Hi! I wanted to take the chance to talk about my experience with the application process.
So,
I applied to over 20 top universities because I was ambitious and wanted options. I got into 7 and honestly, I should not have gotten into any with my stats. I am about to sound like the dumbest person (if u measure intelligence by stats), but my ACT was a 28. I was an AP scholar, but for passing only 3 exams (two 3’s and one 5). My GPA was on the higher side with a 4.42 as I took all IB classes and received A’s. But how did I manage to get into Boston U, Colgate U, U of Rochester, NEU, and Bard with my terrible stats? Thankfully, I am proof that universities look at applications holistically. Intelligence to them isn’t measured by stats alone, rather by what you do outside the classroom, how your recommender perceives you, how you make yourself sound through your essays, what passions if any you have and so forth. I am a first-generation low-income Latinx woman in the field of quantum physics and so that’s what I wrote about. I made my essay memorable for the readers, made them think “okay, we need this student. they have a drive which means we should expect good things from them, despite their stats.” Ultimately, the institutions want $$$ so show them that you are willing to put hard work into finishing your degree.
Institutions also want students who will be involved on campus, so having a “college support group” where I helped students from public schools in my low-income community through the admissions process, I believe helped a lot. I was also captain of cheer, science, and math competition club, and I volunteered with NHS and SHH. As students, we don’t want to be all about academics, the diversity in clubs (and essays) help humanize the applicants, so be involved in your community/campus!
In the topic of choosing your university, I applied ED to Brown, was deferred and then rejected. It is going to be hard, I was rejected from my top choice, and waitlisted to about 8 universities, but I promise it always works out in the end. I always say “you’ll end up where you belong,” and I mean it. Boston University was at the bottom of my list, but at the end of April, before CSD, I chose it. The reasons are irrelevant, but point is, you may end up where you least expected. So while you’re applying to universities, remember, everything works out in the end, take a breather, you’ll be okay. Good luck!!
(this is long and messy, but if you have any questions, let me know!)