying to the same college.

NO IT DOESN’T

Where do you people come from?

Her school will send her transcript along with a school profile. The profile will show that the school offers all kinds of AP math and science classes that the student didn’t take. The student won’t be judged against what other students applying to the same college are taking — they’ll be judged by the courses that they took among the courses offered. Top colleges do not give a pass to a student who doesn’t at least try a few of the harder science classes regardless of intended major. They get too many applications for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid applied to Wesleyan from a very respected public high school in NOVA with well over a 4.0 weighted GPA, AP classes in all subjects including stem classes through physics and Calculus BC and with impressive humanities-based extras. As a humanities major. And with mid 30s on the ACT.

Not even waitlisted.

It isn’t 2020 anymore. An applicant to a top college with a one-sided transcript and no test scores is not getting in.

These colleges are test optional

Right. But when you submit a transcript with no high level stem classes and no test scores you’re basically saying your scores are terrible. If she had good grades in top stem classes it would be different. But because she doesn’t the test scores matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan requires that one recommendation is from STEM teacher

The wording on their site is “you are encouraged.” So not required.

“You are encouraged to submit one from a humanities, social sciences, or foreign language teacher and one from a math or science teacher”

[Anonymous]

I would apply ED.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid applied to Wesleyan from a very respected public high school in NOVA with well over a 4.0 weighted GPA, AP classes in all subjects including stem classes through physics and Calculus BC and with impressive humanities-based extras. As a humanities major. And with mid 30s on the ACT.

Not even waitlisted.

It isn’t 2020 anymore. An applicant to a top college with a one-sided transcript and no test scores is not getting in.

These colleges are test optional

Right. But when you submit a transcript with no high level stem classes and no test scores you’re basically saying your scores are terrible. If she had good grades in top stem classes it would be different. But because she doesn’t the test scores matter.

In fairness, I think anytime you don’t submit you say your scores are terrible. But, it’s more palatable with the right transcript and rigor.

[Anonymous]

I think they will overlook it if they like other things about her application enough. ED will help. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan requires that one recommendation is from STEM teacher

Wesleyan is not really open curriculum - gen eds required if doing a thesis or graduating with honors.

This person always posts this about Wesleyan. So I always feel compelled to post in reply that virtually no open curriculum schools are “truly” open curriculum. Only Brown and Amherst, based on my research. Vassar requires foreign language, Hamilton requires writing classes, Smith (like Wes) requires a distribution of classes for honors.

To be clear: to graduate with honors at Wes, you need to take three classes in each of three areas. Many kids will do this in two areas just through the normal course of events; my kid is double-majoring in a humanities area and a social sciences area, for example, so only has to take three science/math classes that he might not have otherwise (and one of them he probably would have taken out of personal interest). And, of course, you don’t have to graduate with honors! In which case, no requirements.

On your topic, OP, my kid was accepted TO to Wes, but he had AP classes in math and science. They like to see calculus and biology/chemistry/physics (per their first-year profile page). Not saying she can’t get in with her profile but just noting for expectation setting.