<p>Stats aren't particularly great. I mostly worried about SBU - UB is a good school, but would cost a lot more for me (due to location mostly) and doesn't look as great for grad school admissions. I'm applying as a linguistics major, probably.</p>
<p>These are through the end of junior year:
GPA UW: 86.79, 3.17ish
GPA W: 91.79, 3.67ish</p>
<p>Weighted GPA definitely went up each year. UW maybe moderately so. I've gotten low grades in some classes that dragged my UW average down... 77 in gym 10th grade.</p>
<p>Weighted classes:
English honors (9)
AP Lit (11)
APUSH (11)
AP Bio (12)
AP Lang (12)
AP Euro (12)
AP Spanish (12)</p>
<p>AP exam scores so far:
Lit: 4
US: 5</p>
<p>I expect to get 4s/5s on this year's APs... won't be in time for admission decisions, unfortunately.</p>
<p>My grades for first quarter this year aren't what they could be, due to absences. I expect them to improve... this is one of the things that concerns me, though. I feel as though putting off applications until next year might help... I could retake the SAT, and I'm positive that I'd get a higher score, at least on the English sections. My grades would be much better for the year than for first quarter.</p>
<p>So what would my chances be like as is? What would my chances be like after a year off? What can I do to increase my chances?</p>
<p>It’d help if you told us what SBU UB stood for :), what’s in state for you, and what other schools you’re applying to since I assume you’re applying to 5-6 schools, right? :)</p>
<p>Oops, apologies - Stony Brook and Buffalo - SUNY schools. I’m from New York.</p>
<p>Other schools I’m likely applying to are Hampshire College, Syracuse University, University of Rochester, SUNY Oswego, and SUNY Albany. Buff and Stony Brook are my favorite options due to affordability and the fact that they have good programs in my most likely major - linguistics.</p>
<p>So, SB and Buffalo are your matches, Oswego your safety, etc. This gives context to your “chance” so that it is slightly better than random conjecturing.
In-state, apply to Geneseo too since it’s (much) better than Oswego ; see if you can find private universities out of state that would be interested in your application - are you willing to travel and if so, how far? (Keeping in mind that travel costs more - although depending on where you live in NYS some places in-state are likely to be far away - but if you go 400+ miles away you bring “geographical diversity” which gives you a boost for admissions and a potential preferential treatment for financial packaging).
However there are few schools in these areas that offer linguistics and are not reaches for you. :s keeping in mind both “geographical” and “economic” diversity, try for one “top level” school that meets 100% need for low income students. Many top private schools are trying to increase their economic diversity so even if they are very expensive, if they admit you, they’d provide you with an amazing financial package. Of course, it’s a long shot so pick only one among Pitzer, Macalester, Tulane, Northeastern.
URochester is a reach; Syracuse is a match and they should meet need since your SAT scores are in their upper percentile (I think you’re even in the top 25%); Stony Brook is a reach but you have a definite shot; Buffalo is a match and you’d be above their top 25% for SATs even if you’re only a match due to GPA.
Come back here in the Spring to post your final admission/FA results and decision: you’ll provide applicants with reliable data and decrease their stress :). Thanks.</p>
<p>Stony Brook: Match
Buffalo: Low match/Match
Hampshire: Match
Syracuse: High match
U Rochester: Reach
SUNY Oswego: Safety
SUNY Albany: Low match</p>
<p>I knew SUNYs put more weight to the SAT than the GPA but I can’t blame them; NY high schools are probably grade-inflating enough to make that move.</p>
<p>One focal point of my first post that hasn’t really been addressed is that my first quarter grades have been very adversely affected due to absences… it is for this reason, among others, that I’m considering taking a year off. My grades for the quarter are… bad. I don’t mean collegeconfidential bad, I mean actually very bad - I’ve been absent a lot.</p>
<p>How much would this affect my chances at these schools - especially SBU?</p>
