Didn't do well my junior year... but chance me for NYU, UCLA, UMichigan, UIUC, and BU.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Screwed up my IB junior year real bad… but still, be honest with me. What are my chances?

Freshman Year - 4.0 GPA overall
Beginning Orchestra: A/A
PE: A/A
World History Honors: A/A
French I Honors: A/A
Adv. Algebra II TEL: A/A
English I Honors: A/A
Biology Honors: A/A

Sophomore Year - 3.8 GPA overall
PE/Driver’s Ed: A/A
AP U.S. History: B/A (4 on exam)
Intermediate Orchestra: A/A
Pre-IB English II: A/A
Pre-IB French II: A/A
Pre-IB Alg II/Pre-Calc/Trig: A/C
Pre-IB Chemistry: A/A

Junior Year - 3.0 GPA overall
Theory of Knowledge I - B/B
IB World Literature I HL - B/D
IB Biology I HL - B/B
IB French I SL - A/B
Advanced Orchestra Honors - A/A
IB Calculus I SL - B/B
IB History I HL - B/C

Senior Year - 4.0 GPA as of now
Theory of Knowledge II
IB Music SL
IB Calculus II SL
IB Biology II HL
Symphony Orchestra Honors
IB French II SL
IB English IV/World Literature HL
IB History II HL

*Planning on applying Regular Decision

Extracurriculars:
Club Editor of Key Club
Dance Club (3 years)
Film Production Club (2 years)
Ultimate Frisbee Club and Trading Card Club (both 1 year, useless ECs)
Classical Pianist (11 years)
Violinist in #1 School Symphony in-state (3 years)

SAT score: 1230

Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Filipino/Italian/Hawaiian
No hooks

*Suggested that I have ADD from my primary care physician as of this year, for some strange reason it really pushes me to get straight A’s this year (if the test does come out positive I want to write my common app essay surrounding how I overcame that disadvantage)

I feel as if I doomed myself with these stats. Currently, I think I’m WAY below their standards.

I’m not even looking to major in something too academic. I want to do something that dwells in music (sound engineering, music production, etc.). Honestly, my dream job is to be a music producer, or even going further, a composer for films. What do you think my chances are?

2

UCLA is out of reach (you can calculate your UC GPA) as is UMichigan.
NYU and BU don’t sound as impossible but they don’t have good financial aid plus they have “preferential packaging” so your odds are low you’d get a scholarship making these affordable.
Are you instate for UIUC and can your parents afford 35k?
What’s your budget ? Your EFC?
Have you run the NPC on these?
What are your matches and safeties?

If you’re a good musician, look at Belmont, St Olaf, and as a reach USC Iovine.

3

UCLA: Reach
SAT score and GPA are below average.

UCLA uses the UC GPA calculation which only includes 10-11th grades: https://rogerhub.com/gpa-calculator-uc/

GPA and test scores of middle 25%-75% students

High School UC GPA: 4.13 - 4.31
ACT Composite Score: 30 - 34
ACT English Language Arts :28 - 32
SAT Evidence Based Reading & Writing: 640 - 730
SAT Mathematics: 640 - 770

4

BU would likely be admitted to CGS.

5

Your current GPA is 3.6 with a downward trend. It is low for UMich. Your test score is also way below 25th percentile at UMich. It is out of reach for you from OOS.

6

@lbjons9950 Can I ask a couple of questions?

For music composing/sound design there are a lot of good music, sound design, music production programs that are not at “top academic” schools.

If I were you I’d do a lot more homework on schools with good music programs that fit your stats. SAT optional schools might make sense as well.

If you like SoCal, Chapman has a good, wide ranging music program. - performance and studio/recording. You’re stats are on the low side, but not out of the question. Cal State Northridge too. And many more.

The 1230 will hinder you more than your GPA I think. Have you considered trying the ACT? How much did you study for the SAT. You can’t do much about your GPA but if you can up your boards, you’ll have more options.

7

UIUC and UIC are my safeties.
Both of my parents have been unemployed for about a year (but my father used to make $100K+ per year, supporting both of my sister’s tuitions of $20K and $40K per year, and has been searching for another job since lastDecember

This may sound dumb, but can you specify what makes my application out of reach for UCLA and UMichigan (grade-wise, SAT, ECs, or all of them being under-qualified)?

8

UIUC and UIC are my safeties.
Both of my parents have been unemployed for about a year (but my father used to make $100K+ per year, supporting both of my sister’s tuitions of $20K and $40K per year, and has been searching for another job since lastDecember

This may sound dumb, but can you specify what makes my application out of reach for UCLA and UMichigan (grade-wise, SAT, ECs, or all of them being under-qualified)?

9

I will answer why UCLA is a Reach.
Using the grades you posted, your UC GPA capped weighted is 3.65 and Fully Weighted is 3.69. UC’s only use 10-11th grades in their GPA calculation and having a downward trend is not helping.

25th percentile - 75th percentile of admits:
Fully weighted UC GPA: 4.29-4.58
Capped weighted UC GPA: 4.13-4.31

Freshman admits based on Capped Weighted UC GPA but not major specific:
Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 3.40-3.79:
UCLA: 3%

25th - 75th percentiles for SAT:

UCLA: 1280-1500

You are below the 25th percentile for GPA and test scores. UC’s are very stats oriented so you are just not competitive at this point. Your EC’s and essays are considered in your application review however, but it does not make up for the lower grades in Junior year.

What UCLA considers important in their application review:

  • Los Angeles

  • Very important: Academic GPA, Application essay, Rigor of secondary school record, Standardized test scores
  • Important: Character/personal qualities, Extracurricular activities, Talent/ability, Volunteer work, Work experience
  • Considered: First generation college student, Geographical residence
  • Note: GPA, test scores, course work, number of and performance in honors and AP courses most important. Essay considered. Strong senior program important. Extracurricular activities, honors and awards also reviewed.
10

There’s something called the CDS, which shows the qualifications of all admitted students.
You can use that you gauge whether it’s a safety, match, or reach. If you’re among the top 25% and the university admits 40% or more, it’s a safety. If you’re near top 25% and the university admits 30% or more, it’s a match. If you’re at the average, or regardless of your stats if the university admits fewer than 25%, it’s a reach. If you’re at or below lowest 25% for stats it’s a super reach to out of reach depending on where exactly you stand (bottom 25%? bottom 10%?)

The CDS (as well as the OOS profile) shows us that for UMichigan, an OOS student needs 1400+ on the SAT and 3.8 unweighted to have a shot. They admit fewer than 30% OOS applicants. In short, totally out of reach.
For UCLA, the CDS shows that average UC GPA is 4.33 (no D allowed and pretty much staight A’s in 10th-11th grade) and average SAT (which counts less than GPA) is 1350. They admit fewer than 20% applicants. So… totally out of reach. No regrets: they don’t offer financial aid for OOS students.

Look again at the numbers in the first paragraph:
UIUC is not a safety for you.
Their average SAT is 1345. Their bottom 25% is 1260. Yours is 1230 superscored: In other words, UIUC is a reach if not super reach for you.

In Illinois, universities that would be reachable reaches include IIT in Chicago and Illinois Wesleyan. For good matches, Bradley, Loyola Chicago, DePaul, Millikin, UI Springfield, UI Chicago. For safeties, SIU Carbondale, SIU Edwardsville Aurora, McKendree, Blackburn.

Now, for schools known in the music industry:
Chapman’s average SAT is 1205. They only admit 54% applicants and the Music-related majors are harder to get into. That makes Chapman a high match to low reach.
Belmont’s range is 1050 for the bottom 50% and 1250 for the 25% threshold. They admit 80% applicants (although the Music industry-related majors are WAY more selective). Due to your major of interest, it’s a low match.
Georgia State has a strong program in music production and is relatively easy to get into, you could get considered for Honors College (although it’s a long shot: 1360SAT average, 3.85 weighted GPA). Deadline November 15.
http://honors.gsu.edu/
Also good for that field: MidTennesseeState U. Look up “Bragg Mass Coommunication”. You can major in recording with a minor in Entertainment Tech&Music Industry. There, you’d be likely to get into Honors College.
http://www.mtsu.edu/honors/index.php
Also look at Texas State or Lawrence Tech.

RUN THE NPC on all of them

UIC is more of a match to low match than safety. While it’s not excellent for your chosen major, it is more likely to be affordable. I’d definitely add Belmont after you run the NPC to see if it it’d be affordable. (Also, Belmont is a conservative Christian college, in case that matters. The other listed above aren’t religious).

Another hurdle is cost: your parents paid 20K a year when they were making 100K a year. Now, they’re unemployed, so their savings are all going toward surviving day to day, not college savings. In other words, there isn’t as much money as when your sister attended and there are no savings either. You’re not in the same situation she is. Therefore, you need to find colleges that will be affordable.
You thus need to run the NPC.
NPC would have told you UCLA would cost your parent 65K, no financial aid. With unemployed parents, it’s just not possible. (You, as a freshman, will be allowed to take 5.5K.)
You need a net cost that’s as low as possible. Places where you can either get instate tuition or honors college with scholarships.

You have one hook (Hawaian) and that typically tips things in your favor all other things being equal. That would likely help at Chapman, Belmont, Georgia State, MTSU, and especially Lawrence Tech.

11

UCLA gives no financial aid to OOS students . It is out of reach academically and financially.

12

UMich OOS admission rate is around 20%. Admission average GPA has been 3.87 in the last couple years. The mid 50 SAT of the latest admission cycle was 1350-1530. EC is only considered and would not rescue your low GPA and test score.

13

UCLA and UM are highly selective and GPA and SAT scores are the most important factors. Last year UCLA had 100K+ applications. I think applying to either school is a waste of money, to be completely honest. That being said, there are so many awesome schools that you’re a great fit for. You’ll find your place.

14

You’re definitely gonna wanna pick one of those and do ED, but NYU at least might be in reach

15

Oh also, look into Syracuse, could be great for you. They have a wonderful music production/business program.

16

@lbjons9950

There is really only one way for you to realistically go to UCLA (or any Cal school, really, unless you have funding you have not indicated.) That would be to move to LA (or someplace in CA) attend a CA community college as you establish residencey, get good enough grades at the CC to transfer into UCLA once you get enough credits.

This is not an easy route. Many CA kids try it, only a certain number make it. You will have some costs (moving to CA, paying to live while attending CC) but they will be less than or similar to less expensive colleges. You will need to be prepared, however, that you still might not get to transfer into a UC and will have to complete your degree elsewhere. Cal State Northridge has a very good music dept. for instance, and you could transfer in there, perhaps.

But that is a big step and a bit of a gamble (and even instate UC tuition is not cheap, but if you are an emancipated student with no assets there might be aid available. Others will know better.

I would really explore the affordable Illinois pospects before I took a big move like that.

17

@CaliDad2020 : California only considers the parents’ residency. So, in order to qualify for instate tuition, OP AND THEIR parents would have to move to California and all would have to work for 12 months without enrolling in any class (including op). Enrolling in community college before a year of work would indicate “moving for educational purpose” and nixes any possibility of residency for tuition purpose.

18

@MYOS1634

My understanding is OP would have to emancipate and could move themselves alone if they were self-sufficient. I didn’t realize they would have to move with parents - but I’m certainly no expert. (I do know of two young people who have moved on their own and done it, so there seems to be some way. I guess they did not take classes until after a year here.)

But it is not easy in any event and is not a very smart strategy if you have other options, unless you are planning to relocate to CA after graduation anyway. Then it maybe worth it to just take the plunge and start making contacts. But the CC to UC (or Cal State) option is not easy at all.