I, unlike many CC users, do not have a 4.0 GPA. I don’t even have a 3.5. I didn’t take any APs. I slept through math classes and doodled during science labs all four years in high school. Still, somehow, I was accepted to one of the most competitive schools at NYU with a full tuition scholarship ($55,000/year). How?
Let me start by saying users on CC are often blinded by the achievements of others and left unable to appreciate their own accomplishments. After I applied to NYU and joined the forum, I started to seriously doubt myself. I applied to nine other schools, none of which come even remotely close to the academic rigor of NYU, because I let what other people said about scores, GPAs, financial aid and extracurriculars get to me. If you’re waiting to hear back from a dream school and this forum is making you nervous, take a break. Speaking from experience, it’s the healthiest thing you can do. If you are thinking about applying to a top-tier school but are worried about your chances, keep reading.
Now, I’ll disclose that I’m not dumb. While my grades aren’t good by any means (if you chose any of my high school report cards at random, it would probably read A B B C B B), I did do fairly well on standardized testing. I reported a 2000 SAT and a 30 ACT, and I believe they demonstrated my academic ability enough that my grades weren’t held against me. To be fair, I did apply to Tisch (for screenwriting, if it matter to anyone). Had I applied to Stern or an Ivy, this would not have been the case. Gallatin, CAS or Steinhart, I’d likely still have a chance.
However, I believe my essays are what got me in. In my opinion, conviction is the single most important part of a college application. Know why you’re applying to a school. Know the programs they offer in which you’d like to participate. Know the names of professors whose classes you would like to take. And when you write that all-important supplement essay, feel free to gush, but don’t pander. Don’t say “I want to go to your school because it is good,” say “I AM your school because I am good.” You know what you want, so articulate that well and get it for yourself. My “Why NYU” essay was among the strongest essays I have written in my life because I tied the school’s East Village location, LGBT history, and my future together in a compelling narrative. Similarly, my Common App essay was written about combatting the lack of LGBT (particularly the L, B and T) representation in film and media. I received a few comments from people who proofread my essays that I might have been pigeonholing myself as a queer writer and not a writer for the masses, but I stuck to my guns and it worked out in the end because I told the school what I wanted and exactly how I planned to get it. And it helps that I could follow up with a solid portfolio.
I understand that not everyone is an artist and that likely gave me a leg up in admissions, but that is beside the point. Since I was in middle school, I was told that receiving straight A’s was the only way to get into a good school. Straight A’s, a good SAT score and lots of extracurriculars. The thing is, that’s just not true. While those things certainly help your chances, a C on your report card is not the end of the world. If you have a passion, follow it. If following your passion leads you to a school you think you can’t get into (as mine did), apply anyway. If you know a school is the perfect fit for you but your GPA or test scores don’t match up, articulate yourself in your essays and supplements. Show the admissions officers-- don’t explain to them-- why you’re a match, and your grades won’t hold the weight they did before. Holistic application review is a blessing for students like us, so take advantage of it. And whatever you do, don’t slack on an application to your dream school just because you aren’t convinced you’ll be accepted. Who knows? It might work out.
Here’s the bottom line: you decide your own worth. Be realistic, of course; don’t only apply to Ivies if you have an academic record like mine and expect to be admitted because you’re “compelling,” but don’t be afraid to dream either. High school transcripts may not define you, but your attitude toward the future does, so try to be optimistic, but try not to sound entitled. I thought of the entire application process as a metaphor for writing and pitching a script. Someone picked me out of a pile and optioned me-- and they’ll do the same for you.
