I’ll try to go over most of the basics. I was wondering how much of a chance I have at Fordham, and if I even have a shot at NYU Gallatin. I’d love to go to Gallatin, but it is super selective I hear.
I am from a rural state. I have unweighed 4.0, Full IB, plus 2 IB math classes. Very involved with extracurriculars, track, Speech and Debate, MUN, BPA, Orchestra, etc. I am a State Champion in Speech and am an Academic All-American. I am in youth advocacy groups, National Honors Society, I founded an afterschool chamber music group. I have written a Diversity curriculum for schools and am working with school districts and teachers to get it into classrooms. Also have come in to classrooms to teach my lessons as a guest teacher. I have awards (varying significance) in all my activities. I haven’t taken the ACT, hopefully I can but who knows with Covid. Also financial aid will not be an issue for me.
Sounds a fine profile to apply for both. For Gallatin, ensure your essay explains carefully why are you choosing that school in particular.
You are competitive for any college, including ones which are more selective than NYU.
While you are competitive, NYU is a reach for everybody, and NYU is notoriously unpredictable. Why NYU, btw?
While Fordham would be a target or a likely for you, that would only be true if you demonstrated interest. Many high-stats/highly accomplished students use Fordham as a safety, so they are somewhat leery of accepting students who are competitive for more popular colleges, unless the students demonstrate that they would really like to attend Fordham if they are accepted.
What does your college list look like (reaches, matches and safety), and what can your parents afford?
I’m not sure that Fordham practices yield protection tbh. D19 sent in an application to them (ticked the Fordham box) when she applied to her ED school, as they had offered her a fee waiver. She didn’t even bother to do the “why Fordham” essay (technically optional for them, but of course always seen as a must to show interest), and got offered a place, with some merit money, anyway.
Edited to add:I would not recommend this approach! If it is a school for serious consideration, please take care on the essay.
I also do not think Fordham practices yield protection. Instead (from what I’ve seen) they try to get some high quality students to attend by offering merit aid.
Looking at Fordham’s yield, you guys are right - it is unlikely that their yield would be that low if they had any level of yield protection.
So the reports that I heard about the importance of demonstrated interest by highly qualified applicants may have been inaccurate.