I am currently a senior in high school and am applying to Princeton for regular decision. My father and uncle are graduates of Princeton and donate annually. We are also members of the Princeton Varsity Club.
My high school GPA is not that strong, 87/100 (my school does not do a 4.0 scale for some reason). I have completed 3 AP classes over the last four years (AP US Government, AP US History, AP Spanish).
Knowing that my GPA was a weak point, I made sure I studied hard for the ACT and got a 31.
-28 English
-27 Math
-34 Reading
-33 Science
About me:
-Of pretty diverse background (family coming from Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Turkey, and Northern Europe)
-Quadrilingual
-Interested in studying international relations, linguistics, and Spanish language/culture
Extra Curriculars:
-Varsity Football (Nationally ranked for my position, garnered several Division I offers and interest from big time football
schools)
-Varsity Ski Team (Co-Captain)
-Frequently travel to Nicaragua for volunteer work. I donate school supplies to school children in small towns that need
them. Planning on extending my work throughout Latin America.
-JV Volleyball (Freshman Year only)
-Administrator and system operator of Hoopedia, NBA.com’s own Wiki page. I began work on the site around 9 years old
and was given these titles around age 10. The site was unfortunately removed from NBA.com within the last few years.
-Member of the school’s International Club
-Member of school’s SADD club
-Member of school’s ski club
I feel I should also mention that I do not have subject tests, something that is listed as a requirement on the website. I contacted the school via email and they said they will still consider my application even without the subject tests… but I can’t help to think how much that will hurt my application.
I know how hard it is to get in even with legacy. But I’m just wondering what do you guys think my odds are at getting in? What about any of the other Ivies or similar schools?
Unfortunately, I assess your probability of acceptance as low, notwithstanding your legacy status. Your GPA and ACT composite score are simply not “Princeton competitive,” in my opinion. Furthermore, having taken no SAT II subject tests – in direct contravention of Princeton’s admissions requirements – will not be favorably perceived (admissions may indicate your application will still be “considered,” but remember your father is a donor/alumnus and the university would hope not to alienate him). To summarize, this year Princeton will deny thousands of applicants with NONE of the foregoing deficiencies; you can draw your own conclusions.
However, were the Tiger’s Football coach to advise admissions that he wanted you to play, that would likely be a significant “plus.”
I apologize for my discouraging conclusion, but I’m reasonably confident it’s correct.
Can you explain why you did not take the required subject tests? I simply cannot understand how someone could go to all the years of effort and then not complete the requirements stated on the application.
Your best bet would have been recruitment. Unfortunately, your GPA and ACT are both mediocre for a school like Princeton, and your lack of subject tests will negatively impact your application.
My counselor gave me some pretty bad info saying schools take the ACT with writing in lieu of SAT subject tests… Which is true with many schools. But I’ll take blame for that as I should’ve looked in further with each specific school I applied to.
If I go to a prep school and do well, I’m hoping it could give me a chance to improve my GPA, take some more tests, and get my extracurriculars up. I feel that may be the best route because I know transferring from say a state school to any of the Ivies is very difficult.
I’ve taken the ACT twice. First time was junior year with no preparation. Then I took classes over the summer and it raised my score significantly to a 31.
If you are willing to dedicate a significant portion of your time during a gap-year for studying ACT (and GPA), gap-year is not a bad alternative.
HOWEVER, keep in mind that schools of calibers of Ivies will question what you have done during your gap-year. Also, if once rejected, it is extremely difficult to re-obtain your admission.
I think its a reach school for you. The GPA is alright, the ACT is okay, but your academic profile doesn’t set you apart and highlight you. Your extra involvements are good, but I don’t know if its “Princeton-good,” you know? Good luck!
Don’t base your chances of getting into Princeton on some random people from a website. It’s good to get second opinions, but it’s your choice ultimately. If you want to apply, apply! Anything can happen. good luck!
Why not a PG year playing football. If you have received division 1 offers I’d be surprised that the Princeton coach is not interested. Why are you not telling us what the coach thought?
I think its unlikely, but I hope you leveraged your connections to Princeton well. If you are very intent on Princeton, consider the gap year, and try to get a 35/36 ACT to cover up for the GPA.
good luck!