Hey guys! I’m just a stressed gal wondering her chances, please be honest!
ACT: 23, I’m retaking it two more times and I’m aiming for a 26
Weighted GPA:4.4
Major: political science
Race: Black and Filipino
Income: <60k
Rank: 15, Top 10%
I’ve taken all but one social science APs, All English APs offered at my school, 1/3 of the science APs, and 1/3 of the math APs offered at my school. I’m currently taking AP LIT, AP USH, AP GOV, I’m a TA, and AP STATS
Essays: I’m in the top 5% of writers at my school and would say I’m a good writer able to get my personality across!
EC:
I started 3 clubs, am VP of my school, I’ve been on student government nearly all my time at my school, attended a prestigious summer program (NC Governor’s School), multiple volunteer clubs, 100+ volunteer hours, teach Braille, tutor immigrants, was in speech and debate, was in marching band and robotics, I’m in my county’s democrat club, but I haven’t done any sports
Please keep in mind I’m from a rural area with a lower socioeconomic background. Also, no one at my school in the past year made it into UNC-CH.
Any suggestions for other colleges would be great
I would say you are a pretty low/medium match for UNC. While you have great EC’s and hooks, your ACT score really holds you back. That raises quite a few red flags about the rigor of classes at your high school for admissions as it is not very normal for someone 15th in their class to only have a 23. If anything gets you in it is going to be your essays and extracurriculars/awards, as well as your racial status, which I hope you touched upon. And also be very very fortunate that you live in North Carolina since it is significantly easier to get admission. If you were OOS that ACT score would have gotten you a rejection flat out. But yeah, that ACT is a very very low mark that doesn’t seem to correlate with your other stupendous stats. Being curious here, what did you make on your AP Exams?
@blazinblasian Not sure if you ever got my message above ^^, just wanted to see if you did. Also, did your ACT score improve on your retries??
Also, @blazinblasian I would look into NC State and UNC-Charlotte in your state as far as other worthwhile schools that might be attracted your stats. That ACT is going to be tough to get you in anywhere competitive as an RD applicant. I would also delve into test-optional schools. Wake Forest is a prominent one in NC, as well as George Washington University, NYU (to some extent but depends on your AP Exam scores), Sewanee, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Holy Cross, and Bryn Mawr. I really think your academic stats/EC’s, anything aside from that ACT score, assuming that your recs hold up, will get you into any of these pretty easily. But yeah, your ACT makes you pretty weak for nearly any competitive college like UNC that places test scores as important, which is why I really recommend delving into test-optional colleges.
Ditto, what @Pastpower wrote about test-optional colleges. Couple that with a little geographic diversity and some very interesting northern colleges come into play (Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Middlebury, to name a few.) My only caution is that they would still be crap-shoots, so it’s important that you have an economic and admissions safety.
Your ACT score seems low in light of going to NC Gov school, which requires a test score in the 92nd percentile to qualify. What test score did you use to qualify? Did you try the SAT? Some students do much better on one or the other.
Update: MY CHANCES WERE NOT LOW!!! I AM NOW PART OF THE UNC CLASS OF 2022!!! Also, I’m not the best test taker in general but I am a gifted writer
An EOC must be in the 92% not the ACT or SAT.
@blazingflash Wait, you actually got in with a reported 23 ACT?
@blazinblasian: “Chance” means probability or, if you will, statistical likelihood; and your chances for admission were low, given your 23 ACT score. The fact that you were ultimately successful doesn’t change the fact that your statistical likelihood of success was low. Consider that in last year’s Super Bowl, when the New England Patriots were down by 25 points in the 3rd quarter, they had a 98% chance of losing; ultimately they won the game, but that doesn’t change the fact that in the 3rd quarter their chance (or statistical likelihood) of winning was very low.
Congrats on your acceptance. I stand by my comment of needing a test score in the 92% or above for NC Governor’s School. It seems as though you had an EOC of 92% or above.