<p>Hi.
I am an African-American female who is taking a gap year (graduated c/o 2012). Would any of you mind chancing me for the following institutions?</p>
<p>Amherst
UPenn
Princeton
Brown PLME
Wesleyan
Williams College
Yale
U of Chicago
Columbia
Dartmouth
NYU
Harvard
Vanderbilt
Stanford
Cornell
Duke
Emory
Johns Hopkins
WashU
U of Notre Dame</p>
<p>GPA: 4.5 (a tad over I think) W 3.95 UW
I have not taken the SAT, but I scored a 250(0) on the PSAT sans prior studying. I project attaining a 2200. I'm also taking the ACT just in case.
I will take three subject tests: World History (easy), Math II (some study required) and Biology (some refreshing required).
My ECs are not stellar. Just simple volunteer work, piano and flute playing, one or two academic competitions, working to start my mother's business (which flopped due to an unjust eviction inducing homelessness a couple days before Christmas my senior year, lol) and clubs. A few leadership positions here and there. I plan on communicating via an essay why I was unable to be a part of more extracurriculars (the few I was involved in required lots of time). No excuses, however. </p>
<p>Mer. My first high school was easy. I ranked #1 (tied with everyone else and their mothers) and had a 4.0 GPA by the end of freshman year and then I left.
Second school wasn't too difficult. Constantly moving around compounded problems. It's number two in the state, competitive I suppose. I ranked 12 out of 217 (probably not exact).
In my second high school I had all honors classes sophomore year. Took 5 APs junior year and six senior year.
AP Calc (lol score is horrid)
AP World History (5)
AP Lang (5)
AP Chemistry (lowest grade EVAR and horrid AP score)</p>
<h2>AP USH (5)</h2>
<p>AP Enviro
AP Stats
AP Euro
AP Psychology
AP Lit
AP Biology
For the last six I did not take any AP tests because I could not afford them. </p>
<p>Any advice is quite welcome! C:</p>
<p>Bump.
Ignore any typos.</p>
<p>Also, I know the Ivies are all super reaches. Haha </p>
<p>Meh. I promised myself I wouldn’t resort to this, lol.</p>
<p>LOL
I meant 205(0).</p>
<p>My uw GPA has changed so much.
Annoying. ﹏</p>
<p>You will get into a few of those schools hint- “African American”
If you get over 2000 on your SAT* if not those become reach schools. If you get over 2200 then you will get into the majority of those schools.
Are you by any chance a first generation college student? That makes it even better and I would actually be suprised if you don’t get in to atleast a handful of those schools.</p>
<p>What state are you from? This can be a deciding factor.</p>
<p>I shall study hard for the SAT then.</p>
<p>No. My mother graduated from college. More like second generation, I think. </p>
<p>Pennsylvania, but I’m not sure of where I’ll be living.</p>
<p>Yeah Pennsylvania won’t help you, a lot of people from Pennsylvania get into Ivy’s.</p>
<p>I see. Ah, well.
Rejection from Ivies won’t be that bad.</p>
<p>Alexissss-I think it is hard to predict without actual SAT/ACT scores since the schools consider them. Also chances at schools with low acceptance rates are always a risk- even for students with top stats…I would say you probably have a good chance at the schools on your list- as good a chance as anyone with a school that is that selective but I would advise anyone to make their range broader. Then there is financial aid. You have excellent grades/STATS and may qualify you for merit aid at some institutions. I am not familiar with many of them but I think Emory and Vanderbilt are good with merit and need based aid.There are many excellent LAC’s in your area that you could be a great match for- possibly Franklin and Marshall- and others- Bryn Mawr, Lehigh… These are excellent schools that are selective too.</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice! I’m very interested in any good schools that are also generous. I’ve heard of Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>I think many of the schools on your list award 100 % of need, but it is still good to look at what percent is grants and what is loans. It’s great to apply to the schools like the ones on your list and if you get in, it will hopefully be fine. However with all of them having low admission rates, it’s good to expand your options.
Some other schools give merit aid, but for these schools your stats have to be at the high end of the acceptance pool- as opposed to the Ivy’s where everyone is at the high end. There are threads on this board for automatic merit aid and then many schools beyond that list have scholarships.
When you take the SAT or ACT, you can put your stats into the college search engine for schools that meet your interests. Some of them are excellent schools but they may not have the prestige reputations of the Ivy’s. Some of these schools are called “Colleges that Change Lives”- you can google them.
There are many schools out there to consider. Look at schools that claim to meet 100% of need and run the price calculators on the website. Some scholarships require additional essays and applications, but it could be well worth it. You won’t know the actual bottom line cost until you are accepted and get a FA offer, so apply to several that interest you. You can also apply for application fee waivers.</p>
<p>Thank you very much! Advice on this hazy process is appreciated. </p>
<p>I definitely plan on applying for lots of scholarships.
I will start researching other colleges as you’ve suggested. I cannot be sure of an acceptance to an elite, generous uni. </p>
<p>Also, do I acquire fee waivers through my guidance counselor? I’m a post grad, so I’m unsure of how to proceed.</p>