Chances for a student who's first choice is BU

Colleges & Universities A-Z Boston University
1

<p>Okay, I’m a public school student who really, really, REALLY, in the worst way, wants to go to Boston University. Seriously, the anticipation is killing me.</p>

<p>I’ve been reading a lot of the stats on here, and I can’t help but start to feel that I’m just not quite good enough. </p>

<p>Here are my stats, am I wasting my time? </p>

<p>Gender: Female
Race: Caucasian
Desired Majors: Vocal Performance/ Foreign Language Studies (College of Arts and Sciences/College of Fine Arts)</p>

<p>GPA: About 3.4 Unweighted.
Weighted: Not sure how to calculate it, but I’ve seven weighted courses thus far, and three of them are pretty heavily weighted APs.
Class Rank: Hasn’t come out yet, but probably somewhere in the top 25%, most likely about 60 out of three hundred students. </p>

<p>SAT I: 1960
ACT: 26</p>

<p>AP Course Work:
AP World History
AP U.S. History
AP Lang and Comp
AP Lit
AP GOV
AP Music Theory
College Italian
*Started taking advanced Spanish in the middle of Junior Year having never taken it before. Received an A+ was moved up a level in Spanish after a month, and came out of it with a B+ for the year.</p>

<p>ECs: Vice President of Model U.N., served on distrct committee.
Treasuerer of Operation: Respect
Music Manager of Senior Chorus
Editor-in-Chief of Yearbook
Musical Socitey-3 Years.
Drama Club-3 Years.
National Junior Honor Society.
Foreign Language Honor Society
Tri-M Music Honor Society
NYSSMA Participant
All-State Vocalist
All-County Chorus
All-Distrct Chorus
Rock-and-Wrap-it-Up Charity
Organized a March of Dimes Charity.
Member of American Leigon, 11 years.
Relay of Life Volunteer
Various Volunteer work through church, including working the fair for eight years.
Vocal Lessons, focus on opera-two years.
Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts Summer Program-Three Years.</p>

<p>Recommandations: One from a Chemistry teacher who is a Boston University alumnus, and does admissions work for them. One from an English teacher who I did very well with that remains my favorite teacher and had three times. Two supplementals from an Italian Teacher I had twice and did extremely well with, and a Chorus Teacher I had four times. </p>

<p>Essay: One of the strongest parts of my application, writing has always been one of my fortes.</p>

<p>My guidance counselor is very supportive and is writing me a very appraising letter of recommandations as well. </p>

<p>Over all I would’ve liked my GPA to be higher, and I’m still trying to decide whether or not to apply ED. Any imput would be helpful. Thanks.</p>

2

<p>if u want to go to BU, apply ED, but i definately think that you have an excellent chance at acceptance to BU. im not very familiar with CFA and difficulty for CFA, but i think youd be accepted to CAS. college is a crapshoot, remember, but in a world where admissions didnt depend on connections, the counselor's mood, etc., you'd be accepted with no hesitation. keep up the good work, and im sure your recs and essays will put u over the top. btw, i wouldnt worry TOO much about your gpa, it would be nice if it was higher but i know plenty of people accepted with a much lower gpa. dont stress, and remember, if u dont get accepted, you could go to another college for a semester and transfer in. things will work out for the best, so dont stress yourself out.</p>

3

<p>Can you retake either the SAT or ACT? Those scores are more on the CGS level.</p>

4

<p>I think you should look at the CFA Bulletin and talk to someone there about how you can possibly do a dual degree. That's what it would be, not a double major. CFA grants a BFA and CAS grants a BA. The CFA load is heavy; all arts schools eat your time. </p>

<p>So, the first question is where you apply: CFA or CAS.</p>

5

<p>Well, according to the BU Website, the middle 50% range for the SAT I is 1770 at the lowest, and a 25 at the lowest for the ACT, so I'm actually above the bottom middle 50% for both, especially the SAT. I thought that was okay, but I'm really not sure. And yes, btw, I'm retaking both.</p>

6

<p>Much depends on your school. Have kids from your school gone to BU before? How many per year? Find out how you compare. Also I agree you should try to take SATs again to up your school a bit. Your weighted GPA is within the range. Your activities are great. Your recs sound great. Your essays will have a lot of power. Also remember that applying for two majors and programs means two programs have to agree to admit you. Good luck.</p>

7

<p>In our graduating class of 2007, only one girl went to BU. I talked to her, and her stats were similar to mine. I'm not positive, but I'd estimate at least a couple more people have gone within the past few years, based on alumni days they've had and stuff. As far as class of 2007, I talked to a lot of the seniors, and besides the aforementioned girl, I couldn't find anyone applying to BU, so I think the small percentage of attendees lies more within the fact that not many people from my school apply to BU, rather than the fact that they didn't get in.</p>

8

<p>You have a solid chance of getting in but you need to figure out if you're applying to CFA - which requires audition - or CAS, and what that means for your choice of education.</p>

9

<p>I'm going to apply to CAS first, because while music is my heart and soul, academics are going to have to come first. I talked to the head of admissions for CFA on my visit, and she assured me that they could most likely find a way to make my dual majors work, since I'd need to take foreign language courses as a vocal major anyhow. She said if I was planning to dual major with voice and something like physics or math, that would be an issue, but language would make it easier because they go a little more hand in hand.</p>

10

<p>would you recommend applying to the major that you want (business for me) even though you dont think your stats are up to par, because there is that good chance you will be placed into CGS?</p>

11

<p>ok this is for everyone: apply to the school where you want to be placed! if u want to go to smg, apply for smg. if u want cfa, or com, or cas, apply to those schools. if you are not accepted, you will automatically be looked at for cgs. if you don't want to go to cgs, you can always say no to their offer. how much would it suck if u applied directly to cgs and got in when it turns out they were ready and happy to put u into smg? im not going to stop u from doing what you wanna do, but the worst they can say is no, and there isnt any reason not to apply to the school of your choice.</p>

12

<p>Does the number of students from your school admitted to Boston a year ever have any type of influence on whether or not you are admitted?</p>

13

<p>of course aliangel. I completely agree with you. You stated that you can apply straight to cgs, is that true? i don't believe i will do that but is that the case?</p>

14

<p>i believe u can, but unless u really love the cgs program or dont know what you want to major in, i wouldnt apply directly to it. </p>

<p>collegenuts: if youre talking about the number of students applying to BU (not just Boston schools bcuz that doesn't have anything to do with it) then unfortunately, it can. the truth of the matter is that if you took someone who was EXACTLY the same as u stats wise from utah and then u were from mass, they'd probly take the person from utah for the diversity factor. so they dont want an entire high school going to BU because that takes away from diversity, but i dont think youd have anything to worry about. do your best and dont worry about other people, the only person u have any control over is yourself.</p>

15

<p>It doesn't make much of a difference how many students from your school apply - assuming the number is reasonable - because BU looks at the numbers and guesses who will actually go to BU. In other words, let's assume that you fit the BU profile but all the Ivy League possibles apply to BU as a back-up. BU will likely admit all of you, knowing that it won't be first choice for all. That's life at a big school.</p>

16

<p>I see. That was one of the reasons I've decided to apply ED. I want to show them that BU is not a back up for me, but a full-feldged first choice that I'm passionate about. I can always send them my first marking period grades as a supplement when they come put in early November.</p>

17

<p>Ok, I know I'm probably getting a bit annoying with questions at this point, but I have yet another: Assuming I'm applying to the second ED date, how do I make it known that my application is Early Decision? I owuld hate for it to somehow get mixed up in all the rest of them, because, as I said above, by applying ED I really mean to show the admissions office that BU is my first-choice school and I am very passionate about it. Thanks.</p>

18

<p>on the common app suplement there is a place to put early decision</p>

19

<p>There is only ONE early decision date this fall. It's Nov. 1st</p>

20

<p>According to the BU website and a teacher of mine who is an alumnus and does admissions work for BU, there is a second, on Jan 1st, otherwise known as ED II. </p>

<p>I can't think of any reason for why ED II would suddenly disappear, especially since it's still listed on the website.</p>