Chance me for Massachusetts Colleges?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Description: I'm a rising senior graduating in June 2015. I currently attend a private school in Massachusetts. </p>

<p>Background: latina/black/caribbean </p>

<p>Generation: I'm a bit unsure about this one - both my parents are immigrants and one attended college in the states whereas the other did not. Does that render me a 1st generation college student?</p>

<p>College Applying List:
1. Boston University (my top choice that I'll <em>hopefully</em> be applying early decision to)
2. Tufts University
3. Brandeis University
4. UMass Amherst
5. George Washington University (in D.C.)
6. Northeastern University (<em>still not sure if I'll apply here</em>)</p>

<p>Stats:
SAT = 1790
CR: 610
Writing: 650
Math: 530
SAT subject tests:
French = 620,
English = 610</p>

<p>AP Exams:
AP English Literature = 5
AP US History = 3</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA = 4.20
Rank = Top 10% of class</p>

<p>Most recent grades:
AP English Literature: A-
AP U.S. History: A-
(please note these are the only AP's my school offers to juniors)
French IV - Honors: A
Precalculus: B+
Biology - Honors: B+
Seminar - Honors - B+
(I go to a Christian high school where a seminar class is required. Since I'll be applying to secular schools, will they take my seminar grades into consideration?)</p>

<p>Senior Year Classes:
(please note that besides an AP science course, I am taking all AP courses available to seniors at my school)
AP British Literature
AP European History
French V - Honors
Anatomy and Physiology - Honors
Seminar (required, no honor course available)
Also please note: I will be dropping a math course my senior year in order to focus more on my language studies (see below): I may also take another history class (US Gov. & Politics) instead of a math course. </p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Independent study of Italian and Korean language - for 1.5 years each (since junior year)
Linguistics Club President and Founder -3 years (since sophomore year)
Missions Trips & Service Work to New Orleans and Trinidad - 2 years (since freshman year)
Multicultural Board at school (starting senior year)
Chapel Band (starting senior year)
Theater: yearly theatrical productions - 3 years (since freshman year)
Music: piano for 13 years (since the age of 3)
National Honor Society (got accepted junior year)
National Latin Exam - magna cum laude silver award (freshman year)
Chorale Section Leader (since junior year)
Athletics: JV Soccer for 2 years (freshman and sophomore)</p>

<p>Additional Comments:
So that's everything! As you might be able to tell, I'm a very artistically inclined person but I shy away from athletics. My academic strengths lie in the humanities, and I struggle with math and science. As for my overall grades, I have never received any grade below a B- in all my years of high school thus far. I don't do too well with testing, but I do very well with academics! I'd love to know whether you all think I have a shot. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>What’s your unweighted GPA? Those schools will be tough with that SAT score…maybe try the ACT? Lots of people prefer it.</p>

3

<p>Unweighted GPA = 3.85
As for my SAT score, I know it isn’t the best score, but I also know that standardized tests aren’t the only factor in a decision. And I think that since I preform pretty strongly academic-wise they won’t hold my SAT score against me too much. Thoughts?</p>

4

<p>That’s pretty solid. With an 1140/3.85:</p>

<ol>
<li>Boston University- high-ish match</li>
<li>Tufts University- reach</li>
<li>Brandeis University- high-ish match</li>
<li>UMass Amherst- match</li>
<li>George Washington University- high-ish match </li>
<li>Northeastern University- high-ish match</li>
</ol>

<p>Your GPA is excellent for these schools, but it’s tough to determine your chances because of the SAT score.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/average_test_scores.cfm”>http://www.powerscore.com/sat/help/average_test_scores.cfm&lt;/a&gt;
Here you can see many colleges’ median SAT score (CR+M, writing doesn’t matter).</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the chance!</p>

6

<p>@theluckylinguist‌ Wait! I didn’t see that you were an URM. I’d say that they’re all low matches now, except for tufts which is a high match. Still, I recommend checking out the ACT. I’m willing to bet that most people can more easily score a 30ACT than a 1350 SAT.</p>

7

<p>@literaturemajor‌ Again, thanks for the advice! And yes, I am a URM. I don’t know how strongly Tufts considers legacies, but I do have an older sister who graduated from there in 2007. Still, I’m not at all relying on a legacy to pull me in, because that would be unreasonable. </p>

8

<p>Maybe add UMass-Lowell as another match, one true safety… and then reach for the stars. In New England/New York alone there are also some LACs you might take a shot at:</p>

<p>Holy Cross
Bates
Colby
Hamilton
Bard
Colgate
Mount Holyoke</p>

<p>All are reaches or low reaches… but in my book a reach is a 5-15% chance of admittance and a low reach is 15-25%, so you might get into one or two of those. </p>

9

<p>Thanks! I think considering UMass Lowell would be a good idea. I appreciate the advice!</p>

10

<p>You are probably a match for BU CGS with that test score, if you can raise that to a 1900+ SAT or a 30 ACT then you can get into CAS or whatever other college.</p>