Posts tagged acceptance

How is the queer community at Bennington? Where would I look/who could I talk to for more information? — Asked by Anonymous

Just like most communities at Bennington, the queer community is apparent in various ways. We have a group called queer @ Bennington which can be a great resource. Bennington, like most any college, is a space for you to come in with a mainly-blank slate to really explore yourself as a person, questioner, and thinker. I think Bennington establishes a safer space for queer identified or questioning youth to do just that.

If you are looking to see if you will fit in here, no worries… you will find like-minded people and be a part of various communities. As a queer individual myself, I am personally not very involved in the queer @ Bennington group; however, I still feel a part of the queer community on campus. There are various ways to be involved as a queer person on campus. I took a bunch of people to the gender and queer conference at Hampshire this term and that was a wonderful way to spend part of my weekend! If you have any other questions or just want to chat about this more, please feel free to contact me at alanac@bennington.edu

I know I can only speak for myself, but I have felt very accepted here. I have enjoyed meaningful conversations with friends, events through SWAG (Sexual Wellness Awareness Group) that have opened my eyes to other conversations, and finding general acceptance of various identities on campus.
-Alana ‘15 

On February 1, I heard from Bennington that I wait listed. I immediately returned the form saying I was still interested. It's now April 9 and I haven't heard back and I know it's on a rolling basis and space dependent and all, but do you have any idea when I might be receiving a decision? — Asked by Anonymous

Hi there,

Everyone with a spot on the wait list will be notified by June 1st.

- Rachel ‘14

Alan mentioned earlier today that he had just taken some early action acceptance letters to the mailroom. Does that mean that I (an early action applicant) could find out if I am admitted to Bennington before February 1? — Asked by Anonymous

I know I’m a bit late (it is Feb. 4), but I’m going to answer your question with a question. This was in our inbox a few days ago from a fellow prospective student.
——-
LIARSSSS!!!! It’s January 30 and I just got acceptedddd!!!! I’m sooo happypyy, im on a Crazy Happy High. i have no idea why i used that expression. anyways, im sooo excited and i can’t wait to enter my 4 year relationship with Bennington! I won’t cheat! okay, it’s in all of our best interests if you don’t post this. I just wanted to share how excited i am.
—— 
-Alan ‘15 

Is it possible to differ a year? Or would it best if I was planning on taking a year off to WOOFF for me to apply during my year off rather than the year before and differ? — Asked by Anonymous

Yeah, you can totally defer. I guess the decision on which year to apply is up to you, but just personally I’d say go ahead and get it out of the way now before you go on your adventures; that way you can know what you’re coming back home to.

To defer, you would first need to be accepted, and then you would find in your acceptance package a deferral form, which you just need to fill out and sign and send back to us. If you’re deferring, you do need to pay a $500 deposit just like everyone else, just as a way of securing your place in next year’s class. Other than that, we would do our best to keep in contact with you during your year away, just to make sure everything is going well. Good luck with everything!

-Evan ‘13

So, I know that Bennington looks at applications holistically and won't focus on just one part of the application. However, I'm wondering this: I had a particularly rough time the last tri of my junior year and received a couple really bad grades. Other than that, my grades are good. Will those be dealbreakers in the admissions process? Have students been accepted to Bennington with a couple D's on their high school transcript? — Asked by Anonymous

True! We do look at applications holistically and there is no one part of your application that necessarily outweighs the others. Obviously, grades on your transcript are very important, but so is your interview, so is your application essay, so are any of your supplementary materials you may decide to submit.

I’ll also refer you to India’s post from awhile ago about a similar question.

I’m not a counselor, unfortunately, so I can’t really speak to whether or not those grades would totally take you out of the running. I would guess that the rest of your application would be capable of outweighing the bad grades, but if that’s something you’re really worried about you can always talk to your counselor or submit a supplementary essay/explanation about why your grades for that semester were poor.

Bottom line, I don’t think this is the kind of thing that should keep you from applying. You definitely have room to explain your grades, and if you’re stellar at anything and passionate about your work, that will show through in the application. Keep yr chin up.

-Evan ‘13

I called Bennington earlier today asking what the average GPA was for people who are accepted. The average is about 3.5. Bennington is my dream college, and definitely my top choice, but I have a 3.0 GPA due to some problems in my algebra classes. When I found this out today, my heart was broken. So, I was wondering if extracurricular activities and community service and such things were also considered in selecting students..? — Asked by Anonymous

Hi! I’m actually the one who talked to you on the phone and first of all, I can say that the actual average high school GPA for accepted students is actually 3.41 according to collegedata.com. My apologies for not having the actual number in front of me; but hey, still in the ballpark!

In any case, the reason I didn’t totally have that number burned into my brain is that when it comes to considering applications over the winter, GPA is only one facet of what admissions counselors are looking at. Of COURSE it’s important to have a good GPA and to some extent our average accepted GPA is a barometer of that. But, just as important as having a good GPA is your capacity to challenge yourself; the quality of your interview; your writing ability; your history of extracurricular work; and any supplementary material you choose to provide. Bennington considers the whole student during the application process. GPA, while certainly important, is not a matter of “you must be this tall to ride this ride.” So, don’t be brokenhearted. We’re looking for students who are motivated, passionate, and interesting - GPA is only one part of that search process.

-Evan ‘13

I have been accepted to Bennington on a scholarship but am getting a D in Math. Will I loose my acceptance? — Asked by Anonymous

Typically the college doesn’t rescind acceptance unless a student fails to graduate, but we ask that students continue to perform to the best of their abilities, and those decisions are made on a case by case basis. If you’re really concerned about your situation, I would recommend getting in touch with your counselor. 

Good look with the end of school. I somehow survived calculus senior year of high school. You can too!

Liam

Apologies if this has been asked before (I tried searching to no avail), but any word on when regular decision notifications will be mailed out? (or, in simpler words: TEEELLLL MEEEE) — Asked by Anonymous

Heyoooooo,

Regular decision notifications get mailed out by April 1st, so you should hear back sometime around then!

Often, letters might arrive a couple days after the 1st, since that is when we try to mail them out by and they’re at the mercy of the postal service. But it’s okay! We swear we don’t forget anyone’s letter. Be zen. The wait is almost over.

-Evan ‘13