Help, I’m dying.
Massive Reaches: Columbia (My dream school), Cornell
Reaches: USC, Amherst, Duke
Match/Safety: ASU
School: Public, Arizona
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
UW GPA: 3.69 (This is my main weak area because I started focusing on my ECs and I got hospitalized during finals in my Junior year)
- Rank: 38/720 (Around top 5%)
- Downward Trend for Grades ;_;
- Grade 9 GPA (Semester 1 and Semester 2): 3.714 and 4.000
- Grade 10 GPA (Semester 1 and Semester 2): 3.833 and 3.5
- Grade 11 GPA (Semester 1 and Semester 2): 3.333 and 3.5
- Coursework: Hardest classes available (APs, Honors, etc.)
SAT Score (New): 1530
- 800 Math
- 730 Reading/Writing
Extra-Curriculars:
- NSLI-Y Scholarship to travel to China for 6 weeks sponsored by the State Department
- Research for the Navy at Patrick Air Force Base
- Founded an organization for saving perishable food in AZ, started chapters of my own organization at a bunch of schools around AZ and I am president of the chapter at my school.
- Speech and Debate 4 years
- Congress Captain
- Impromptu Captain
- Medium Sucess (Breaking at national tournaments to quarterfinals and semi-finals, TOC 3 years in a row)
- Intern for Arizona Democratic Party
- Regional Director for Unite 4 Health (Non-Profit NGO that builds hospitals in poorer areas)
- NHS Member
- 200 hours volunteering last year @ Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Application process:
I am a fairly strong writer, I have adults and counselors willing to help me. I am applying the ED to Columbia, and EA for USC. Chance me!
Yeah, I know my GPA is kinda terrible, but please let me know if there is anything else I can do.
Your GPA is fine, but I’m wondering what your weighted GPA is. And even if it is a little low for your dream schools/massive reaches, your ECs are amazing, and there’s a good change that if you write outstanding essays and have a good weighted GPA that you have a decent chance at Cornell, USC, Duke, and Amherst, but Columbia is always a far shot in all honesty (Obvi you’re fine for ASU).
Haha, for sure for ASU. My weighted GPA is 4.561. Do you really think that I am competitive for schools like Amherst and USC tho?
Wow! Your lower unweighted GPA is obviously made up for in your course rigor so I personally wound’t worry about your GPA. And your SAT is fantastic and in the perfect range for most of the colleges you listed (and I wouldn’t worry about getting any higher - if you’re in the 1500 range you’re more than set). And with all of the extracurriculars you have done, I would say you have a good chance. Definitely apply ED to the school you want to invest the most in or the one you think you have the best shot at out of the bunch, but I would say that you have a good shot at all of those schools, even Columbia. Just keep in mind that “a good shot” is still really tough for your dream schools, but with your stats they’re more than worth applying to 
@AutumnCain Thank you so much! I figure I could either apply ED to Columbia because I really wanna go, or apply ED at a less competitive school and get a much higher chance of admission. What do you think?
ED for Columbia does up your chances, but I personally would ED Cornell because your chances improve so much more. Apply to the school that you love though and the one you know you’ll get the most out of. As far as playing your chances, I’d go with ED to Cornell Good Luck!
I agree with @AutumnCain that your stats fits more for ED Cornell. Your stats are quite similar to mine, but you have a higher SAT (mine was 1450 and I got into UCLA and USC). So I think that you can definitely make it into USC:) good luck!!
If you also ED duke and show that you have visited/have experience with duke culture, you could get in. It is VERY hard to get in regular, but much much easier to get in ED (from my school, not a single kid got in ED (guy going to Harvard rn got waitlisted), but all 4 people whom ed got in, and they weren’t “fantastic” or “perfect”). You have a lot of EC’s indeed but it almost seems overwhelming-- from what I’ve been told (my biggest regret as a current senior), ivy leagues and top schools would prefer a student to be REALLY dedicated to one club/competition (going to nationals, writing an academic paper, multiple conferences) for all 4 years of high school rather than having a long list of EC’s without huge recognition.
Nonetheless, I think your chances are good. Is GPA low? Yes. Esp hurts since you’re Asian. BUT college process is holistic. Your test scores and course rigor are spot on, and I personally don’t think you would get in ED columbia but I think you could get in ED Cornell or even PENN
I’d suggest you have more low reach/high target schools. Emory? Middlebury?
I suggest you have more target schools. The dropoff from USC and Amherst to ASU is pretty massive when it comes to academic rigor. Also side note USC does not have EA just so you know, they only have regular decision. I think you have a fairly decent chance at some of those schools if your weighted GPA is as strong as you say, but you really should find more target schools. Amherst is a hard school to get into and USC is all over the place about who they let in. But overall it seems you challenge yourself and have strong test scores. Chance Back?
your rank makes up for GPA completely. Don’t worry about gpa if you are in top 5%
FYI, USC doesn’t have an EA option. But your weighted GPA (if it’s on a 4.0 weighted scale bumped to a 4.5) is definitely what colleges will look at over your unweighted. Over the past few years, colleges have placed a higher importance on number of AP classes, and what comes along with that is an examination of your weighted GPA to see how you’ve done in a challenging environment. Your SAT is absolutely great, congratulations on that! A 1530 is right in the ballpark for almost every school except for like Harvard and CalTech. Your EC’s certainly put you in a fantastic position to establish yourself as a unique applicant/candidate for top tier schools, and if I were an admissions officer for any of your schools (except for maybe Columbia or Duke or Cornell) I feel you would be a shoo-in. For those three you would be a reach/target just because of their very small acceptance rates, so there’s really no saying because even the best of candidates get rejected from those schools from my personal experience. Chance back? Thanks and good luck!
@piffthemagic_dragon
Absolutely. One question tho, what’s an Airbender?
@kjake2000
I know my GPA isn’t the worst, but I have 2 C’s (APUSH!!!) and that’s what worries me.
@Dogcat73
I would love to have more target schools like American University and others, but the biggest problem is cost. My decisions are either to go to a college I know I will love or go to ASU and pay 8k a year.
The sole defense against the fire nation once they attacked my friend. But, Sokka will always be the GOAT
If you’re worried about target schools I have a few suggestions:
UMD college park - very highly respected university in STEM with OOS of $47k per year total
UPitt - very heavy financial assistance and merit scholarship offerings (full rides!).
Purdue University - this would be more of a safety, but their STEM (specifically engineering and math) are ranked at the top of the country; about $38k or so OOS (you might need to check that # specifically but it’s around there)
UIUC - another top STEM school; $46k a year total
2 C’s in two quarters or two semesters? What gets reported to colleges?