Hi, I am a junior at a private catholic school looking at colleges. I have a 3.875 GPA (unweighted), 32 ACT, lots of AP classes, JV track one year. I don’t have a lot of extra-curriculars. I will probably take the SAT subject tests in US History and Spanish. My parents are divorced and both remarried and they have had 7 other kids in both houses. I have to babysit a lot because my dad works a swing shift job and my stepmom needs a lot of help in the evenings getting all the kids fed and down for the night. My dad pushes me to consider places like Dartmounth, or Brown, and Middlebury or Lewis and Clark College, maybe Tulane, too. He thinks I will get more aid/scholarships if I can get into one of them rather than a state university. Any chances at those places? Thanks!
Your ACT is a little low for Ivies. But there are many great schools where your grades and test scores are typical of admitted students. Tulane is one of them. Also, don’t rule out state schools, generally. There are a lot of really top notich public universities, and your grades and ACT score put these in reach.
Be sure to mention your family duties, as they will help explain your relative lack of extracurriclars. Admission committees will often take into account a student’s obligations to family.
If net cost of attendance is a primary concern, there are schools that offer significant merit scholarships. Here is a link to a thread that aggregates many merit scholarships.
There is often a trade-off between selectivity and availability of scholarship money. You have to figure our for yourself the right mix. However, don’t assume that you can’t get what you need from financial aid. Each school has a Net Price Calculator. With a few basic facts about your family’s finances, you can get a rough idea of how affordable a school would be for you. Good luck.
I’ll also point out that you’re not far off from being competitive for Ivies. An ACT of 34 would put you in the mix, in terms of basic numbers. Then, it’s a matter of excellent recommendation letters, and outstanding essays.
A 32 ACT is about the middle of the range and also about the average.
@foosondaughter What Hamilton does is not considered TE
Oh! and top 25% of graduating class.
Oh my gosh your ACT is not low. It’s fine. The difference between a 32,33, and 34 are minuscule.
Yeah 32 is find
To be honest, your stats are a little low and your ECs are not very diverse for an Ivy league college. If you attend a high school that’s a feeder school to the Ivies, then you’ll have a much better chance in getting in. I would highly suggest that you apply to greater variety of schools like the top liberal arts schools, who all provide excellent financial aid. Good luck with everything!
Top liberal arts schools like who? Which ones have the best need based aid?
And I work every summer in the same work study program for my school to earn money to go there.
Your stats are the same as lots of other kids. Nothing special, sorry. If you are a minority (URM), and low income, you may have a chance. If your parents income is over $120,000, forget the Ivies. You also need a math in the subject test area. The lack of EC and volunteer work is going to kill you too. Definitely write about family responsibility but you need to start looking at schools that offer merit aid, based on grades and scores. If your unwieghted is 3.87, you must be over 4.0 weighted if you have ap classes. Thats’s good.
What’s your state?
thirty-two is a solid score and depending on the state might get you some aid.
Some smaller not quite at the top schools might also be generous with aid based on your scores and your family’s financial situation.
What do you like to do? What are you passionate about? Doesn’t have to be school based ECs necessarily. Do you like to read?
Do you have the opportunity to visit any colleges? Without a strong EC, getting into the Ivies will be tough. It’s even tough for those students who do have strong ECs.
What is your class rank?
46/186
Scores are in the range for those schools. Even Dartmouth and Brown. But without many ECs, odds are you won’t get in. Sorry.If your hispanic, then its a different story. For state universities, i think youll get some money and get in.
Please chance back
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1785088-help-out-student-in-dilemma-by-chancing-i-chance-back.html#latest