Background
I’m white, male, and come from an upper middle class Jewish family.
I’m about to be a senior, but I’m attending my community college’s early admit program (Honors program) instead of high school, which means I’ll be taking college classes.
I’m also on the Autism spectrum, so that would be my “hook”.
I want to major in finance, accounting, or something similar at a top program.
Academics
GPA: 92 or 3.8
SAT: 1390 (690 Math, 700 ERW)
Courses:
Honors: SUNY Albany Spanish 200/201 Honors, Astronomy H (St Thomas Aquinas), Comp Sci H, Geometry H, Spanish 3H, Algebra 2H
Regular: Biology, Earth Science, Physics, Algebra 1, English 9/10/11, Global 9/10, US History, Spanish II
Extracurriculars
DECA: Regional 1st place winner in business administration and attended states (10th grade)
Trained and worked at a trampoline park for a month but got laid off shortly after. (11th grade)
Science Honor Society inductee at my school; presented an exhibit about static electricity as a requirement for induction. (11th grade)
Forethought Club: Presented about my experiences on the Autism spectrum in front of an audience of a few dozen people in Powerpoint format. (10th grade)
JSA/Model Congress: Wrote a bill promoting affordable college and presented it in front of 25 people at the Model Congress conference at Yale. (11th grade)
CIT at an overnight camp in rural New York. Assisted in activities and cleaned facilities daily. (Summer 2017)
Congratulations on your achievements. Very impressive! I am particularly impressed by your courage, and willingness to share your experiences with autism. You are enlightening all whom you speak to.
In terms of “top schools” it depends on your definition. For Ivies and other single digit acceptance school’s your stats are a bit low (compared to the top 1%). You will however be a great fit for lots of amazing schools. Good luck.
What are you looking for in terms of:
- School size (population, campus size)
- Surroundings (urban, rural, small city/suburban)
- Location & Weather
- Social vibe -- party/Greek scene, sports, clubs, etc.
- How much is your family willing to pay?
School size isn’t that important, nor are the surroundings. I would prefer warmer weather, but that isn’t a dealbreaker. I want a college where parties are fun but people still prioritize academics and jobs. I would prefer a school that gives good aid to students out of state since the SUNYs aren’t all that amazing.
“…since the SUNYs aren’t all that amazing”
Some students from Vermont would rather go to U.Mass Amherst or one of the SUNY’s because UVM is boring. Some students from Massachusetts would rather go to UVM or one of the SUNY’s because U.Mass is boring. Some students from New York would rather go to UVM or U.Mass.
With a 3.8 unweighted GPA and 1390 SAT, you should be able to get into equally strong universities out of state. I am not convinced that this makes much sense financially. The SUNY’s are very good universities, and a relative bargain for New York residents.
I don’t know whether “autism” could be considered a “hook” but check out William and Mary, they have a neurodiversity program that seems to be pretty good. https://www.wm.edu/sites/neurodiversity/