<p>GPA: 3.88
SAT: 1960 (700 CR, 680 Math, 580 Writing)
ACT: N/A
SAT II: 700 US History, 660 Chemistry
15/220 </p>
<p>ECs:
Varsity Academic Team Sophomore Year
Varsity Academic Team Junior Year
Junior Varsity Tennis Freshman Year
Varsity Tennis Sophomore Year
Varsity Tennis Junior Year
Varsity Mock Trial Member Junior Year (Our First Year)
Varsity Mock Trial Member Senior Year
Member of the Newspaper Sophomore Year (Nationally Recognized Article discussing the dangers of coyotes in the area)
National Honor Society Junior Year
National Honor Society Senior Year
President of the Junior Class
Student Council Senior Year
Member of the Volunteer Advisory Board Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Year (Approximately 50+ Hours)
Class Representative for Volunteer Advisory Board for the Senior Class
Volunteer at a Muscular Dystrophy Fundraiser
Guitarist (Self-taught)</p>
<p>Work Experience:
Legal Adviser for a fellow student's business (Alpha Technologies)
- Help them turn their business into an LLC
- Help them with taxes, tax returns, etc.
Patriotic Lawncare Laborer</p>
<p>Other notes:
Our school only offers 7 AP classes total, I'm taking 4 throughout the course of my high school career. Junior year; AP US History and AP Chemistry. Senior year; AP Calculus AB, and AP English.
Rural Area
No opportunity to take 4 years of a foreign language due to budget cuts, I was intended to take Latin I, II, III, and IV. I took I & II sophomore year with no opportunity to take it Junior year, it was then cut and I now have to take Spanish I & II Senior year.</p>
<p>Hooks:
First Generation College Student (Neither of my parents, nor their grandparents, etc. have attended college) </p>
<p>Intended Major: Political Science
Applying to:
Princeton (SCEA)
Harvard
Yale
Columbia
Wash. U. St. Louis
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
University of Chicago
New York University
University of Rochester
Miami University - Oxford
Ohio State University</p>
<p>Can somebody give me a good idea of how much significance being a First Gen. College Student has?</p>
<p>For the record, yes I am aware that I need to bring up my SAT to about a 2200+ (preferably 2300+)</p>
<p>Not important enough to get you into all those those schools. 
Sorry
You have a good chance at University of Rochester, Miami University - Oxford, and Ohio State University. Maybe NYU and UMich.</p>
<p>Your GPA is low and so are your test scores, and having a first gen status can really only make up for one</p>
<p>Princeton (SCEA) = Mid/High Reach (because of EA?)
Harvard = High Reach
Yale = High Each
Columbia = High Reach
Wash. U. St. Louis = Mid Reach
University of Michigan Ann Arbor = High Match
University of Chicago = Mid Reach
New York University = Low Reach
University of Rochester = No Idea
Miami University - Oxford = No Idea
Ohio State University = No Idea</p>
<p>Sorry that I don’t know anything about the last 3 =/ Chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1175463-chance-me-before-i-start-essays.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1175463-chance-me-before-i-start-essays.html</a></p>
<p>Esoterical, hopefully my next/last SAT will help out significantly. I’m not sure, we’ll see :/</p>
<p>Insert, thank you for your input, I’ll check out your Chance Me thread.</p>
<p>With these stats as of now, if you applied today:</p>
<p>Princeton (SCEA) - Rejected
Harvard - Rejected
Yale - Rejected
Columbia - Rejected
Wash. U. St. Louis - Rejected
University of Michigan Ann Arbor - Probable acceptance
University of Chicago - Probable rejection
New York University - Probable rejection
University of Rochester - Acceptance
Miami University - Oxford - Acceptance
Ohio State University - Acceptance</p>
<p>I personally think you should look at more mid-level schools and give up on the Ivies unless you raise your UW GPA to a 3.9+ and get a 2300+ on the SAT. The first generation status will NOT make up for low scores at the Ivies. That’s the breaks. (I was rejected from Princeton and NYU with significantly higher stats, despite being Hispanic and first generation, just to show you – and this was in 2006.)</p>
<p>You have great ECs, so why not focus on schools that are more probable reaches that could potentially try to lure you with scholarships? I’m thinking of schools ranked in the low 20s - high 60s. Some suggestions:</p>
<p>GOOD REACHES:
UVA
Boston College</p>
<p>PROBABLE ACCEPTANCES:
U of Washington
UT Austin
Penn State
George Washington
Tulane</p>
<p>Zelda, where would you recommend applying EA/ED? After a revision of my list, I think I’m comfortable with this list of colleges.</p>
<p>George Washington University</p>
<p>Princeton University SCEA</p>
<p>Georgetown University</p>
<p>Ohio State University</p>
<p>University of Michigan - Ann Arbor</p>
<p>New York University</p>
<p>Columbia University</p>
<p>Washington University - St. Louis</p>
<p>University of Virginia</p>
<p>University of Chicago</p>
<p>First generation status really does not help much these days unless paired with very low income/minority status. Given that fact:</p>
<p>Princeton (SCEA) - Rejected
Harvard - Rejected
Yale - Rejected
Columbia - Rejected
Wash. U. St. Louis - Rejected
University of Michigan Ann Arbor - Low/mid reach
University of Chicago - Rejected
New York University - Rejected
University of Rochester - Don’t know, sorry
Miami University - Oxford - In
Ohio State University - In</p>
<p>Your SAT scores are simply too low at the moment, particularly coupled with your lack of stellar ECs or top grades. Get your SAT scores up to 2300+ and you have a shot at NYU however, with a probably acceptance at Michigan.</p>
<p>I’ll chance you for your refined list, which looks a lot more suitable. These are assuming you send the 1960.</p>
<p>George Washington University - Somewhat low reach
Princeton University SCEA - Rejected
Georgetown University - High reach
Ohio State University - Low match
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor - High match
New York University- High match
Columbia University - Rejected
Washington University - St. Louis - High reach
University of Virginia - Reach
University of Chicago - Rejected</p>
<p>Princeton, Columbia, U Chicago: sorry man, I just don’t think you can possibly make the cut. SAT scores and ECs are underwhelming, and while a 3.88 is nothing to sneeze at, you’ve got to consider that of those who apply to these places haven’t had more than a maybe a B or two, if that, in their high school career. SCEA won’t help you at Princeton, either. Aside from that, I think the list speaks for itself. I’ve heard NYU is all about test scores, so if your SAT improves you’ve got a good shot, I reckon.</p>
<p>About EA/ED, it is to my understanding that applying EA/ED is most beneficial to your chances at places where enrollment rate (not acceptance rate) is lower. A low enrollment rate indicates that the college is backup to a lot of people who apply, so by applying EA/ED you’re telling admissions that you really do want to go there and you want to be one of those enrolled. That’s why applying SCEA to Princeton wouldn’t be as effective for raising your chances than to, say, Ohio State. As for where to apply early, that’s a choice you have to make. One thing, though: don’t apply early to anywhere ED (binding) if you aren’t SURE you want to go there.</p>
<p>Thank you everybody for the advice, the main issue I’m seeing is my lack of a high SAT score. Hopefully, If I get a 2300+ I might have a shot at Princeton/Columbia, granted I cut out Harvard and Yale from my list of colleges to which I’m applying. Once, again, thank you all.</p>