Admissions Vs EOP/SEEK

Hi my name is Kevin, I’m going to be a rising senior. I had some questions before applying wanted to know if anyone can help? I currently have a 3.0 GPA student I took the SAT once and scored about a 950 on the Math and Reading. I live with my mother and she makes around enough to be a little less then the requirements for EOP, example its 29k she makes like 26k. What are my chances if I apply? Theres a lot of applicants, so I wanted to know if I have a chance? I’m in a couple of clubs, I volunteer, work, and took some honors/AP’s My debate is that I have a tutor for the SAT and if I bring my score up passing the EOP mark of like 1000 on Math and Reading and score like a 1100 or above are my chances gone? Do I have to compete with the regular admissions? Thanks guys!

You’re right at the level for EOP/HEOP for many SUNYs and private colleges in NYS so do apply. You do stand a serious chance but nothing’s guaranteed. Retake that SAT and prep hard on vocabulary and the math areas that were problematic - getting to a 1000 shouldn’t be impossible, you’re very close and it doesn’t disqualify from any school you’re academically qualified for/
1100 also qualifies for EOP/HEOP. In fact, 1100 HEOP would qualify you for MORE schools with better financial aid. It does make the “lower-level” SUNYs less likely, but if you have a decent GPA and SAT scores that qualify you for Albany, Geneseo, or Bing, why would you choose another campus? Same thing for CUNY.
Look here for EOP:
https://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/summary-sheets/EOP_profile.pdf
The upper numbers for EOP are not cut offs although obviously you can’t be too far off from these.
Now compare to:
https://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/summary-sheets/Admissions_qf_stateop.pdf
EOP scorers tend to be at the lowest end of the scale and about -100. So if you see 1000 in the column, it means EOP scorers were 900-1000 or so.
HEOP:
http://heop.org/
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/kiap/colldev/HEOP/
Through HEOP, you’d probably have a shot at LeMoyne, Alfred, Hofstra, Siena; as a reach, Hobart and William Smith, Ithaca, St Lawrence, Marist, Union, Clarkson. HEOP gives you a full tuition scholarship and gives you priority for other financial aid, plus access to a lot of support services to ensure your success.