Chances? I need a different perspective here :)

Colleges & Universities A-Z New York University
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<p>Background:
Indian (help or hurt..dunno)
PA resident
- attended a school in the suburbs around Philly
- sends few grads to ivy league or top-tier schools</p>

<p>Classes:
All classes have been AP when available, or honors
Just a brief overview:
Spanish 1-5, with Spanish 5 being my Senior Year
AP Euro - 10th (only one I could really take, unless I wanted to do something like AP Bio instead of my architecture elective)
AP US History (4) - 11th
AP Eng Lang & Comp (4) - 11th
Senior Year Lineup:
AP Calc
AP Psych
AP Physics
AP Eng Lit
Honors Spanish 5
Architectural Drafting</p>

<p>My electives have always been gearned toward design and architecture, such as Photography, Senior DVD Production, Architectural Drafting, and Design and Illustration, but recently I'm considering switching my intended major to Psychology. At least my EC's can be considered closer to the latter major.</p>

<p>Grades: A's since 9th grade, except a B+ in photography :/ haha
Rank: 16/700, top 5%
GPA: 4.3 unweighted (i think its above a 3.75 for UNW)
SAT: CR-680, M-630, W- 650 for a total of 1960 the second time around. </p>

<p>taking physics, math 2, n spanish in oct, expecting scores at least over 600</p>

<p>EC'S:
Model UN- attended New York Conference
Environmental Action Club
S.A.D.D./S.A.V.E.
Neshaminy Cares (officer) - volunteering activities
Debate Team - placed 6/32 in Southeastern Pennsylvania Debate League in LD Debate
World Affairs (officer)
National Honor Society (hoping to join Spanish NHS)
Attended Girls State ( selected through school, for a week, americanism/government program)
Attended RYLA (selected through school + local rotary, leadership program for 3 days)
Red Cross Volunteer
Salvation Army Volunteer
MS Walk
March for Dimes (aka march for babies) fundraise
Tour de Cure (diabetes) day volunteer</p>

<p>Work: Panera Bread cashier from Dec 2007-present</p>

<p>Im hoping to apply to the College of Arts and Sciences with the intended major of Psychology. While my class rank and grades are high, my SAT's do fall on the low side. I enjoy writing both poetry and prose and have done well in this respect in my English classes. How much influence do you think my essay could have if well-written? </p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to read, i know its long :)</p>

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<p>I would say that NYU is a reach with your SAT, maybe you should try the ACT instead? If you got your SAT to a 2100+ NYU would probably be a match. If you’re a very good writer, then you can impress the admission officers I guess. Whether you apply ED or RD I still think it is a reach.</p>

<p>An essay can take you off of life support, but it can’t bring you back from the dead. ( In terms of college admissions.)</p>

3

<p>NuclearPakistan1, thanks for the reply :)</p>

<p>I agree that my SAT scores are low. I guess I should be trying the ACT after all!</p>

<p>But do you , or anyone else reading this, know the distinct difference between the SAT and the ACT other than scoring?</p>

4

<p>there is a science section on the ACT lol.</p>

5

<p>D did much better on the math section. SAT was about 89%ile in math…ACT 99%ile in math a week later. She said it was less tricky, fewer gray areas, more concrete problem solving.</p>

6

<p>I got only 110 points higher on my SATs and my SATIIs scores were quite despicable and I got in just fine. In the least, you’ll get offered GSP.</p>

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<p>alright, I did a little research on the ACT and now atleast I know what type of test it is. And thats great how her percentile went up so much! I think my percentile is 82…a 92 wouldn’t be so bad :)</p>

<p>I should probably know the abbreviation but, GSP?</p>

8

<p>Well it is called LSP now, and it is Liberal Studies Program. You can just use the search button, but it is a good program that you are put in for 2 years out of 4 at NYU, and you are given most of the opportunities other students at NYU are given too. One difference between getting put in LSP and normal NYU, is that in LSP you’re giving a certain courseload that you are required to do, so there is basically no freedom in the courses that you take. It is kind of remedial, kind of not. I am very Machiavellian in my cognition and believe that the ends justify the means. So I guess at the end someone who started with LSP and someone who started normally, get the same degree at the end.</p>