Hi guys, I am a gap year applicant. Initially I was unhappy with my college selection and combined with my mother’s declining health due to a disease I decided that I should take the following year off and re-apply to colleges. My senior year was also my best year academically so I felt I’d be put at a better shot for college admissions now. I am interested in Biology and pre-medical studies however also maintain a strong interest in International Relations.
I would like to apply to the following colleges:
University of Rochester (possible ED) – open curriculum appeals to me
Boston College (EA)
Emory College of Arts and Sciences (not Oxford)
University of Michigan (EA)
University of Virginia (EA)
UNC - Chapel Hill (EA)
Vassar College (RD)
Haverford College (RD)
University of Southern California (RD)
Hamilton College (RD)
NYU CAS (possible ED)
Colgate University (RD)
Columbia University College of General Studies (RD)
(Safeties would be Fordham and University of Miami)
These are my stats:
UW GPA: 3.45 (3.9 GPA Senior Year, sharp improvement)
ACT: 33 C, 33 E, 28 M, 33 R, 33 S
Full IB Diploma
Extracurriculars:
Started an organization which is working with NGO’s in Pakistan to build schools (put a lot of time into this - it’s my main EC)
Shadowed a Lawyer and a Doctor
School Basketball team
Former Vice President of Chess Club
Executive position in Diversity Awareness
Former head of schools Accounting and Finance Club
Volunteered at a school in my area
Project Manager of Schools Photography club
Participant in a cultural exchange program
There are more, but the one I’m ver focussed on is my organization since it means a lot to me. Overall, how would you all fancy my chances to the above schools?
@123Mom456 my courses were the same as junior year since I was in the full IB Diploma. IBH Biology, IBH Global Politics, IBH History, IBS Lang and Lit., IBS Math Studies, IBS Spanish
I got all A’s in these courses (6s and 7s in my schools grading scale both of which is translated to an A grade)
Recommendation letter is from my Biology teacher who shows how much I improved from junior to senior year as a student and person.
Other rec letter is from English teacher who I got an A with and was really close with throughout.
It’s good to know you pulled up your GPA with the same rigor. Sometimes seniors take it easy and if that was part of the reason for the GPA jump I think schools would see through that.
Why were you unhappy last year? You have mostly highly competitive schools on your list. With a 3.45 GPA a lot of those school are going to be really tough for you. They are really tough for everyone. Even what you are calling safeties, I would consider more of a match. Your ACT will compensate for your GPA a little but and your senior year jump in GPA was good but neither of these will make a school ignore your cumulative GPA.
I would suggest you find some true safeties. Don’t set yourself up to be unhappy again.
What is your home state and budget? Maybe you can get some suggestions for true matches and safeties.
@123Mom456 Well I was accepted to both University of Miami and Fordham already with scholarship which is why I noted them as safeties. Home state is NY – cost is not a factor. I was overall unhappy with the schools I picked, and my mother’s situation forced me to take a gap year. I also felt I could do better with my grades now
GPA would be a major issue for most of the top schools on the list even with a strong upward trend. Does it look better without freshmen grades? If so, you may want to look at the schools that recalculate your GPA without freshmen grades.
@billcsho Eh nah, my grades were pretty consistent from Freshman to Junior year, with the major spike being in senior year. Which schools would be reaches or matches with these stats?
USC, UMICH, UVA, UNC, Columbia, and schools in these caliber are all reaches. Providing you can get a 3.9 GPA in senior suggesting the low GPA is not due to your school policy. For instance, the admission average GPA at UMich is 3.87 while the 75th percentile is near 4.0.
Thanks! @Tufts1500 which colleges do you think I have the best shot at? Vassar, NYU, URochester Hamilton would be ideal because I get to stay close to home