Chance/Match me! ADHD student applying as Prelaw [NJ resident, 2.5 GPA, 1510 SAT, <$40k]

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Demographics : Asian Male, NE USA

  • US domestic (US citizen or permanent resident) or international student: Citizen
  • State/Location of residency: (state is important if you apply to any state universities): New Jersey
  • Type of high school (current college for transfers): Public, top 50
  • Gender/Race/Ethnicity (optional): Male, Indian
  • Other special factors (first generation to college, legacy, athlete, etc.): ADHD, grades went up after treatment

Intended Major(s) Economics, Business Administration, Computer Science(maybe) as part of preparation for law school.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.0
  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 3.2
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1510, 790 ERW, 720 Math

Coursework
3 APS, mostly accelerated/academic courses, 2 honors courses

Awards 2x StellarXplorers Semifinalist 2021-2022

Extracurriculars
Intern to the Judge of my City(will receive rec)
Intern to top10 law firm in NJ(will recieve rec)
StellarXplorers captain/member
CAP Cadet 2018-2022
Captain of one of my school’s National Quiz Bowl teams
President and founder of my school’s chess club
Essays/LORs/Other
I’m a very good essay writer, and I will recieve counselling for them too. I hope to write a supplemental about how being diagnosed and recieving treatment for ADHD helped my grades and skills.
I have positive recommendations from my city’s judge, my physics teacher, and my choir teacher(school class).
Cost Constraints / Budget
Ideally under 40k/y

Schools
(List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below)

  • Safety (certain admission and affordability) [Rutgers New Brunswick], Caldwell University, Regis College, NJIT.
  • Likely: , Rutgers New Brunswick
  • Match: SUNY Albany, Seton Hall, Penn State(non-main campus)
  • Reach: Pitt EA, Dickinson ED, Syracuse EA, Penn State(University Park), Stevens Institute of Technology

Like I’ve mentioned, I have severe ADHD that was only medically treated by the end of my sophomore year. I have always tested very highly, but my GPA was brought down heavily by those two years, as well as a stint during my junior year where there was a medication shortage. I am really not sure where I stand as a supersplitter, so a chance/match would be appreciated heavily. I would also really appreciate suggestions for schools that I would recieve a rigorous education at.
School preferences

  • not too much of a party school
  • good business school
  • 3000+ students
  • active student life
  • (optional) prelaw advising dept.
  • ideally not too rural that travel would be difficult
  • high 4-year graduation rate(70+)
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Best of luck in your journey. I’m assuming you’ll meet the typical requirements - enough math, English, Social Science, Language.

You list Rutgers NB as both a safety and likely. Is the safety intended to be Newark or another?

Forgetting your chances, would NJIT be the right school? You have interests that expand beyond their offerings although they have some majors you’d be interested in.

So looking at your list.

Caldwell is a safety - but not if you live there. Tuition is within budget but room and board puts it $20K over. I’m not sure what merit would be like.

I think NJIT is a match at best. Your GPA is low but test is good. 5.87% had a GPA below a 3.25 so in that sense it’s a reach. But your SAT score is good. The issue is there are four levels of rank in regards to importance. GPA is very important. The test is considered - which out of four areas with four being most important, is just a two.

I think Rutgers Camden or Newark are likely but NB is a reach. Your GPA is far below what those have who get in. I put stats below for all three.

Albany - a target because again, the low GPA but there’s a chance. They downplay the test score but it is good. Tuition / fees might be a bit over budget.

Seton Hall is another I’ll say is a target - you’re not there stat wise but they have a very high acceptance rate. The cost is well over $40K.

Penn State - the branches will be near $40K. You’ll be ok here I believe although it’s hard to find stats.

Pitt - you can’t afford. Dickinson - you can’t afford (unless you qualify for need aid). SU, Penn State…same. Stevens, also not going to happen with the GPA - and it’s over $80K.

So here’s my suggestion - you might look at a Syracuse and Dickinson - and run the net price calculator. I don’t see you getting in but see if you have need based aid.

If you want a private school, look at York College of PA - it’ll meet cost full pay.

Look at other NJ schools - Ramapo, William Paterson, etc.

Unless $40K is flexible, no need to apply to much of your OOS list - and for the publics, you might change with schools like URI, U Maine, West Chester or PA, etc.

Best of luck as you continue your journey.

2021 Admissions Profile.pdf (rutgers.edu)

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Thank you for the reply. I should have edited my post to say that 40k was ideal, but not a hard limit. Syracuse really confuses me, because every student around my GPA range has gotten in(we release admissions data for all students), and we have no recruited athletes or anything like that

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Are they applying ED? Syracuse likes money - ie full pay.

Per their common data set, the avg gpa is 3.75 and less than 12% have a 3.25 or less.

So it’s not impossible.

Have you taken the most rigorous schedule available to you ?

The acceptance rate is a tad over 50%.

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most rigorous available to me? - yes. that may not be the same as the most rigorous available to everyone(I’m not taking the max AP courseload - one off)

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I wish you luck. I hope you get into a school of choice but I might add one or two underneath just in case.
Well Caldwell will happen and a PSU branch. You might look at York as noted too.

Good luck.

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Could you write about something else for your essay?
Could the guidance counselor write about your ADHD?
Are you receiving any accommodations from your hs, extended time, preferential seating, notes?

How are your study skills, are your assignnments turned in on time?

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The gap between your GPA and standardized test scores certainly demonstrates the impact of ADHD on your daily studies. I also wondered if, along with meds, you are receiving any accommodations via a 504 Plan. You can also receive accommodations at college if you register with the Office of Disabilities/Accessible Education.

Many gifted students have ADHD, of course. I am sorry your diagnosis was delayed but glad that you got an answer in early high school rather than later!

A school that does more holistic admissions might be receptive to your change in performance. Not sure about schools that are more stats oriented: others might know if the lower GPA can be mitigated by your story.

Your EC’s and recommendations look stellar. If I were you I would actually aim a little higher for a couple of schools, maybe a liberal arts college that looks at the big picture. Check out the Colleges that Change Lives website. Clark U. is an example of a school that might be interested in you. Goucher as well.

I just wanted to ask what you meant by “prelaw.” I am not aware of any prelaw programs. Have you found one? In any case, you can major in anything and then go to law school.

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Thank you so much! As I learned from previous experience on this site, pre-law is in fact not a program. I’m just informing you all of my intent

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Rutgers seems to be a harder admit than in the past, although I do think they like test scores (is yours 1510 or 1550?).

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1510 - i predicted wrong previously.

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i recieve case-by-case accommodation in school, and my ADHD is on file there, though no IEP/504 in place. My study skills used to be very bad, but with preparation for my SAT and quizbowl ive gotten much better

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For college, you will need better documentation than this. You might want to reach out to a disability office and see what you need if continued accommodations are going to be requested.

What types of accommodations do you receive on a case by case basis now?

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Agree, the answers affect whether @rohdawg hopes to have accommodations in college.

Sometimes processing weaknesses are found. Or other gifts with visual or verbal skills are identified. Knowing one’s strengths as well as weaknesses could help with fit.

For the essay, I’d prefer something that showcases an interest or contribution, or talent.

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Admission to law school is based mostly on LSAT and college GPA. A high SAT score suggests being good at standardized test taking, but a 3.0 high school GPA means that you need to figure out how to do better in college than in high school if you want to go to a law school with good law employment prospects for graduates.

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paper assgs, seating changes on request, vouchers from guidance counselor regarding lower grades, etc. I have very anti-psychiatry parents and go to a very large school, so I sorr of fell by the wayside when applying for a 504

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You’re absolute correct, and I really believe that with the help I’ve received recently for my condition, I can make it.

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Colleges will not grant accommodations without sufficient documentation that they are needed. I’d work on that too…if you want any accommodations through the disability office where you matriculate.

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I think part of what took my people so long to get me help was the fact that I’m generally considered highly gifted intellectually. Of course, I can only really show this outside my transcript because of academic issues with ADHD. I intend to independently seek assistance in college, but am unsure whether I will reach out to a college counselor regarding it.

I have written two essays:

  • One on how I overcame stagnancy and depression stemming from the dissonance of my skill and my inability to focus, by doing one small thing a day.
  • One on the depersonalization and apathy I felt growing up with a rough childhood(abuse, untreated adhd) and how I committed myself to civil service to become closer to the world.

I’d love to share either with anyone who would be interested in looking over them, but I’ve heard not to share essays on here?

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I don’t believe I need academic accommodation as yet. My low grades stem from a total inability to focus in class. I score highly on tests and I have worked greatly on the focus issues by doing as much as I can outside of class to make working inside of class easier. While late, this is evident on my transcript as I went from getting Cs in accelerated and academic classes to getting A+s while taking multiple APs and honors courses.