<p>I danced for 13 years, have over 300 volunteer hours, in the IB program and took 3 AP courses. What are my chances t Ivies, Carnegie Mellon, Vanderbilt, etc.</p>
<p>33 ACT, 2250 SAT. Might improve scores.</p>
<p>CMU: High match (if not CS/Tepper/engineering)</p>
<p>Everyone else is a reach…</p>
<p>I also have French Club 2 yrs, Model UN 3 yrs, drama club 4 yrs, youth group missions, volunteering at an art museum, traveling to europe, violin 4 yrs, hospital shadowing, etc. </p>
<p>Which CMU school? Both V and CMU are reaches. Lots of dancers, lots of volunteer hours, and they don’t care about dead gay fathers and single mothers. Do you qualify for financial aid? Will your single parent pay what NPC for each school indicate you should. HSS at CMU, a match especially with high scores in CR and W on the SAT, Other schools at CMU depend on breakdown of scores. Female engineers are sought. PA school is highly competitive and a high reach for anyone with audition crucial V is a reach unless with high math scores and eng major as that is often sought. More info needed.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon University. I’m going to do both pre med and fine arts, or architecture. </p>
<p>And I do, I’m on social security. </p>
<p>What about USC, UCLA, and UC Berkeley?</p>
<p>Are you a California resident? UCs are unaffordable if you’re on social security and out-of-state. </p>
<p>USC: Match
UCLA: Match
Berkeley: Match/High match</p>
<p>CMU has 7 schools, I believe, which one? HSS, CS, E, PA, A&A, MSS, T?</p>
<p>traveling to Europe is neither an extracurricular nor something that someone on Social Security should be doing *-
</p>
<p>Please tell us that trip was on scholarship…</p>
<p>A minor is entitled to survivor benefits, which are not means-tested. I find the ugly remarks on this thread distasteful and mean-spirited. Anyone who has seen some of the prompts for personal statements on applications should know that an uncommon narrative is quite meaningful. Colleges do care about challenges and circumstances that have informed a candidate’s development. I hope that the OP is mature enough to know that many discouraging remarks on College Confidential emanate from potential rivals and their parents, who seek to minimize competition at elite colleges. There is no reason why this student should not have traveled abroad, and - if the experience was transformative - why she shouldn’t include it in an essay. Melissa - trust your own instincts, guided by your counselor or English teacher, not anonymous on-line posts. </p>
<p>OP wants public institutions to pay for her education while she spends her money on trips abroad that middle class families can hardly afford (and conversely cannot qualify for aid). I apologize for being “distasteful”, but if OP is going to play the disadvantaged card, then it’s in her best interest to not say that an extracurricular (implying recurring) activity of hers is pricey traveling.</p>
<p>@foolish. I’d hope that it was a 1-time trip on some free trip. … </p>
<p>I was paid on scholarship. I have no means for paying for Europe by myself. </p>
<p>I have been diagnosed with depression since my father’s death and I have a lot of social problems, therefore not making my grades the best. I’ve broken down under stress and therefore have tried to work my hardest to get into a good school. I just want to get into somewhere good with nice scholarships. My dream school is Yale, but it’s so out of reach.</p>
<p>I also swam varsity for two years and have been to districts and regionals. I also do theatre community wise and intern at local museums. </p>
<p>I also have been lucky enough to work under an artist, can I include that?</p>
<p>You should consider Alabama. With your grades and ACT scores, you would get a full tuition scholarship.</p>
<p>I’m not going to Alabama. I’m more than likely going in state unless Questbridge lends a hand or the school does. I want to go to either Stanford or Yale eventually, and they don’t want an Alabama kid.</p>