Chance A National Achievement Semi-Finalist!!!

Applying to College
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<p>Okay so, I'm a senior in high school, African-American, and I'm hoping to major in psychology in college. My ultimate goal is to be a psychiatrist. I know that i'm going to have to take the appropriate courses to get into Medical School but I still want to major in psychology.</p>

<p>ACT Composite:29
SAT Total: 2060
Weighted GPA: 4.4
Class Rank: 28th(out of about 500)</p>

<p>Senior Schedule: Student Assistant, A.P. English Literature and Composition, Anatomy & Physiology Honors, A.P. Government & Politics/A.P. Economics,A.P. Statistics, A.P. Environmental Science, Comprehensive Theater</p>

<p>Latin Club Member
National Junior Classical League Member
National Merit Commended Student
National Achievement Semi-Finalist</p>

<p>P.S.- How much does it matter that I'm not in national honor society? I got asked to join but declined since I've already sent in all my applications.</p>

<p>Schools I want to attend</p>

<p>Harvard
Boston College
Boston University
Northeastern University
Vanderbilt
Princeton
Yale
Amherst College
UMASS-Amherst
Wake Forest University
Marquette University
Sacred Heart University
College Of The Holy Cross</p>

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<p>Hey! I was national achievement in 1987, and I am a psychiatrist. Good luck!</p>

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<p>^^
wow, big age gap! </p>

<p>shacoria,</p>

<p>how are your ecs and awards? did you have a job? community service? any leadership? since you’re applying to mostly privates, these are very important, and it would be nice to give a little more info! but judging from your statistics wise, i think you have a good chance to get into BC (at least better than me!). however, i know BC looks at regular decision applicants differently than early action. i believe you will definetly get into northeastern and boston u, but i’m not sure about the rest since i’m not applying to any ivies/prestigious colleges…</p>

<p>also, what is your unweighted gpa? if you at least have a 3.85, i would say you have a good chance at some of these colleges (i say some because yale, amherst, and harvard are extremely hard!) are you planning to apply to any safeties though? your list is just such full of good schools…</p>

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<p>sorry, i mean “full of such good schools”
lol, and i’m planning to major in English!? :)</p>

<p>good luck, and tell me where you get in? and thanks for chancing me!</p>

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<p>luckycharms07,</p>

<p>Oh I applied to safeties too. I’ve already been accepted to 5 schools(Albright, Drexel, UMAINE, Kings College, and Loyola-New Orleans)</p>

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<p>HYP and Amherst are low reaches. Everywhere else is a safety.</p>

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<p>*HYP and Amherst are low reaches. Everywhere else is a safety. *</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>Why are HYP and Amherst are low reaches?</p>

<p>Those schools are high reaches even for students with much higher stats.</p>

<p>And, you think Vandy is a safety?</p>

<p>*I’ve already been accepted to 5 schools(Albright, Drexel, UMAINE, Kings College, and Loyola-New Orleans) *</p>

<p>Shakoria…</p>

<p>What schools are your financial safety schools (schools that you know for sure that you can afford to go to and you know for certain that you’ll get accepted to)?</p>

<p>You have been accepted to those schools, but I don’t think any of them give good aid, so will that be a problem? They aren’t true safeties if you’re not sure that you have all costs covered.</p>

<p>what state are you in?</p>

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<p>I’m in Florida but I am in no way shape or form for any reason going to college here</p>

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<p>@mom2collegekids
drexel gives VERY good financial aid, fyi</p>

<p>shacoria, you got the dean’s scholarship there, right? did any of your other safeties also give you scholarships? plus, i think you would have better chances if you put this thread on a specific school, do you have a dream school? put it there, and i promise you, you will get much more and quicker feedback :)</p>

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<p>oooh I hope I see you on the BC threads with an acceptance!
Looks like you have a good shot at BC, BU, NU, Wake Forest, Marquette, and Holy Cross. Sacred Heart is an easy in. All good schools, I’m applying to BC, BU, and HC myself! :slight_smile:
I’m really not familiar enough with Vanderbilt or Amherst C. And as everyone on this site knows, HYP and UMass-Amherst are the basically the biggest crapshoots in the country- the stats I’ve seen from rejected kids put me to shame, and then there are kids who are accepted that confuse the heck out of me. You seem to have a great list though, best of luck!</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1045875-chance-me-boston-college-my-dream-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1045875-chance-me-boston-college-my-dream-school.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>

</p>

<p>Not for those that carry a big hook.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Absolutey (top ~5%, 2060), but my definition of ‘safety’ is an 80% chance; Vandy would probably offer to fly him in if he had not applied binding ED elsewhere.</p>

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<p>^^^</p>

<p>Are you saying that the “big hook” is being AA? </p>

<p>What school did he/she ED?</p>

<p>Is the OP male or female?</p>

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<p>*drexel gives VERY good financial aid, fyi
*</p>

<p>What is your source for this? Isn’t Drexel FAFSA-only? </p>

<p>Anyway…we dont know if the OPs family can/will pay their “family contribution.”</p>

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<p>bluebayou, HYP and Amherst are not low reaches despite the AA hook for the OP. Although the GPA is good, rank and scores okay, but the only two EC’s the OP lists are being a member (no leadership mentioned) in Latin Club and JCL, which are almost the same thing. Neither are time intensive "high"value EC’s.</p>

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<p>bluebayou,</p>

<p>ummm, I’m a girl. so yeah. LOL. and I applied ED to BU. And I am on the lower side economically speaking so I will definitely need financial aid for college and as I understand it, if BU doesn’t offer me appropriate financial assistance, then the ED agreement becomes null and void</p>

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<p>While I agree that being AA is a big hook, when you get to the level of HYP and to a lesser degree, A (because they have a harder time recruiting and retaining URMs, likely due to their rural location), the OPs test scores are relatively low. At that degree of selectivity, most URMs have scores comparable to other competitive applicants. However, low SES could give the OP some leeway on test scores.</p>

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<p>You have that backwards, UMass-Amherst is a moderately selective public university, Amherst College is a very selective LAC.</p>

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<p>One more thought on test scores, unless the OP has Subject tests which they aren’t showing, they will need to send in their ACT for those top schools, and a 29 converts to about a 1950, even lower than their SAT score.</p>

<p>So, taking test scores into consideration along with relatively weak ECs, I wouldn’t consider the highly selective schools as low reaches. However, the outstanding questions which IMO are more difficult to evaluate given the current information are: rigor of classwork, UW gpa and the OPs personal situation (eg. overcoming obstacles, underserved HS, etc.)</p>

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<p>I have taken an SAT subject test. I received a 690 In Literature</p>

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<p>^^

</p>

<p>I said Subject tests, plural, because those schools require 2 Subject tests along with the SAT.</p>

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<p>*While I agree that being AA is a big hook, when you get to the level of HYP and to a lesser degree, A (because they have a harder time recruiting and retaining URMs, likely due to their rural location), the OPs test scores are relatively low. At that degree of selectivity, most URMs have scores comparable to other competitive applicants. *</p>

<p>I agree…</p>

<p>And…yes…another Subject test is needed. And a 690 on the Lit SAT II is not very high. It’s 80th percentile. </p>

<p>Why are you applying to UMass-Amherst if you need aid? It’s OOS for you. </p>

<p>what schools are your financial safety schools (schools that you know you can get into and know for SURE that you have all costs covered!)</p>