<p>Applying to: Clairemont Mckenna, Pomona, U Chicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD, LMU, Santa Clara, USC, Cornell, Columbia (I have legacy), NYU, BU, Tufts, and Vanderbilt
How likely do you think that I'll get into at least one of my reaches?</p>
<p>WGPA: 4.13
UGPA: 3.75
WGPA (10-12): 4.3
SAT: Reading 690 Writing 750 Math 750 (2190)
SAT II: Lit 700, USH 770 (Just retook the lit test and pending score for Math II)
AP: 5s on Psych, Lang, US History, Art History, World History, and Studio Art. A 4 on AP Euro
Extra Curriculars: I'm in an elite art program at my school, I hold a leadership position in it (on the ECEB- like an ASB- for two years and am the student president of the Art department) Had two internships throughout high school and a job at a crepe restaurant.
I think my Recs and Essays are relatively good</p>
<p>Major: Art History or Economics
Ethnicity: White Male
From California (if it helps)</p>
<p>Kind of mean snipersas…
Anyway, I wouldn’t call your EC’s necessarily weak. I think you should definitely aim to emphasize their importance to you in your application. Your scores are a tad low for some of those schools, but not un-doable. The issue is this website tricks people into thinking that the only way you have a shot at an ivy or a top tier is by a 2350+. Which is very un-true, so your scores dont put you at the top of the list, but they dont knock you out either. The fact your school doesnt rank will hurt you however, and your GPA will therefore seem low in comparison. I wouldn’t say these are the reasons the schools snipersas listed are “high reaches” - I think they’re hard for everyone, and thus, a correct statement can not easily be made about your chances.
I think you are going to get in at least one of the top schools you’ve listed, as there are many. The question is which one - that I can’t tell you. Columbia legacy will definitely be a benefit to you! Best of luck on the applications!</p>
<p>Thank you Staryulover
I was under the impression that most high schools do not rank their students.</p>
<p>Also my grades have a strong high upward trend
My GPA for freshman and sophmore year was like a 3.6 but Junior year I got all As in 7 AP Classes.
Am retaking the SAT, and am aiming for around a 2250
I also spoke with the assistant dean of Cornell, who told me that he doesn’t take test scores into consideration unless in extraneous situations (i.e. someone with a 3.5 got a 2300 or someone with a 4.3 gets a 1900) Is this, for the most part, true?</p>
<p>I would definitely apply to Columbia ED as a legacy. This boosts your chances significantly. I would also apply to Brown if I were you. It’s a great school that appreciates artsy-types such as yourself.</p>
<p>While my GPA isn’t ranked, colleges should be able to know how rigorous my school is.
Our API score is 910, which is even higher than the test scores of schools like Palo Alto High.</p>
<p>(lol at the shameless bump)
Hopefully “Clairemont McKenna” was a typo; be sure to spell it right on your app! You seem artsy, but that school is really politically oriented and doesn’t strike me as artsy at all. Pitzer would make more sense, but that’s just my opinion (and CMC is academically superior). I hate it when people discredit others’ ECs simply because they do not have 100 different leadership positions in student government, math society, science club, etc. I truly believe that as long as you demonstrate an honest passion for your art, that is all that you need. It’s better to excel at one thing than put a halfhearted effort into twenty things. I’m not going to chance you (sorry, I’m not going to pretend I know what goes on in the mind of an admission officer), but don’t let others’ negativity discourage you. You seem like a decent applicant, and the legacy at Columbia can’t hurt at all. Good luck!</p>
<p>I am not applying to Columbia ED, does my legacy status still help? My grandfather went to Columbia and my uncle taught there.</p>
<p>If it helps, my program is two hours after school three days a week. We have live models and guest artists- very unusual for a PUBLIC high school art department to have (ie, I get +400 hours of instruction a year for absolutely free.) Obviously this program is difficult to run/finance- that’s where I come in. I am, as president of ECEB, completely responsible for writing grant proposals, organizing fund raisers, running webstores, etc. Anything to raise money. This is how its like I am an ASB president of sorts. My application stresses how I have creativity/artsy-ness but also pragmatic problem solving skills.</p>
<p>I don’t know what qualifies as a “strong” extracurricular, but if colleges are looking for someone who is dedicated or passionate about what they do- I think that I would jump off the page. </p>
<p>“Clairemont” is obviously a typo. After 11:30 I am not the very best typist/speller.</p>