Thinking of applying to Boston Uni and College, Emerson, American, GW, Georgetown, NYU (ED 2), Fordham, Columbia (ED 1), Rutgers, San Diego State, UCLA, USC, Occidental
Ethnicity: White
Location: Norcal
Prospective Majors: Creative Writing and Foreign Affairs
GPA: 3.86 unweighted/ 4.24 weighted
ACT: 34
AP’s: 4 European History, 4 Human Geography
AP Courseload:
-Freshman: They don’t allow us to take AP’s then
-Sophomore: European History and Human Geography
-Junior: Language and Composition, US History, Spanish, and Biology
-Senior (requested courses): Literature, Calculus AB, Econ/Gov
Honors Courseload: (Our school doesn’t offer that many honors courses but I will list what I have)
-Sophomore: Honors Spanish 4
-Senior (Requested): Honors Philosophy
EC’s
-Varsity Tennis since Freshman Year (Currently Team Captain)
-CSF since Freshman Year
-BSA (currently Life Scout waiting for my Eagle Application to process in committee)
-Founder and President of the Creative Writing Club
-Op-Ed Writer on school paper
-Platinum writer on TeenInk with an Editor’s Choice award
-Columnist on Balance the Ballot
-Co-Founder and Captain of school Quizbowl team
-Self-studying Russian and French with elementary proficiencies in both languages
-Near-fluent in Spanish
-Tutor at local youth center
Summer Activities:
-Exchange student at a Spanish school in Barcelona
–Lived in the city with a host family
-Attended Columbia University’s Master Class in Fiction
-(Prospective): Looking for a public internship that will incentivize the use of Spanish
-(Prospective): Applying to California Boy’s State
-(Prospective): Fitting in a college course either over the summer or next year on History of Film 1950-2000 or Art History.
Do you have any budget limits at all? Are you fine with being full pay or have you run the NPCs? Do you expect to run up any debt at all for the schools that you are applying to?
I’m seeing a long list of expensive reach schools–and whenever I hear a teenager declare, “My parents can afford it,” chances are, it’s wishful thinking. Even for well-to-do parents, $300k for a bachelors degree is a stretch. I recommend REALLY talking to your parents about what you can afford. Also, take some time to build a list of in-state match and safety schools that you would be serious about.
Assuming that your parents can afford any college:
High reaches:
Columbia (ED 1),
USC
Georgetown
UCLA
Reaches:
NYU (ED 2)
Boston U
Low reaches:
Boston College: You are on the high side of their mid range, and acceptance rate is 27%
Low reaches/high matches:
Emerson: higher than average GPA, top 25% ACT, and 36% acceptance rate
American: higher than average GPA, top 25% ACT, and 35% acceptance rate
GW: Average GPA, higher than average ACT, and 40% acceptance rate
Occidental: higher than average GPA and ACT, 37% acceptance rate
San Diego State: average GPA, top 25% ACT, 34% acceptance rate
Match/low match:
Fordham: GPA above average, ACT in top 25%, 46% acceptance rate
Low match, possible safety:
Rutgers University (top 25% stats, 60% acceptance rate)
So you really need a 100% safety, fewer reaches, and more matches.
If you work more than 10 hours per week, then it is likely to significantly impact your ability to do well in your classes. I think that you would be far better off to attend a less expensive university, rather than try to balance a job and full time study at a demanding university.
You have many very good in-state universities in California.
I think this list focuses a bit too heavily on OP’s stats. Aren’t college applications reviewed more holistically nowadays? Some of the ECs are pretty good and should up the chances at the low reach/high match schools. That aside though, I agree with the need for a 100% safety (based on GPA or test scores).
For unhooked (not a recruited athlete, donor, legacy, faculty brat, URM, etc.) kids at the most selective schools, it’s stats first, “holistic” including EC’s second.
Your stats and scores are within the range for all of the schools. It will come down to holistic review and whether or not they need someone like you.
The pattern of schools suggests that you want to be in a big city, so it makes sense that Columbia ED1 is your first choice. Just note that double majoring at Columbia is very difficult to do, mainly because of the Core. Also note that there is no foreign affairs major/concentration at Columbia. The closest thing would be political science.
Given your interest in foreign affairs, might you instead consider the Columbia/Sciences Po program? This is a lot easier to get into, and your profile seems to be a good match.