Chance URM With Horrible GPA

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a junior. African-American, male, first-gen status. I also reside in VA.
Sophomore Year: 3.57 GPA, 2 Unweighted Honors Courses.
Junior Year(Current):Finance A, Spanish 3 B, Physics Honors A. AP Macroeconomics B, AP Microeconomics B, AP English Language A, PreCalculus Honors B, US VA History A
Unweighted GPA:3.57 Weighted GPA:3.71 My school doesn't weight honors.
Cumulative GPA:3.31 I had problems freshman year which brings down my GPA, I had a 2.7 that year but I will explain in an essay and so will my counselor so that colleges know its legit.</p>

<p>EC's: National Business Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America (Vice President), Science Honor Society, Freshman Basketball (Captain), JV Basketball (Co-Captain), Winter Varsity Track & Field, Spring Varsity Track & Field, DECA, Junior Math Team, Senior Math Team, AAU Basketball, Travel Soccer. Teach Kindergarten Sunday School every week. Volunteer at local library. I will probably gain more leadership positions as a Senior.
I have excellent recs, from the hardest teachers at my school one who has a PhD.</p>

<p>SAT's: 2020 (going to take again in the fall) Math:710, WR:710, CR:600. I still have to take Math Level 2, Physics, and maybe Literature.
I will major in Economics. I want to go to a prestigious program but I don't know my chances.
Schools I plan on Applying to: Penn, Cornell, UVA, VTech, James Madison, William & Mary, Boston U, Boston College, Fordham. Can I get in? Thanks</p>

2

<p>I don't think that a 3.47 GPA unweighted qualifies as horrible--especially with a 2020 SAT score to go with it, and very good ECs.</p>

<p>Your chances as a URM:</p>

<p>Penn/Cornell-Slight Reach
William and Mary/Boston College--Match to Slight Reach
UVA (in-state)/Fordham--Match
VTech/Boston Univ--Safe Matches
James Madison--Safety</p>

<p>If I were you, I'd go to UVA if I couldn't get into Penn. </p>

<p>UVA's McIntire Commerce School is ranked by Business Week as #2 in the county and by USNW as one of the top 7 business schools. Also, they have great economics professors in that department (which is not in the Commerce school) as well (my son took both an economics course and an accounting course at UVA during last summer). Placement to firms in Washington, D.C. and to New York and to Philadelphia is great.</p>

<p>And, of course, Penn's programs are top-notch--and unlike Cornell, located in a metro area. If you are looking for a smaller school, then consider W&M.</p>

<p>Best of success to you.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, My 2.7 freshman year is still scares me so I would also like other opinions.</p>

4

<p>penn and cornell are going to be more than a slight reaches. even as a URM, 2020 is going to be well below the scores that URM's apply with.
what's your number one?</p>

5

<p>My understanding is that colleges tend to be forgiving of less-than-stellar freshman year grades, especially for males.
Calcruzer is probably the best chancer on these boards. You've gotten good advice.</p>

6

<p>Not only are colleges willing to forgive bad freshman grades, many don't even consider them. UMich, for example, takes only sophomore and junior year. You really have very little need to worry about freshman grades. Calcruzer gives you some great options- it doesn't get much better than UVA.</p>