Columbia ED? Chance me: low stats Blk Female.

Demographics:
First-generation American
First-generation college
Black female
Ethnicity- Ethiopian
Low-Income Background
Competitive Public High School

Stats:
ACT-30
GPA Unweighted: 3.75**(refer to bottom)
GPA Weighted: 4.625
AP: Human Geo(4), Environmental Science(4), Language(5), US History(5), Statistics(5)

AP Classes by graduation: Human Geo, Environmental Sci, Language, US History, Statistics, Calc AB, Calc BC, Art History, Psychology, Literature, and Government

ECs:
-75 hours volunteering for Americans for Prosperity.
Promoted campaigns through the largest conservative organization in the US. Was pretty cool and enjoyed this, this is when I first started getting really interested in politics. Thought the idea of a conservative minority was playful.

-120 hours volunteering at Duke University Hospital System.
Helped manage/organize a high-risk OB-GYN clinic. Did a lot of paperwork and helped with management in the clinic. Sometimes sat in with Doctors and watched them conduct their jobs.

-Spent a summer in Germany volunteering at refugee hotspots and at orphanages that had a high refugee concentration. Worked especially with refugee teens and their mental struggles of being in a new country and the pressure from their parents to perform well (a struggle that I share). Wrote an article about this.

-Participated at Economics for Leaders Summer Program at Wake Forest University.
Pretty cool experience got close to a lot of the program leaders and people at the university.

-Part of the youth committee of a local Ethiopian community organization.
I help newly immigrated Ethiopian teens get adjusted to their life in America as well as get adjusted to the American school system.

-Very active in a club called DECA. It’s a business/marketing club.
VP and Historian of my school’s chapter. 3rd place Districts. Two-time State Finalist. 3rd Place States. Many more awards for recognition in testing and interview. Competed at the International level. Was part of the State Social Media Team and am an International Social Media Correspondent.

-Questbridge College Prep Scholar

NOTE** My UW GPA was a 3.9 until the last semester of junior year. My mother is bipolar and she had a lot of emotional triggers that caused me some trouble during the second semester. By the end of the semester, I was actually homeless for a little while and my mom also left the house. We’ve recently reconciled but I live in a very dysfunctional household.

Personal Note: I intend to major in American Studies, and go to law school after that. The awkward household structure, income background, and ethnic background have given me a strong interest in America and government. I really want to do American Studies because it encompasses everything of what it means to be American and American life.

My recommendations seem like they’re going to go pretty well. I know my counselor gave me an amazing recommendation, she knows about the circumstances that I have been through and told me that she highlighted them in her letter.

hello? anyone able to help?

Your application looks pretty good and I think you have a good chance if you explain why your GPA is low in the additional information section.

Your stats and grades look fine to me. Given that you are first generation immigrant, your GPA and test scores will be viewed in context.

Most of your chances hinge upon how well you can convey your ethnicity and how you can add to the community.

I wouldn’t call an ACT composite of 30 as ‘low’. Its 95th percentile for goodness sake. This is pretty darn good for a first gen student IMHO. Overall I think you stand a decent chance. Just make sure to work on the essays and convey how you are a good fit for the school.

Best of luck