<p>I am kinda just curious, my main goal is UNC, but I was also going to apply to Wake Forest early but found out that it is binding and I know I couldn't go to wake if I found out i got into UNC, but i could go to say like Vanderbilt if i did get accepted some how. I am honestly just looking for a reach school (top 25) that i would have a slim chance of getting into that has early admissions to give me a better shot. Here are my stats!</p>
<p>-NC resident
-50% arabic 50% english ( i have a "rare" last name)
-3.43 unweighted GPA ( Ouch! bad sophomore year, made all but 2 A's my freshman and junior year
-28 ACT (took SAT and did way worse on it, but plan to take both again this fall)
-varsity and captain of Track and Cross country at my high school
-part time job since sophomore year
-part of a club that gets young kids interested in distance running (running is a big part of my life!)
-Created and manage a small business
-National Honor Society
-Selected to be an intern for the county I go to school at that maintains and repairs the networks and computers of my high school. Was selected because of my great scores in my technology classes! ( I believe this is my best EC!)
-Foreign Exchange student for half a month in europe
-Parents have some college but never received traditional 4 year degrees (does this make a difference?)</p>
<p>i know a top 25 schools isnt everything. I really just hope i get into UNC. But since im not going to early decision to wake anymore i thought id throw a “hail marry”. I honestly feel my life would be no different if i went to Cornell, UNC, or NC State after college. It would just give me a nice sense of accomplishment i guess, haha idk. I feel like my hail marry is going to be Vanderbilt, Cornell, or John Hopkins, but probably Vanderbilt because i feel like I have the best low shot out of any of them. Ivy league schools are out of my league,haha.</p>
<p>I actually really disagree with the previous poster. Your GPA is far too low for these schools; the same for your ACT. Ideally, for a school like Vandy or Wake Forest, you’d need around a 3.7+ GPA and a 31+/2200+ ACT/SAT score. </p>
<p>I doubt there’s much you can do to improve your GPA at this point in your HS career, so you should really focus on improving your test scores to the levels I mentioned above, if not higher. It could help you out.</p>
<p>You have good ECs, but the GPA/test score combo is still a red flag for admissions at the top 25 schools.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t apply to more than one reach school. If you’re basing it off of the USNWR list, you should look at 30-60 range for the Universities and anything below #10 in the liberal arts rankings.</p>
<p>Finally, going to a highly ranked school isn’t everything. It is better to go to a school you are matched with academically and succeed there than it is to struggle to stand out at a Top 25 school.</p>
<p>Hey, I think that your stats resemble those of kids in my school who have gotten into Cornell, Lehigh, UNC, UVA, and NYU. If you write great essays, you can get in anywhere. Raise your ACT/SAT score to the 2200 level and you stand a great shot.</p>
<p>i do agree that my GPA is too low that is why it is a reach. But i have been told by numerous people that I have a very good shot at Wake Forest on CC and people at Wake Forest. I understand that going to a top 25 schools isnt a big deal like i said in my previous post. But according to websites Wake Forest ACT scores range from 27-31.</p>
<p>You never know who reads these boards, so cool it with the attitude. You wanted honesty, and I gave it to you. Sorry I don’t sugarcoat for kids on these boards. </p>
<p>Secondly, not knowing the proper spelling of a phrase like “Hail Mary” is something worth pointing out – that’s not grammar, that’s just common knowledge. It’s not like you misused an apostrophe or mistakenly used “your” instead of “you’re” – you completely butchered a very well-known phrase in the English language and I corrected your error. Big deal. </p>
<p>Consider this: What if you had misused/misspelled a colloquial phrase in your college essays? That’s a sure shot to the rejection pile. (The fact that you misspelled it TWICE shows you didn’t know it, not that it was a simple mistake, so don’t try to defend it.)</p>
<p>I appreciate your constructive criticism! Ill be sure to go over my speling next time to Where did you get the information that stated i would need a 31 because the information i have could be wrong.</p>
<p>Your GPA is way too low for Wake Forest or any top 40 school for that matter. As for your ECs, they are above average. However, few schools other than ivy league and top 30 schools heavily look at ECs as an admission factor. Not to mention your ACT score equates to less than the 35 percentile for Wake Forest. Do you have a chance at top schools? Of course you do. No one can predict admission results. We can only go by the facts and your stats. Sorry…</p>
<p>Please chance back. My thread is “Review my List… Please”</p>
<p>haha true, people with attitudes people that have no idea what they are talking about and people given you wrong info. I’ve been a member for couple days and must say i love it, haha It is wroth it to get some good info though and it is reassuring to have other people you dont even know support you on the application process because you know they are going through the same thing as you! </p>
<p>But regarding my schools from my research i feel that UNC and Wake are both high matches for me. My ACT is roughly 40 percentile for both schools and with my EC’s and a good essay i should be able to offset my GPA. Do you think it is better than I mention why it happened or just let it go?</p>
<p>apply EA to UNC and you have a chance bc it’s really easy in state! im in state for UNC too! youll get in if you apply ED to WFU but you shouldn;t bc UNC is better and CHEAPER! vandy’s not happening dont get your hopes up… </p>
<p>Vanderbilt:
ACT 25th % - 30 (meaning, 25% admitted had a 30)
ACT 75th % - 34
Average GPA: 3.7</p>
<p>UNC:
ACT 25th % - 26
ACT 75th % - 31
95% had h.s. GPA of 3.75 and higher
2% had h.s. GPA between 3.5 and 3.74
1% had h.s. GPA between 3.25 and 3.49
1% had h.s. GPA between 3.0 and 3.24
1% had h.s. GPA between 2.5 and 2.99</p>
<p>Wake Forest:
“Additionally, more than 60% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.7.”</p>
<p>Easily Googleable information!</p>
<p>You need to re-research schools and find more solid matches or believable reaches.</p>
<p>What research do you use. There is no way Wake Forest is a high match for you. Your stats just aren’t there. It is AT LEAST a mid reach. You should be looking at schools ranked 50(reaches)-120(matches/safeties).</p>
<p>Ok, I just went to a tour day at Vandy yesterday so let me try to clear some of this confusion. 1. You’d have to seriously raise that standardized test score, have great recs and a great essay to overcome your GPA at Vandy. You could possibly get in, but it would be a lot of work for someone who really wants to go to UNC. 2. Tulane offers non-binding EA and is slightly less selective if you want a more realistic reach school. 3. If you really want to go to UNC focus your guns there and don’t get distracted because I think you have a good shot at getting in. </p>
<p>Don’t take mine or anyone else’s word on here as law though. You have to do what’s right for you. That said, Good luck!</p>
Where did you get the information that stated i would need a 31 because the information i have could be wrong.</p>