Oregon

It's really about nailing the "Why Reed" essay and by doing that being completely honest about knowing who he is and what he wants to do when he gets there. I think it really helps to show that he's done his homework about the school. Is he comfortable with the idea of spending 70-80 hours a week on class and homework? How does he feel about being so far from home and in a different social culture? I think what they are most interested in are writing skills and critical thinking ability. The admissions process is a joint student/admissions staff process and so they really look for students who they think are a good social fit for the school and can handle the academics.

I was admitted in 2004 and I think it's a somewhat different school from when I applied. Test scores and GPA are up on average and the drop-out rate is down. Reed is going places and doing it fast, it's just not quite clear in what direction. I'd also take a long hard look at the financial aspects of course. The cost of attendance went up every year I was there and I don't anticipate it going down. A Reed education is expensive, and when compared to other options it might be worth it (I didn't get any financial aid from the University of California System, I did from Reed), the key thing is a desire to drown in intellectual life and a stick-with-it-ness, otherwise it can be overwhelming.

The good news about the change that the college has taken over the last decade (and now with this coronation) is that as a parent, you can rest more assured that the decadence that characterized the college for much of it's history is on the decline. I am a 2009 graduate with a B.A. in History, feel free to send a P.M. if either you or son have any specific questions about Reed academics and student life. I don't regret going to Reed, but I do have some strong opinions about how it's run, however, I still think it's far ahead of most other institutions in basic things such as classroom environment and academic rigor.