Do I have any chance of getting into this Ivy League?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey all,

Just a quick preface:
I know there’s no legitimate way to calculate one’s chances at any given school, we don’t know what they’re looking for this year, yadayadayada. That said, I’d like some input if anyone’s willing to give it. Thanks!

Here’s the deal — I didn’t do too well in high school. I was undoubtedly capable and in the most modest way possible, naturally stronger than my peers in most of my classes. I almost always understood the material and participated in class discussions. But I often failed to turn assignments in, study for tests, or sometimes, even bother showing up at all. I have no satisfactory excuse to justify my shortcomings, I just didn’t prioritize my school work. As a result, my GPA reflects a B average (I think?) and my SAT scores aren’t anything special (1200-1300 range). That’s why I’m sure this next part will probably make me sound insane.

I applied ED to an Ivy League. I know, I know.

On the surface, this is a no-brainer. Of course someone with subpar grades and test scores won’t get into a school with a 5-6% acceptance rate, right? I’m not (too) naive and I’m not clueless, so I understand that the cards are stacked against me.

On a more optimistic note:

I think that my Common App essay and supplementals are pretty good if I do say so myself. I spent a ton of time on them, and have received praise from multiple college counselors. Writing has always been my strong suit (so I’ve been told), so I feel pretty good about those. Please forgive me in advance for this next part, I have full confidence that it’s gonna sound obnoxious.

I have really impressive extracurriculars, and what I think is a pretty cool story about how I spent a month working alone as a journalist using skills I had learned in a college course a few months before. I flew out alone to cover a story, and wrote an article about it. That’s a big part of my common app essay. The professor from the course I had taken the year before wrote a letter of rec for me.

I have ties to the particular school I applied ED to. I’ve been on campus many times, have attended multiple information sessions, added myself to the email blast, and done just about everything I could’ve possibly done to show demonstrated interest.

Finally, I have a letter of rec from the dean of one of the graduate schools at the school I applied ED to (the grad school is part of the same university and they share a campus). I sat in on several of her lectures recently, and talked about them in my supplementals. I’m not sure how much weight this will pull (if any), but I figure it can’t hurt, right?

Based on all of that, do you think I have any shot at all? I want to be realistic, but I can’t get that "what if?” Out of my head.

Also, I’d appreciate some advice. I’d considered (on the recommendation of my counselor) mailing the school a letter to address my less-than-satisfactory grades. I wouldn’t make any excuses, I’d simply state that I bit off more than I could chew with extracurriculars and kinda out school on the back burners. I’d say that I’ve learned to prioritize my studies (which I believe I have), and that I genuinely believe I’d do well with the school’s curriculum (which I do). Do you think that would come across as arrogant? The last thing that I wanna do is further sabotage my chances, but I feel weird not addressing my grades at all. Any input would be much appreciated, thanks a ton!

And to all of my fellow applicants — I wish you nothing but the best! Try not to let this process overtake you (:

2

On one hand, I would like to tell you that you’re chances are not zero because you applied, but on the other hand, I would say that due to your GPA and test score, it may be a difficult task if you are not hooked (and even then, it would be difficult).

I think as someone wise and knowledgeable about admissions told me is, that ED is not an opportunity to go FAR and wide and shoot for the stars, but to grab a certain “lower” reach that is obtainable and that you desperately want to “seal the deal” and not “try your cards” kind of idea.

What you submitted now is done, so don’t read or fret over your essays because there is nothing you can do to change it. Many students say their essays are “great” but more often than not, the essays may not be what the colleges are looking for - and I’m not saying that yours are (and they may be phenomenal) but this is just to show how difficult it is to gauge it based on the information you gave.

P.S A “B average” can defer by many many high schools.

3

Many students could have done better gpa-wise if they’d only turned in papers on time or studied harder or taken more AP classes. The schools don’t judge your application on what could have been but on what is actually on the paper in front of them. Your essay topic does sound like a good one, but one essay isn’t going to make up for a 3.5 or a lower SAT score.

You took your chance. Now you wait (but apply to other schools too)

4

I don’t think you should send a letter to the school. Your ED application essentially says that you think you’d be successful at the school (hence, why you applied) and the fact that you didn’t prioritize school and put it on “the back burner” is obvious in the stats (either that or you were working to full capacity and had a B average and lower than hoped for SAT. Either way, not the most ideal for a school with single digit acceptance). So you wouldn’t be adding anything by sending a letter other than pointing out your discomfort with the grades. If it were that important you could have discussed that issue in your essay, but I think you chose a much more interesting topic.

Let you efforts stand on their own. The school will either agree with you or not.

Of course you have a chance – not a big one, but no one does and it’s still a chance! Good luck to you!

5

A letter won’t help (and likely won’t be read as your application probably won’t make it past a cursory screen) but with the odds of success being what they are with anything close to a 3.0 (“B” average) and 1200-1300 SAT you have nothing to lose, so send it in if it will make you feel better.

6

Sending a letter to explain your grades won’t help. It will probably hurt. If you indeed have a GPA in the range of 3.0 and 1200+ SAT, then I think your chances are very low. There are students who are admitted with stats in this range, but they are typically recruited athletes, or development cases. Even URMs with your stats are unlikely to get admitted to Ivies with the stats above.

The best thing you can do now is to start looking at realistic ED2/RD options. Looks at colleges where your stats are in the solid 50-75th percentile. And then start working on your essays.

Best of luck

7

Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re going to blow them away with a totally AWESOME essay. You’re competing with kids who have perfect grades, perfect scores, and totally AWESOME essays. You’ll be amazed at how completely identical these applications are. If you really want to, you could send an application, but it probably won’t get past the initial computer-automated screening.

8

Grades and test scores are weighed the most heavily by colleges. Great ECs or essays are not going to compensate.

Do not waste your time trying to send a letter.

Rock your applications to your match and safety schools, that are based on your stats, not what you believe to be your potential.

9

1

10

I don’t think “I’m smart but didn’t put much effort in” is the right message to send to these schools.

11

“B average”
“1200-1300”

Forget about attending an Ivy League school. It isn’t going to happen. You need to think about what you will be doing next.

Do you really want to attend a highly ranked university? Do you want to completely turn your study habits around 180 degrees and start working very, very hard at school?

You are still very young. Universities know that some students start off slow or distracted, but then get their act together and start doing well.

One option is to start at community college and then try to transfer to a pretty good university. We probably need more information to suggest any other approach at this point.

However, if you attend any school from now on, you should take your studies seriously starting today.

12

Wasted application fee.

13

There are so many wonderful colleges where you be so welcome as a student. Please get those applications done too.

14

Assuming the college is Columbia, based on your other post, it does not consider demonstrated interest.

15

Unhooked kids with B averages and SAT scores in the 1200’s don’t get into Ivy League schools. Those applications get weeded out on first screen 100% of the time. Sorry OP, not trying to be mean about it, but that’s the way it is.

16

I don’t think this is the type of student elite colleges hope to enroll. Most of us here go to work every day. We can have the best of intentions, but at the end of the day what matters is the effort we put in and the results we got. We may regret it when we don’t get the raise or promotion we wanted, but people aren’t rewarded for intentions. Find affordable schools that are good fits and apply yourself wherever you end up. You Might be able to transfer to a school you like better after you’ve shown you can do the work.

17

Sure, your chances are not great but why not? Not everyone has the best time in high school, thats what college is for!
You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take. If you want to show this college your essay and send in the application fee, thats your choice, you are more than welcome to. The application and high school process, in general, are stressful enough as it is. Send in the applications, even the reaches! Just make sure that you also have some back-ups though too, of course. Best of luck to you!