Chances at RPI

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm just curious as to what you guys think. I'm going to be a senior in September. White male from a public high school in Buffalo, NY. For whatever it's worth, I'm going to only be 17 my first year of college because I was skipped a grade.</p>

<p>I sent my scores to RPI, CMU, USC, and SUNY Buffalo. USC is nice, and I wouldn't mind going there. I put CMU as a filler and I really don't want to go there all that much. All my brothers went to SUNY Buffalo, and my cousin has a Ph.D from there. RPI is the school I really have wanted to go to.</p>

<h2>Class Rank</h2>

<p>Between 3 to 5 out of 300</p>

<h2>Academics</h2>

<p>Our school only offers APs senior year unless you're enrolled in BioChem.
We get graded in the 0-100 manner.
My GPA is 4 for all 3 years so far, but I get like 97 or 98 out of 100 as my overall average usually. I take Computer Science and had a 97 in it this year, and next year I will get my CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) certification. I'm good in all classes, and I will graduate from HS with an Advanced Regents Diploma next year.</p>

<p>Next year, I'm going to be enrolled in AP Calc because I asked to skip the normal Math 12 course and be enrolled in AP Calc.</p>

<h2>SAT</h2>

<p>I took it once,
680 Reading
630 Math
680 Writing -- 10 essay</p>

<h2>Extracurricular</h2>

<p>My school is on the other side of the city, so there's not much to do there other than a few programs like JROTC that only certain people are enrolled in.</p>

<p>Officer of the Chess Club,
Website Club,
C++ Tutor,
National Honor Society,
and I may join Golf Club next year.</p>

<h2>Awards</h2>

<p>Not many awards to be had. Nonetheless, I did win the Rensselaer Medal, which awards a $60,000 scholarship should you decide to go to RPI. I do want to go to RPI, and therefore, I believe this should up my chances. </p>

<p>I can get extremely good recommendations from teachers because I actually talk to many of them very frequently. I think I can get the best one from my Comp Sci/Calculus teacher because I spend about a third of the day in his room either working on programs or just spending free time there.</p>

<p>So, do you think I have a good shot?</p>

2

<p>The math SAT is kind of low, any way you can retake it? With a high SAT score you should be able to get in easy. You're at what, a 1310? If you can crack 1400 or even higher your chances will skyrocket.</p>

3

<p>The SAT for me is really nerve-wracking, so I'd rather not take again.
The math section doesn't even feel like math when I take it, more like I'm reading a riddle book and I need to solve it super fast. : (</p>

4

<p>Well, it would be quite a reach without getting the scores up. 630 is below the 25th percentile for RPI. Your verbal is solidly in their range though, you're only 10 points below the 75th percentile.</p>

<p>The Renssalaer Award will help your chances I'm sure, but they're not required to accept you and I would seriously consider retaking the SAT. My brother got into RPI (didn't end up going there) and had the award, but his SAT scores were substantially higher. A math score like that will really be a red flag getting into RPI. What math course did you just complete?</p>

5

<p>Algebra 2, with a 97 final average, and a 99 last quarter. I'm now going into AP Calc and I've studied calc. on my own, so I'm expecting a 90 or higher in that class as well.</p>

6

<p>I don't think the SAT tests anything higher than Algebra 2, if you get a book and do some practice math problems and maybe use a timer, you should be just fine raising the score. Your GPA is great, but GPA is so unreliable because it changes literally student to student as every teacher, every school, every county grades completely differently. RPI admissions will see the 630 and not be too pleased. If you were a minority or had a really stand-out hook you'd have a shot, but really there's not much to distinguish you if you can't get the scores up. Even if you don't retake the SAT, definitely apply, because the award might make the different between you and some other candidates. People do get in with scores below the 25th percentile (a quarter of all the students, in fact!), but really to be below it you've got to show that you should be at RPI.</p>

<p>Your essays are going to have to be fantastic as well. But really there's no reason you can't raise the math score. Obviously you shouldn't just take the advice of some stranger on the internet, but you'll give yourself a much better shot with a higher math SAT score.</p>

<p>Best of luck either way!</p>

7

<p>Thanks a lot, I appreciate it.</p>

8

<p>To anyone who knows, do you think applying early admission would help? I plan to show them that I really want to go to their school, and I want to know if this would be a good way of doing it.</p>

9

<p>i think you`ll get in. I live in rensselaer and your gpa seems much higher than many students at RPI.. one thing i suggest... up those EC's!</p>

10

<p>Yeah, EC is hard where I live. This city is very much a low-income crime haven. My school is in the worst part of it. There aren't a lot of places to volunteer at, but I know next year I'm going to write for the school newspaper and maybe volunteer at a local hospital or something.</p>