Is it possible to get into a top 10 school with a 4.0 GPA and 28 ACT being a first generation student, international and URM?
The 28 is problematic. Depending on the college, the URM/first generation may certainly help, but for most colleges, a hook will not overcome stats far below the average.
Is this just a hypothetical question for giggles? According to your other posts, your own ACT is a 29.
Yeah mine is a 29 (30 superscore). Was debating with my friends today about how much hooks could help an applicant so I came here to ask. Which college will the URM/first gen help?
Spend more of your time working on matches and safeties. Just because you can get into a top school doesn’t mean you can make it through. Apply to a couple of reaches if you like.
OP,
There’s been research on this. In one co-authored study (from a Princeton researcher and another from the Andrew Mellon Institute), those who are accepted to elite colleges would earn the same even if they had attended a college a bit lower. Someone who is accepted to Yale, for instance, but attends the state flagship instead (say, for financial reasons) will earn the same amount of money over her lifetime. This supports what we know using common sense: it is the person who makes things happen, not the name of the school.
The one exception to this is URMs. The boost they get from attending an Ivy or Ivy equivalent is huge: the networking, the skills (not just academic but also social), the degree (of course!), etc. is significant.
Yes, a 30 on the ACT and a 4.0 will be a powerful combination, and it could lead to offers of admission at top schools, but one’s overall portfolio will have to be strong.
Check out the decade-long results thread that is stickied under the “What Are My Chances?” area. You’ll see some examples of students who were accepted to elite schools with sub-30 ACT scores. Again, caution. GPA and test scores are only part of the admissions equation.
As an FYI, the 30 only “counts” if the college superscores. Relatively few superscore ACT, compared to SAT.
correct, very few superscore and when they do, they do a modified super score where they superscore sections, not composite.
Schools that superscore ACT
Stanford
Amherst
Duke
Schools that superstore ACT and recalculate composite
UChicago
Johns Hopkins
Cal Tech
Just a few so I’d have to disagree with @JayZee21
Noticeably missing are the “old school” ivies…it’s hard to move forward.
Duke, stanford doesn’t superscore composite. They superscore sections, not composite. read my comment carefully before judging me! What you are saying is what I said. Ugggh! Just trying to help people. man, I might quit this thing. why cant we all just get along and help each other reach our goals? And, do it wiithout tearing each other up?
It’s ok if someone disagrees with you on this forum. :)>-
u r sooo right! have a great day! :)>-
There are approximately 139 colleges that superscore ACT and or SAT. There are 4,627 colleges in USA. So that is only 3% of colleges that superscore in some form. When looking at 4 year degree granting universities, its 3,039. That’s 4.4%. Still very few and I think that represents very few and a small number.
True but this thread is about top 10 schools, so closer to 30% for those.
Ha ha. you are right again. My mistake! I thought is was about First Gen and URM. Have a good one!