Chance me for EA schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
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I swore I would never do this again, but here we are:

I’m applying SCEA to Yale (first choice) as well as University of Georgia, UNC- Chapel Hill, and University of Florida

If I’m not admitted to Yale I’m thinking of doing ED 2 at Johns Hopkins

I’m mainly concerned about my chances for these schools right now, but I’m also interested in Brown, Middlebury, Smith, Williams, and others (I have safeties, just not listed here)

(Regarding cost, I don’t really want to go into specifics here but these schools will be affordable)
Background: I am a rising senior at a competitive public hs in nyc, and I am female.

GPA: ~96 W and ~92 UW I have a strong upward trend,a s in first semester freshman year I had ~89W while last semester I had ~103W. My freshman grades were really dragged down by geometry and physics, but I’ve done well in math/science since then

Test scores: 1500 super score on SAT reading: 780 math: 720 I plan to retake the sat in the fall though and improve my math score.

AP Euro 4
AP Computer Science Principles 5
APUSH 5
AP Lang and Comp 5
AP Environmental 5

This year taking:
AP Macroeconomics
AP Literature
AP Calc BC (double period)
AP Human Geo
PLTW Environmental Sustainability (double period)

Extra Curricular

Clubs- Freshman: Baking a difference, Sitting with seniors (volunteering at senior centers)
Sophomore: Model UN, Society of Women Engineers(SWE)
Junior: Model UN( mentored new members), SWE, Feminist Book Club
Senior: Same as junior

Volunteering- planted garden at a city park last summer(volunteer internship)
I have been volunteering at the nature center/preserve in my neighborhood through this year and plan to continue next year
Volunteered at library last summer

Other- photography, I was named a water ambassador for my entry into the DEP art and poetry water resources contest (I’m not sure though how competitive this award is). I have also been documenting the various plants/animals at the nature center

Environmental advocacy, made flyers for various local environmental problems and spread awareness about issues(linktree)

Nationally Certified Lifeguard

Helped write lesson plans (for middle/hs students) with my environmental science teacher/a few other students (but we wrote the lessons individually and our teacher reviewed them) for Harvard Forest over this summer

I’m applying as a history major (with environmental studies as second choice).

Thanks, and let me know if you need any other info!

Also, just note that I’m done compiling my college list, so I don’t need any school recommendations, in case anyone was wondering.

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Can you convert your GPA to a 4 point scale as that’s what the schools will do.

So 4 for an A, 3 for a B, etc.

That’s unweighted. Then weight it - most schools use a .5 for Honors and +1 for AP.

What’s your state - while UF and UGA say it doesn’t matter - for UNC, it can potentially be as hard as Yale to get in.

You have your list - but just curious - why Hopkins?

You said you have safeties - so I assume since you’re looking at large schools, your safety is your in-state public.

Interested to see your #s on a 4 point scale to better “chance you” - but UGA and UF are not easy and UNC is just off the charts a reach for anyone OOS. So hopefully you have that in-state public too.

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The OP said she was at a competitive public school in NYC.

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Thanks - I missed that.

So hopefully she has SUNYB/Buff/SB, etc.

Still need to see the 4 point scale - but if it’s an uber competitive public, her GCs will be best to guide based on past kids with similar stats.

If I were to guess and say the UW is like a 3.8 / 4.3 with a 1500, I’d label Yale and UNC as reaches, and UF and UGA as targets - but I don’t know that it’s the case. It could be UF is a reach…or slight. The advantage of UGA and UF is you play equally with in-state. Some don’t believe that but the schools say that so I’ll take them at their word whereas UNC that isn’t the case.

Thanks

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I would defer to your HS GC for your ‘chances’. What do they say about your Yale application/chances?

Are you in the top 5% of your class? Top 10%?

I wouldn’t spend much time on prepping for the SAT, your math scores is fine, and if not admitted a 720 won’t be the reason.

I’m not sure I see the common thread in all the schools on your list, from small Williams to huge UF, and everything in between, but obviously that’s ok.

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That’s not what schools do, they will look at her in the context of her school.

Is that GPA top 5%? 10%, 25%??? How many kids each year go to Top 10 schools? What’s the end goal with a history degree, if its law school you might want to think differently about where you want to ED2 as their pre professional support is more geared toward Medical School.

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Some colleges will absolutely recalculate OP’s GPA to their scale. UF and UGA, two schools on OP’s list, will do this, and their formulas are readily available online. It does behoove applicants to understand how schools will recalculate GPAs so they can see where they compare based on prior year stats.

It is also true colleges will assess the applicant in context of their HS, given whatever limitations there are (some HSs purposely obscure ranking information, as well as refuse to rate the level of rigor of an applicant’s curriculum).

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@Mwfan1921 - yes I agree with you 100%, the point I was trying to make was doing it in isolation and using it to compare across schools tells you very little. We know that being a 92+ student aligns to being an A student, whether that is a 3.95 or a 4.02 is not relevant. To make a more realistic chance it is more important to try and assess where they sit in reference to the rest of her HS class and what kind of pipeline the HS has with T10 universities.

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Depends on the school. Some use rank. Some don’t. Some it’s important some it’s considered.

The reality is they have a 25/75 split and that’s based on numbers. They will also have an x % in the top 10, 25%, etc.

The more data the better.

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Even if we had that info, no one here on CC will offer as good as, let alone better, perspective than the HS GC.

We don’t know this, because at some high schools, a 92 is a B+.

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Some schools 90 is an A. 80 a B. Why I asked for the numerical on a 4 point scale.

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Congratulations on a great record!
Agreewith others: what is your approximate rank(top 10%, 20%?)per your GC who should be able to give you the rough place you are in the class.
What AP classes are offered that you will not be taking? Just trying to get a sense of the “pond” you are in.

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Well my gpa on the 4.0 scale according to the uga/uf formulas would be about 3.7 something. I know that sounds low which is why I’m a bit concerned. It just doesn’t make sense to me though because for example I had an 89 in AP one semester, therefore a B, but I would think there is a significant difference between say 89 and 80, which is why I don’t know why the schools don’t take that into account. (Sorry if this is a bit rambling).

I did ask my gc about my chances. She said something along the lines of you genes have good grades but these schools (yale and such) are very competitive. This I knew already so it wasn’t very helpful. My school does send a decent amount of kids to ivies and similar schools each year (don’t know exact number). My school doesn’t rank, though I do know I’m on honor roll (doesn’t seem to be that great of an honor though).

What I didn’t mention before was that while I’m putting down history as my major I plan to also major in computer science. Forgive me to trying to game the system, but it doesn’t seem beneficial to put that down (especially considering my freshman math and science grades). Johns Hopkins is supposed to have a very good program in CS. Also they have a strong writing program, also important to me. In addition I’m interested in doing research and they have ample opportunities to do so.

Regarding the wide range in types of schools I’m applying to I would prefer a small-medium sized school (I.e Williams, Smith, Yale, Johns Hopkins, etc). However, some of the larger schools like uga/uf are easier to get into and I’d prefer them to say, the SUNY schools.

Lastly, I forgot to mention this, but I have some extenuating circumstances (some family issues that I’m not comfortable going into on here) that I plan to ask my gc to discuss in my LoR. I’m not sure if it’ll really affect admissions but I figure it can’t hurt to mention.

Sorry for the long post- just wanted to get to everyone’s questions

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Your guidance counselor should have a one or two page write up of your school that is sent to every college. On that sheet will be the GPAs of the last class or two, ranked by percentile. So top 25th percentile might be 4.0 to 3.8, second 25th percentile might be 3.79 to 3.5. See if you can estimate your percentile for your school.

If you’re not in the top percentile for your school, then these top 30 schools are very unlikely.

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Our schools are 94 - 100 A, 86 - 93 B

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So CS and History are different. And you shouldn’t try to back door …meaning don’t apply for history and assume you can transfer internally. You are much better off to go to an easier to get into school as a CS major if that is the intent.

UF, by the way, does not admit by major. But if the school admits you then you are in engineering. Alternatively they can offer you a path in through the neighboring Junior College but I believe you live at UF.

If your weighted…again why you need to do on a 4 point scale and add .5 for Honors and 1 for AP - if your weighted is between 4 and 4.27, UGA is a target for history. CS a bit tougher although they note major has little impact on admission.

UF is 4.4 - 4.6 - my kid had a 4.6 which was one B and 10 AP…as an example.

You had a girl last year turned down to UF and in at Carnegie Mellon. So I’ll call it a slight reach but not the reach of Yale or UNC.

Bottom line is you say you have safeties. If they are affordable and you can excel, then you’re set.

The worst that can happen is these turn you down and that’s fine. I wanted my kids to get rejected somewhere. It shows you went for it.

People focus too much on ‘a school’. Honestly your list is inconsistent but forgetting that, so many kids can be happy and successful from so many schools. Just make sure you are applying to schools you can afford.

Good luck.

Couple other things - I don’t like how you ‘added’ info. Be authentic. Be honest. And you say JHU is supposed to have a good program. How about you learn about the college yourself vs a rep ?

Finally and it’s just my opinion - you say you’d rather go to UGA or UF over a SUNY. That’s certainly your prerogative. But it’s my belief that I’m the real world, no one cares whether you went to ‘high rank’ UF or UGA vs Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa or name any other state flagship including Binghamton. Find the school that fits for you financially and personally. Not the one that US News says is better.

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@luckgirl - I think your grades are fine, you’ve shown upward trend and you have a great SAT score. That being said Yale is a real long shot, their SCEA acceptance rate is around 11%, so lets say you have a 1/9 shot. The issue with Yale is it eliminates the opportunity for you to apply EA to some other schools that might be a good fit.

I understand your lack of interest in the SUNY schools - We toured a few with my D23 and had a similar reaction. But take a look at the other local State Colleges too. Rutgers, Penn State, Pitt, they might be more seirable alternatives to Georgia and Florida

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IME, students have a pretty good idea of where they stand in their class, with or without official rankings. By the time the Collegekids were in Grade 11 (and usually well before), we had a good idea of who the class ‘stars’ were. Your class profile, the LoR from your GC, and the applications from your classmates will give the super-selectives a pretty good idea as to whether or not you are one of the ‘stars’. Time to be honest with yourself: are you one of them or not?

In another post you say that you go to “one of the most competitive schools in the country”, and above you note that your school sends ‘a decent amount of kids to ivies and similar schools’, so clearly the college counselors at your school know what they are doing. From here, your GC’s response to your ‘what are my chances’ question seems rather tepid; at the HSs the Collegekids attended that sort of response would ring an alarm bell.

You asked for chances: I would re-consider both your ED choices, and use your ED card where you have a more plausible case.

ps: in highly competitive HSs, college admissions can be a blood sport. You may have told so many people for so long that your dream is Yale that you night feel that to change that would be embarrassing or in some way a failure (it’s not). Though you probably won’t believe me until December of 2023, the importance of the name of the college you end up attending will drop by 60% in June of 2023, 75% by September, and (if you land happily) 98% by Thanksgiving. You can help yourself (and make senior year infinitely happier) by withdrawing from the game as much as possible. For example, you can say to all and sundry: ''guess what- all this time I thought that Yale was the absolute dream- but I just found out about [name of other program with something that fits you in particular]". Try doing that every week- always with a different place.

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My school profile (which I’ve seen) doesn’t have a grade distribution and my school doesn’t rank.

Like I said freshman year I didn’t do so well and sophomore was decent (I guess too 25% percent at least?) this past year though was pretty good I think top 10% maybe 5% if I’m lucky. Overall I suppose at least top 15-20%? 10% if I’m lucky.

My school is very large ~1500 students in my graduating class so obviously I don’t know everyone and their grades but I do think I’m definitely one of the better students (I don’t mean this in a bragging sort of way but based on grades)

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Ask your HS GC if they know your rank, even tho they don’t publicize it…that will help you.

Until we know that I agree with collegemom3717 that you might target schools that are less reachy for ED1/2.

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