From safeties to high reaches, What are my chances?

<p>Hey Guys! This is my first post and I know my my application won't be as strong as these other CC'ers. But please, help me out!</p>

<p>Please chance me for these schools:
- U Rochester - Amherst
- NC State - Penn State
- UT Austin - Northeastern
- Boston U - Emory
- Boston C - U Chicago
- Syracuse -Carnegie Mellon
- LSU (safety) - DePaul
- TCU - Purdue
- NYU
- U Virginia</p>

<p>Feel free to list other colleges if you think they are good matches. Would really appreciate it.</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<ul>
<li>3.4 GPA (low, I know. This is mostly due to my grandmother's move to the states. While here, she was diagnosed with 2 diff types of cancer. We were in the hospital almost every night. Tough times.) UW GPA should be way higher though...</li>
<li>27 ACT ( just retook it on SATURDAY)</li>
<li>SAT II French (800) Math Level II (750)
-Very rigorous courses... all Honors+AP</li>
<li>Top 20% of class</li>
<li>Senior classes: Calc, AP English IV, AP World History, Chem II, possibly BIO II</li>
<li>Am taking classes at my local college next year</li>
<li>I'll be getting ahead this summer by self teaching CALC</li>
</ul>

<p>Extra Curriculars:
- Own job
- Hospital Volunteer
- Salvation Army Volunteer
- Public Library Volunteer
- CPR Trainer
- National Honor Society
- National English Honor Society
- Mu Alpha Theta
- Science Club
- French Club
- Health Academy
- HOSA
- Soccer ( High School 4th best Nationwide) (Select, one of the top teams in state)
- Helped collect supplies and donations to send to father's struggling radio in Africa.</p>

<p>EXTRAS:
I'm an African male, bi-lingual, and come from a low income family, if that helps lol.
I want to major in Neuroscience, become a neurosurgeon and help cure diseases while also focusing on helping 3rd world countries.</p>

<p>I forgot to put my AP scores: English(3) French(5)</p>

<p>State of residency?</p>

<p>I live in Louisiana</p>

<p>Cmon guys, I’d really appreciate any help!</p>

<p>It’s hard to chance without SAT scores. Since you’re in Louisiana, I’m assuming you have some native fluency in French b/c for most people, AP English is way easier than AP French. Just know that admissions officers will not view foreign language proficiency as highly if it is spoken at home. I’m not sure about the rest, but UChicago and Amherst will be hard reaches.</p>

<p>Your GPA and ACT are kind of low, but your SAT subjects are fairly good, and you seem to have a rigorous curriculum, and demonstrate passion. Since you aren’t aiming for HYP, either, I think you’d have a great chance of making many of the schools you plan to apply to. I am not that familiar with state schools, so I can’t chance individuals, but I can say that you have a good app for where you plan to go.</p>

<p>Where did your GM come to the states from? Personally, I’d aim high if you have the science and math grades and write your essays very carefully. You’ve got a great geographic hook (Louisiana is not a huge exporter of students) and a potentially great family hook.</p>

<p>First off, guys, thanks so much for helping me out here. </p>

<p>Lol at the talk of my race. I guess it is a hook. My grandmother came here from Burkina Faso and I’m definitely trying to up my ACT scores. This is true about Louisiana not sending many kids to big schools. Everyone here is down in the dumps.</p>

<p>Also, on more question. Do Ivy League colleges seem completely out of question here?
As in Upenn, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth only. Not the others as I know my gpa is way too low.</p>

<p>Dartmouth, Penn and Brown are your best bets for holistic consideration. Consider Dartmouth ED I’d that would be a school you’d think would be a fit.</p>

<p>Getting into any Ivy for me would make me so incredibly happy and Upenn is a great school.
Thanks for the feedback!
I will also be trying to pull my gpa up in the first semester of my senior year.
I have 2 classes from my middle school are on my high school transcript that are bringing down my gpa. I want to have those classes taken out. Anyone have experience with this?</p>

<p>Don’t worry, most colleges barely - if at all - consider freshman grades.</p>

<p>Getting into any Ivy for me would make me so incredibly happy and Upenn is a great school.
Thanks for the feedback!
I will also be trying to pull my gpa up in the first semester of my senior year.
I have 2 classes from my middle school are on my high school transcript that are bringing down my gpa. I want to have those classes taken out. Anyone have experience with this?</p>

<p>A black person who comes from a low income family who didn’t do as well because he was too busy caring for his sick grandmother. You wanted to do well but couldn’t due to these factors however you tried really hard (as evident by your rigorous classes) and want to help people. You needed to get a job due to low income but still had the time to volunteer at the salvation army.</p>

<p>I’d say that a slightly higher GPA would be VERY beneficial. </p>

<p>Ultimately the lower ivies are on the table because they accept people holistically. I’d say all the colleges you stated are on the table and with proper emphasis on the right things you have a decent chance at them.</p>

<p>I think that because of your troubled story you have a chance but make sure colleges know about it, maybe write your essay about it.</p>

<p>UChicago and Amherst are probably gonna be the hardest schools to get into for you. Have you considered Questbridge?</p>

<p>No, though I’ve heard about quest bridge, I don’t really know exactly what it does nor how to apply for it. </p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback everyone!</p>