<p>Uh so I've been following this site for a little while and I finally want to ask a chances question</p>
<p>I'm currently a Sophomore at the University of Vermont as an English major/religion minor</p>
<p>my current cumulative gpa: 3.72</p>
<p>My semester gpa is looking to be a 3.95 maybe lower. I'm taking 6 courses though with As in 5 and an A- in the 6th.</p>
<p>I have one shining recommendation and will have a second by the spring I'm pretty sure.</p>
<p>My college ECs are actually outstandingly less than what I did in high school.Mostly because I decided to shift focus to my education rather than my co-education. I am, however, a judicial member where we hear residential life cases and judge on them. I also am in the honors college for my school. I perceive this to be a weak area for me but I hope to start a Scholar's Bowl club and perhaps write for the school newspaper</p>
<p>My essay should be fine.</p>
<p>My high school gpa was: 3.68 I think. Its been a while.</p>
<p>Now here is a kicker. My sat scores were a bit mediocre for the schools I'm looking at now.
690 verbal. 590 Math. 580 Writing. Those are roughly the scores if I recall. I could retake them I guess but I don't really have the time or money to put into it.</p>
<p>Now the schools I'm looking at. I'm going to apply to Brown, John Hopkins, and NYU.
I've also been recommend Cornell and University of Chicago. But I really don't have the finances to go crazy with transfer applications. </p>
<p>I very much enjoy UVM and think it is a great school. My primary motivation for applying is that UVM is only an hour from where I've lived my entire life and frankly I'm getting tired of living in Vermont and would like to get out. So I thought I would apply to some upper level schools with the hopes of getting out but wouldn't be crushed if I didn't.</p>
<p>Also I hear financial aid can hurt your chances at Brown. I'm a first generation college student and my family is on the upper-lower end of the financial spectrum. I want to say its below the 70,000 level but I'm not entirely sure on that point. I went to UVM because I got a full scholarship to the school on applying early action my senior year of high school. So what is the deal on that? </p>
<p>So yeah any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to keep this from becoming an obsession but I also don't want to half-ass my applications.</p>