Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 19:47     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:It looks like all these self-reporters have submitted a high SAT even though most of these colleges have a very low SAT submission rate?



Because majority are white or Asian and not FGLI. Schools want to see those scores. Very hard to get in unhooked without strong stats across the board.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 19:17     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:DD in at Swat and Wesleyan. No interview or video, no tour. 1480 SAT, 6 APs, 3.85 unweighted. NYC public. National level arts-related ECs. Submitted a portfolio.


What other schools (aside from LACs) was she admitted to? Curious where national level arts portfolio will be admitted. My DD is similar
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 19:02     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

After reading all these posts, I realized my DD was super lucky to be in one of the SLACs.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 18:23     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did they apply ED1 or ED2? Were they a sports recruit? A legacy? Did they do an optional interview or video? What was their unweighted GPA? Did they have "most demanding" rigor? Did they submit SAT/ACT? Did they show a lot of demonstrated interest?

10 Most selective co-ed SLACs:
Williams
Amherst
Swarthmore
Pomona
Bowdoin
Claremont McKenna
Harvey Mudd
Middlebury
Carleton
Wesleyan

These are not the 10 most selective SLACs. Colby, Davidson and Haverford have lower admit rates vs Wesleyan, Carleton and Middlebury.

It appears that the OP chose these schools subjectively. Wesleyan and Carleton, for example, received selectivity ratings of 96 from the Princeton Review, which would place them outside the top 10 by this standard.

Wesleyan University (Wesleyan) - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews https://share.google/MCF5vuZVRlOBsXphK

Carleton College (CC) - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews https://share.google/PTeetCVydb8QgEWsC

Princeton review is not using admit rate.

The Princeton Review considers admission rate among its criteria for its selectivity rating. In any case, the OP apparently did not rely on admission rates to determine her list of 10 schools.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 18:09     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did they apply ED1 or ED2? Were they a sports recruit? A legacy? Did they do an optional interview or video? What was their unweighted GPA? Did they have "most demanding" rigor? Did they submit SAT/ACT? Did they show a lot of demonstrated interest?

10 Most selective co-ed SLACs:
Williams
Amherst
Swarthmore
Pomona
Bowdoin
Claremont McKenna
Harvey Mudd
Middlebury
Carleton
Wesleyan

These are not the 10 most selective SLACs. Colby, Davidson and Haverford have lower admit rates vs Wesleyan, Carleton and Middlebury.

It appears that the OP chose these schools subjectively. Wesleyan and Carleton, for example, received selectivity ratings of 96 from the Princeton Review, which would place them outside the top 10 by this standard.

Wesleyan University (Wesleyan) - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews https://share.google/MCF5vuZVRlOBsXphK

Carleton College (CC) - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews https://share.google/PTeetCVydb8QgEWsC

Princeton review is not using admit rate.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 18:03     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

It looks like all these self-reporters have submitted a high SAT even though most of these colleges have a very low SAT submission rate?
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 18:01     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did they apply ED1 or ED2? Were they a sports recruit? A legacy? Did they do an optional interview or video? What was their unweighted GPA? Did they have "most demanding" rigor? Did they submit SAT/ACT? Did they show a lot of demonstrated interest?

10 Most selective co-ed SLACs:
Williams
Amherst
Swarthmore
Pomona
Bowdoin
Claremont McKenna
Harvey Mudd
Middlebury
Carleton
Wesleyan

These are not the 10 most selective SLACs. Colby, Davidson and Haverford have lower admit rates vs Wesleyan, Carleton and Middlebury.

It appears that the OP chose these schools subjectively. Wesleyan and Carleton, for example, received selectivity ratings of 96 from the Princeton Review, which would place them outside the top 10 by this standard.

Wesleyan University (Wesleyan) - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews https://share.google/MCF5vuZVRlOBsXphK

Carleton College (CC) - The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews https://share.google/PTeetCVydb8QgEWsC
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 17:48     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

DD in at Swat and Wesleyan. No interview or video, no tour. 1480 SAT, 6 APs, 3.85 unweighted. NYC public. National level arts-related ECs. Submitted a portfolio.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 17:21     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

DD to Middlebury
1560 SAT
4.6 GPA
14APs
NMF
Recruited Athlete
Solid ECs (mostly volunteer hours) but not exceptional
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 17:19     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Male, highest rigor, UW 3.98, weighted 4.48, SAT 1540 applied RD to Williams, Amherst and Wesleyan- accepted to all 3.
Lots of leadership and impactful EC's
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 17:16     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:Daughter accepted RD to Pomona and Wesleyan (plus Wellesley and other LACs) for class of ‘29 from mediocre public high school in CA. 4.0 UW GPA, top 2% of large graduating class, 1490 SAT (790E/700M), 10 APs, not a recruited athlete or other hooks. ECs and essays focused on genuine interests and activities in humanities and social science fields.


Your daughter was a sample of a GREAT Wesleyan prospect. Rigor, SAT (relatively speaking, "low" math, high reading), SAT right at the cusp of its 75%, EC's in humanities and SS. Good geographic candidate. Most likely an Orange County resident, so close to full pay?

Did she end up in Connecticut?
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 16:57     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Daughter accepted RD to Pomona and Wesleyan (plus Wellesley and other LACs) for class of ‘29 from mediocre public high school in CA. 4.0 UW GPA, top 2% of large graduating class, 1490 SAT (790E/700M), 10 APs, not a recruited athlete or other hooks. ECs and essays focused on genuine interests and activities in humanities and social science fields.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 16:53     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Daughter ED1 Recruited Athlete Swat: 3.85GPA UW; Most Rigor (IP Diploma); multiple 5's on core APs; 1470 SAT but went TO; above average but not national ECs, outside of the athletic ECs
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 16:12     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:ED Amherst highest rigor, magnet program, 4.0, 36 ACT, NMF. Instrument scholarship and competitive club sport (not recruited). Male. Amherst doesn’t consider legacy or demonstrated interest, and doesn’t interview or do glimpse videos.


Bingo.

Lmao that is not what got their child into Amherst


Why? I am curious if you have access to the admission rates of 36 ACT scorers or 1580+ SAT scorers to Amherst? Just an FYI, fewer than 28 students had an SAT above 1580 or an ACT of 36 in the entire freshman class.

That tells us nothing if we don’t know the number of students applying with an sat above 1580



Right. 4.0 with highest rigor in a magnet program probably mattered a lot more. And major interest, which OP did not request. For example, probably harder to get into Pomona for CS right now because they were oversaturated. Or Swat for engineering. Kids with very high or perfect test scores are rejected all the time. It's just one rather small data point in holistic admissions.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2025 16:08     Subject: Success Stories? How did your DC get into one of these selective LACs?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Male, ‘28, 1470 SAT, math major
16 APs got into Amherst and Carleton
Denied from Pomona and CMC
WL Williams.

National ECs


Are you willing to share more about "National ECs" as I find your son's profile to be interesting.

Do you recall his SAT math score ?

Scores from AP exams ?

I ask because I am tired of almost every poster on every thread claiming SAT scores above 1530--which is difficult to believe. Your post rings true. Thank you for sharing.


It's not difficult to believe on a thread asking for stats of successful admits to the most-selective LACS.