Afraid I won't get in - Chance me?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Looking at colleges like:
-Duke (first choice)
-NYU
-Wesleyan
-Boston
-WashingtonU at St. Louis
-UNC
-American
-Penn. State
-Drexel</p>

<p>Financial Aid is the most important factor (thus NYU is low on the list), and if anyone has any other ideas of good colleges with good financial aid packages I'd love to hear some more suggestions.</p>

<h2>Some basic info:</h2>

<p>GPA: No exact number (my school)
-Mostly A's with a few B's.
-Taking nearly all AP's offered.
-No study halls or frivolous electives.</p>

<p>SAT: 2400
SAT II:
-Literature: 800
-Math (2): 790
-Biology (M): 760
-U.S. History: 780</p>

<p>ACT: 35</p>

<p>AP Courses:
-World History
-U.S. History
-Biology
-Physics
-Psychology
-Literature</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-Active K9 Handler of local Search and Rescue team.
_Cadaver
_Air-Scenting
_Real searches
-Poet
_Published in poetry anthology
_Another book in process of being published
_Live readings
-DECA
_Regional winner of Business Law and Ethics for two years.
-NJROTC
_One year.
-National Honors Society
-Expressions (writing) Club
-School Newspaper
_Wrote stories occasionally
-Guitar
_Lessons for three years.
-Piano
_Self-taught
-Ocarina
_Self-taught
-Member of school's Chorus
-Founded school's Model UN</p>

<p>Additional Info:
-Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder
-Father had a stroke mid 10th grade
-Father suffers chronic depression/bipolar disorder, spending much time in the mental hospital.
-Father disabled.
-Parents are seperated.
-Mother in hospital for ~5 months out of the year with severe cellulitis and lymphodema in her legs.
-Mother also suffers from chronic depression, attempting suicide and spending much time in the mental hospital.
-Mother applying for disability.
-Stress caused me to develop IBS and worsen my depression, causing my grades to dip a tad mid junior year as well as miss more school than I should have, but overall I still remained strong academically.
-Had to act as the "man of the house", watching my brother, cooking dinner, cleaning, making sure my mother didn't hurt herself as well as assisting my father after the stroke completely destroyed his short-term memory and caused severe neuropothies in his extremeties.
-Both parents unemployed.
-Generating $0/yr in income, only money coming in is from a settlement after my mom was laid off (which ends next summer) and disability/social security money.
-House being foreclosed on.
-I need to get the hell out of here.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long sob story, but I put it there so you know what's kind of going to be on my essays/recommendations. I'm not looking for sympathy, just a little understanding as to why I'm not performing as highly as some other students. I did the best I could given the circumstances, and it took a lot of energy not to just give up. Now that I'm nearing the end, though, I need to get the hell away from here, but I'm worried that I won't get into any of the colleges I've always looked forward to going to.</p>

<p>I plan on applying early admission to Duke, by the way.</p>

<p>Anyway, any thoughts/comments would be greatly appreciated. If you need to know anything else please tell me so, I can't think of anything else to put.</p>

2

<p>Although somewhat interesting, your EC’s are relatively week IMO. You need to show how you have utilized your time throughout HS, and your EC’s only account for a small amount of time. </p>

<p>And I am not sure bipolar is an URM - think it may be faily well represented on many elite campuses.</p>

<p>Duke is a reach IMO for you. Many of the top 12 schools (example Duke) may offer a need-blind admiission and may meet all financial need but your EC’s may present a challenge for you for these schools unless somehow packaged and sold well through essays, recs. I am not familiar with the FA offerings at your other choices, except WashU which I believe is not need-blind and therefore may presesnt an admissions challenge as well.</p>

<p>In your circumstance I may draft your choices based exclusively on fin aid and scholarship offerings… and may even suggest a post in that forum as well. Clearly money will be the most important deciding factor for you.</p>

3

<p>That’s what I was afraid of - I appreciate your honesty.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice, I’ll head over there!</p>

4

<p>If you were a caretaker for either or both of your parents, that will help account for your weak ECs. Colleges will be sympathetic to your situation. </p>

<p>I think, with your scores and story, that Duke is a legitimate possibility (though of course far from a guarantee). But I would start looking for scholarships in case a need-blind school doesn’t accept you.</p>