Chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pittsburgh
1

<p>As a typical angsty high school senior (we all want to be Holden Caulfield), I'm really worried about college admissions, particularly because of my low GPA. So I would like to gauge if I'm even a potential candidate for Pitts. Thanks.</p>

<p>SAT I: Total 2200 [740R, 710M, 750W (11 on essay)]</p>

<p>SAT II: Chemistry (640), History (730), Math II (650), Biology (710) <--taken after freshman biology</p>

<p>GPA: 3.34 (UW 9-11)...I'm too lazy to calculate weighted but Chem Honors(A's both semester), Pre-Calculus Honors (B's both semester), AP Calculus BC (C's both semester), APUSH (C first semester, B second semester), APChem (C's both semester), American Literature Honors (B's both semester)</p>

<p>AP Tests: History (5), Chemistry (4), Calculus BC (4) AB subscore (5)</p>

<p>Senior Year Classes: AP Statistics, Spanish Honors, AP Literature, Physics Honors, Ap Gov/Econ (I most likely will get an A in everything but Lit)</p>

<p>State: California</p>

<p>School: Public (...in Cupertino)</p>

<p>Ethnicity: Indian</p>

<p>Gender: Female</p>

<p>EC's:
1. Violin [2nd place in local Baroque Competition, Five Years Certified by Music Teacher's Association of California (will receive senior award come summer), Played for 10 years]
2. Speech and Debate (4 years, won SCU tournament for parliamentary debate, 2nd place at Rotary Competition, PR Officer)
3. Swimming (Freshman&Sophomore Year, both school&club, won two local competitions for backstroke)
4. Mock Trial Team (Attorney role all four years)
5. Photography Club (Two years, president the second year)
6. Community Service ~400 hours
a. Worked as a receptionist/gave speeches for the housing department/president of the youth club for our local pantry (250 hours)
b. California Scholarship Federation (50 hours)
c. Art Camp Counselor in my Freshman summer (50 hours)
7. Social Psychology Course at local community college in my Sophomore summer
8. Creative Writing Program in my Junior summer</p>

<p>Other Factors: CTY student for four years, GATE, Commended Student for National Merit Scholarship Program</p>

<p>Intended Major: Neuroscience (i hear pitts has a kickass neuro program, which is augmented by its occasional collaboration with cmu)</p>

<p>Hook: planning to pursue law school afterwards, there's a very interesting intersection between law&cognitive science...and it's not really a hook, but interested in starting a fashion magazine in college</p>

2

<p>I was in pretty much the same situation as you two years ago (high SAT, out of state, basement GPA) and I got in. Your SAT score and extra-curriculars are better than mine actually, so I think you’ll be fine.</p>

<p>Good luck regardless!</p>

3

<p>Thank you, your reply was comforting to say the least. My parents don’t want me to apply to Pitts because they want me to attend an in-state university; they want their “money’s worth”. But I’ve fallen in love with Pitts, even though I’ve never visited, I keep on reading reviews haha.</p>

4

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<p>Apply early enough and I’m sure you could get some merit money, enough to at least make Pitt just as affordable as an In-State school. And ignore your parents, YOU’RE going to college, not them!</p>

<p>As a side note, it’s “Pitt”, not “Pitts”. :)</p>

5

<p>Yeah, I know how you’re feeling theillusions. My mom really wanted me to go to SUNY Buffalo because it was in state and I got a scholarship, but I had my heart set on Pitt.</p>

<p>Two years later, the best decision I’ve ever made in my life was coming here. You can’t let your parents decide your life for you, you gotta take college into your own hands.</p>

6

<p>^^^Yes, but parents have financial factors that they have to factor in and this can’t be ignored…unless you are paying the full tuition yourself, that is an important factor in where a student goes to college.</p>

7

<p>I agree with miche.</p>

<p>We gave our daughter a tuition budget for college. If she lived within the budget - great. If she wanted to attend a school that was more than the budget, it would then be her responsibility to come up with the difference.</p>

8

<p>I think our point (mine and thatguy824) was that if you really like Pitt, and have a strong academic record/apply early, you’ll get enough money to make the school equivalent to or cheaper than an in-state school. That way parents can’t really complain about going to Pitt versus StateU.</p>

9

<p>I’m saying go to the school where you think you have the best resources to succeed. For example, I came to Pitt studying Portuguese, our Latin American Studies center is one of the best in the country and Pitt’s program in the language is lightyears ahead of most other universities. Fast forward to now, I have an interpreting internship with a firm that often does business with Brazilians and this summer I’m using the Pitt in Brazil program the school has to study in Fortaleza.</p>

<p>I don’t think these options would have been available to me at SUNY Buffalo. My mom pays the tuition that SUNY Buffalo would’ve cost her, and I make up the rest in loans. In my opinion, it’s totally worth it.</p>

<p>Pitt’s neuroscience program is fantastic. Internships for bio/chem fields are everywhere. Coming here is going to give you a leg up against the competition. It’s worth the extra money in the long run. See what your parents think, and if they still don’t like it, take your future into your own hands.</p>

10

<p>No definitely, my parents understand that Pitt has a stellar neuroscience program and many opportunities for internships and the like; they’re just worried that I won’t receive enough aid for them to afford it, since out of state public tuition is almost comparable to private university tuitions these days (and they would prefer for me not to go out of state >.<)</p>

11

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<p>You seem to have pretty good stats (minus a low GPA, but the SAT balances it out). Have you already applied? Apply Early (now is good).</p>

12

<p>I was intending to turn in my application by Nov. 30, but do you think I should turn it in earlier, like Nov. 1?</p>

13

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<p>Definitely. Turn your application in as early as you can. The big scholarships come earlier, for the most part.</p>

14

<p>Will do; thank you.</p>

<p>By the way how did you quote my message in your reply haha?</p>

15

<p>you do:</p>

<p>[ quote = USERNAME ] QUOTE QUOTE QUOTE [ /quote ]</p>

<p>without the spaces before/after the brackets.</p>

16

<p>i got in!!!</p>