Will be applying next fall-
Reach schools-Brown, Columbia, Upenn, JHU
Target-Boston University, Tufts, Urochester,
Safety-Umass Amherst chc
Scores-likely 1430ish SAT These are anticipated haven’t taken the tests yet, AP Physics-4 AP Lang-5 AP Euro-3 (have taken the class not the exam)
Next years schedule will be AP Calc BC AP environmental AP Stats APush Honors anatomy (possibly independent study AP physics C) and band.
Have taken all honors classes that the school offers and after next year all AP that the school offers
Weighted GPA 4.33
Rank 1/100ish
ECS generally pretty good (I think) lots of leadership roles three sport athlete two sport captain drum major regional and state level student council nhs president
White, middle income
Doing a lab at brown with a friend who is an engineering prof/director he will likely write my letter of recommendation
Just would like some opinions to make sure my list is realistic!
Thanks!!
Tufts is a reach with a 1430; should strive for over 1500 to be within range. Without a hook, a 1430 is unlikely to yield an acceptance at the reach schools listed.
Try to get at least a 1500-1550 to be competitive for your reaches and Tufts (Yes, several of my friends, not one, with 1500+, good ECs and GPA were rejected at all of them+Tufts). Right now, I think you can only get in UMass and perhaps one between BU and Rochester (Sorry, but that’s how hard it is) unless you write phenomenal essays.
Your ECs are good but scattered, even though you have leadership (try to make them more focused toward an area of study or a hobby, it’s KEY from what I’ve seen, quality>quantity) and your weighted is good, but what is your UW? If you want to get in Ivies and Tufts, your UW better be at least 3.8. After that just write good essays, a good essay make up over 100 points on the SAT or 0.5 in GPA. GL
Thank you so much that’s so helpful and I’m fine to hear the toughness, but do you think a good letter of recommendation from a researcher at brown could make up part of it too? @Mamapa2 given that it’s someone who I’ve worked closely with and would likely be applying as a bme major?
I’ve focused my efforts recently a bit more towards student council, I will be presenting a workshop to a national audience this summer as well @Mamapa2 sorry to tag you multiple times just wanted to provide as much info as possible
? There shouldn’t be any ambiguity as to your UWGPA. If you’ve had straight As, you have a 4.0. Simple as that. No “probably.” And yes, a great letter of recommendation will help you out, but it won’t save your application. It’ll only maybe push you over the edge and let you be accepted rather than deferred/waitlisted/rejected.
But it won’t matter, barring a phenomenal hook (or multiple), unless you have at least the average stats for the aforementioned schools. They want to make sure you are academically capable of excelling at their schools first and foremost. Then come the niceties.
Your job is to make your application survive long enough through the process to where they actually examine your niceties. (Poor word choice, I’m aware.) Gotta get your foot in the door first. Ace that SAT.
My UWGPA is 4.0 I just couldn’t find my transcript until a minute ago to confirm that, and I agree I will likely require a prep class and maybe even luck to get that sort of gain out of my score but thank you @mohammadmohd18
Great @TimmyBolls, that would definitely add to focusing on one area! However, many of these schools are still a reach with the SAT. For SAT prep, I would suggest self prep or a tutor instead of prep classes, especially if you have a 4.0 UW, you are definitely a hard worker.
Practice is key, my prep course at Princeton Review raised my SAT scores by 10 points over 2 months so I switched to self study. After that, I went from a 1700 on the old (around 1250 on the New) to a 2240 (1530 on the new) in a year through self study and using official collegeboard/Khan academy material. Save those official practice tests to determine your real score and practice a lot using Khan Academy material!
I’m confident you’ll get in at least one (Tufts and your other reaches) if you can get a 1500+ GL PM me if you need help and I expect good results from all your reaches!
Take the ACT and hope for a better score then the SAT. If you get a better comparable score and you can opt out of sending the SAT score then more power to you. You already know that SAT score dragging you down.
Also, ACT is more logic based and a lot easier then the SAT. D had a 36 on the ACT with no studying for it, 2340 on the SAT with two months prep taking two to three practice SATs every Saturday before the actual test. Good luck.
I am guessing from your list that you are from Massachusetts. Is this correct? With this I think that it is very good that you are including UMass Amherst as a safety. It is a very good university, and if you are from MA will be quite affordable. Affordability can be as big an issue as getting accepted (you don’t want to take on excessive debt).
I am assuming that you will take some SAT preparation. This should be helpful for your reach and target schools. I agree that a SAT tutor can be helpful. Even if you have only a small number of sessions with the tutor they can give you a practice exam to see where you do well, and then focus their attention on the areas where it will do the most good. You might consider taking an inexpensive SAT course first, then do a small amount of tutoring.
Having a reference from a Brown prof might be a help there, but of course it is still a reach for nearly everyone.
Yes @DadTwoGirls I am a Massachusetts resident! And having spent a lot of time in and around umass it is easy to see it is a great academic institution (in spite of its reputation for parties around my area), but having grown up with it in my back yard I’ve grown somewhat numb to the expansiveness and most of the impressive parts of that campus! That said it is definitely a feasible option and although I’m trying to break the trend of valedictorians from my school who go there simply because they go for free it’s definitely on the list!
And I have now signed up for the act and sat and we will see the results thanks everyone!
PM me if you need help and I expect good results from all your reaches!