<p>I am about to embark on the hazardous journey that is the college application process and I would like some advice about my chances at my 3 favorite schools. Of course, I have safeties, but would love to attend Dartmouth, USC, or NYU.</p>
<p>-white upper-middle class male from Georgia
-difficult, small private school
-2120 SAT/30 ACT (10 Essay on both)
-SAT II: 720 Literature, 690 Math I
-toughest classes taken, 9 AP classes taken by graduation
-3.62 unweighted GPA
-ECs since 9th grade: 4 one act plays (all lead roles); 5 musicals (lead roles for 3, chorus for 2); Student Government officer 10th, 11th, and 12th grade; Student Court 9th and 11th grade; Habitat for Humanity; Spanish Club; Jazz Ensemble (soloist); Classical Quartet
-Summer experiences: Assistant Director of a Kids Day Camp summer after 9th, 10th, and 11th grade; acting program at Yale after 11th grade</p>
<p>Oh, and despite my drama experience, I'm applying to CAS at NYU, not Tisch</p>
<p>low gpa/sat. no chance for dartmouth.</p>
<p>what about NYU and USC?</p>
<p>I know two people who got into Dartmouth will lower sat's than you, dont worry about that, however, your GPA is kinda low....what is your weighted GPA? I think USC will be a match/slight reach.</p>
<p>Dartmouth: pretty big reach
NYU: match - reach
USC: match - reach</p>
<p>NYU and USC are possible...although your GPA is holding you back. Your SATs are average for those schools, so it's going to come down to the way you present yourself and your essays/recs. Good luck.</p>
<p>no, his SAT scores are definetly ABOVE average at USC and NYU</p>
<p>NYU:
Avg SAT: 1240 - 1420
Avg ACT: 27-31</p>
<p>Granted his scores are closer to the top, they are within the 50% range, which means they aren't going to be something that makes the admissions say "he's in," they're just helpful. They need to be above the midrange to have a strongly positive effect on his app.</p>
<p>USC:
Avg SAT: 1270-1440
Avg ACT: 28-32</p>
<p>USC is higher, so you get the drift.</p>
<p>wow, 3.6 gpa? I've never heard of someone with that low gpa, sorry... Apply to community college NOW!</p>
<p>all i said was that his scores were ABOVE the average at USC and NYU, and i was right. He is very close to the 75th percentile(the middle 50% goes from the 25th to the 75th percentile), which means that he is above average.</p>
<p>ahh i see...well then that's good, that puts me a lot higher up than i thought i was.</p>
<p>school doesn't weight gpa at all. :(</p>
<p>I think you have a very good shot at NYU and USC -- and I wouldn't rule out Dartmouth either. Your scores are pretty good, but think about trying to raise your SAT II scores. Either take the Math test again or try some other tests. Your unweighted gpa isn't terrible for a tough school -- perhaps you can bring it up a bit senior year. </p>
<p>You have good ECs, but even your acting experience and Yale summer program might not cut it (I'd sure accept you at Dartmouth though I love thespians). Stay involved in all your activities and work on bringing up your grades and test scores. I think you have a shot at all three schools, but keep in mind that Dartmouth is very different from USC and NYU in terms of location!</p>
<p>Dartmouth will be tough, but why these three? Dartmouth is shiny-happy community atmosphere while NYU is rough city, big school, little community. Dartmouth for me was heaven on earth, NYU would be my worst nightmare. I think these choices could not be more opposite.</p>
<p>I agree with slipper that NYU and Dartmouth are like night and day. I can understand the appeal of wanting to be in NYC, but as far as your experiences at these 2 schools they could not be different. My d, a current Dartmouth student took classes at NYU when she was in high school and she did not even want to entertain the thought of going there for college (I am a NYU grad and currently back again for graduate school). </p>
<p>Dartmouth prides itself on the strong sense of community at the school, whereas NYU is not a school for the faint of heart or a person who really needs a lot of contact with professors/ other students because a lot of days it is sink or swim.</p>