Chances? School Ideas?

<p>Hi I'm new to this site. I come from a small town on Long Island where everyone is sheltered from reality so I don't really have a good concept for the level of schools I should be applying to. My guidance counselor is always just saying "Just go for it", which doesn't help me. And most of my teachers are too nice to honestly tell me my chances. Thus, I have arrived here.</p>

<p>Major: Architecture (mind has been set since 9th grade)
Ethnicity: White
Sex: Male</p>

<p>SAT I: 1940
Reading: 600 (terrible day, terrible scores, re-taking)
Math: 730
Writing: 610</p>

<p>SAT II
US History: 710
Biology-M: 780
Math II: 790</p>

<p>ACT: 32
English: 30
Math: 34
Science: 32
Reading: 30
Writing: 29</p>

<p>(Only have accurate Junior Year grades right now)</p>

<p>GPA
Unweighted: 4.0 (97.2%) **Not sure how conversions over 100% work
Weighted: +4.0 (104.3%) </p>

<p>Rank: ~2 out of 215
(however I am working hard to take down the girl ahead of me. lol)</p>

<p>AP Classes:
(took all AP classes available to me, except AP Chem; hated the teacher)
Last Year: World (4)<br>
This Year: US (4) Biology (5) AB Calc (5)
Next Year: Art, BC Calc, Literature, Stat</p>

<p>Junior Year:
AP Bio: 98
Gym: 98
Portfolio: 99
AB Calc: 100
Arch: 99
Health: 98
Spanish: 96
US: 96
English: 97</p>

<p>EC:
2 Years JV Golf
2 Years Varsity Golf
1 Year Track
2 Years Basketball
2 Years Foreign Language Club
2 Years Interact Club
Protein Modelling Challenge
2 M3 Math Challenge
3 Years Float and Homecoming Comittee
4 Suffolk County Math Contest
4 Years Math Team
2 Years Set Painter for Drama
Students in After School Enrichment Program in Science
Antartic Ice Core Study
Assistant Girls Basketball Coach
4 Times Camp Counselor
Make A Wish Fundraiser
Hospital Volunteer
Relay For Life
Math Tutor
Coastal Clean Up
2 Years Scholar Athlete
4 Years Honor Roll
Youth Art Showcase
4 Years Superintendent's List
Honor Society
President of Honor Society
*Potential Internship at Architecture Firm</p>

<p>Approx Community Service Hours: 320</p>

<p>Portfolio:
Its coming along. Not as good as it could be. I intend on doing a lot this summer. A lot of the assignments given in class are very 1 dimensional so I am hoping that I can become more artistic outside of class. Concentration is still undecided. Thinking about doing different interpretations of the journeys that life takes you on. Seems kinda cliche though so I am waiting for more inspiration.
A couple of my things from my breadth
October</a> Still Life on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Fruit</a> Still Life on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Winter</a> Walk on Flickr - Photo Sharing!</p>

<p>Recommendations:
I have one coming from my Art Teacher, Math Teacher, Science Teacher (?), and Assistant Principal.</p>

<p>Strengths: Math, Art, Science
Weaknesses: English, SATs, Standarized tests in general, upper middle class</p>

<p>My Dream Colleges Would be Cooper Union or Cornell. I think those are very high reaches though. Also looking into Carnegie Mellon, Northeastern, and RISD. I have had a slow start on the college search. Any ideas? I am looking to stay in the Northeast.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>I recommened Brandeis and BC.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any idea if Cornell AAP is too much of a reach?</p>

<p>if you can bump your sat score to 2200+ (which isnt impossible considering your act score of 32), than you should be a match for cornell. in fact, i wouldnt be surprised if you got in with a 2100+, considering your gpa and class rank</p>

<p>syracuse (upstate NY) has a well regarded architecture program and it could work as a low safety (you're pretty much IN, no doubt) for you.</p>

<p>interestingly, i got a friend with about the same scores as you (gpa, sat, internship with prestigious firm, but not rank because we dont rank). He also wants to major in architecture and he's considering: Rice (in Texas), U Michigan-Ann Arbor, UIUC (illinois), and the UCs (namely UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSD), along with Cornell, columbia, and syracuse.</p>

<p>i'd say those schools all have pretty well regarded Architecture programs. With your stats i can say you can def. consider syracuse and uiuc as safeties. Rice, UMich, UCSD as targets. Cornell as a high target. and UCLA, UCBerkely, and Columbia as reaches. </p>

<p>those are just my two cents. </p>

<p>oh and theres also a forum on top best architecture programs: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/architecture-major/217754-top-architecture-programs.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/architecture-major/217754-top-architecture-programs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>hope that helped!</p>

<p>I think you have a good shot at Cornell also. UVA and Virgina Tech are supposed to have excellent programs also. Best of luck!</p>

<p>I have a science teacher that offered to write me a college recommendation. He really likes me because I drew a picture of his dog that he had to give away (seeing eye dog) and apparently everytime his wife looks at it she cries (good thing?). He is a really smart guy and a Cornell graduate but I had him as a teacher in 9th grade for Advanced Living Enviroment (a mandatory waste of time). Do you think I should have him write me a recommendation? Will it get me any "bonus points" (lol) with Cornell?</p>

<p>increase the SAT and cornell is very doable</p>

<p>I agree with others about Cornell... try again on the SAT and it's for sure far from impossible. Also, Syracuse is an excellent other option. I have a friend there for architecture who adores it and has never been happier.</p>