It’s a 3.5, but since this year I had to take lower grade classes to graduate nex year I will take AP’s. But won’t they also look at how I had a major upward trend. I went from C’s to A’s that will help me right?
If they look at an upward trend they’ll also take into account that it’s from less rigorous classes. You can apply and see what happens. Do you live in NY? What other schools are you applying to?
I’m also applying to Fordham and st John’s as well as community college, the fact that I have 5 AP’s, won’t that help when it comes to rigor, I mean it wasn’t my choice that I had to take lower grade classes and my councolor will mention that as well as my special circumstances.
If your counselor includes a note about your mom’s illness I think colleges will take that into consideration. Five APs at once seems like a lot, especially if your background is weak. As long as you have some safeties on your list you’ll be fine. Have you looked at any of the SUNYs?
I did look in those, we have a house in New Jersey about half an hour away from Manhattan so I will be applying close to where I live.
I think partly the issue is that although you will take 5 APs next year, as @austinmshauri points out it seems a stretch with your current background and it’s not a lot for NYU. How this affects your application will probably depend how you are doing with those APs when you submit your application.
Just as a point of comparison - my daughter actually did get into NYU this year with a 3.5 unweighted. And she also moved countries, in her case just before high school. However, she had a number of honors and AP classes, she had good extracurriculars (various awards over 4 years, captain in senior year), her ACT was within range for NYU, and she applied ED. Moreover, her school is known for grading harshly, and most of her AP scores were 5 with one 4. With all that, we still considered it a low reach/reach, and she had almost all her match/safety application essays written and ready to submit when the ED decision came out. So - apply, but be realistic.
You are fully pay? And can apply ED? And applying to what major?
IMO your focus now/over the summer should be working to improve your SAT scores. If the scores don’t come up significantly consider some test optional colleges.https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional/state
We are fully paying, I am applying early decision I and I will major in biology.
Thank you @SJ2727 I understand that 5 AP’s may not be alot but in my old school they were not offered and this year I could only take 1 IB course as I have to get enough credits to graduate, so wouldn’t that be something they will take into consideration?
@MarMarBunny02 The college admission cycle is becoming more and more competitive. Take a look on the NYU thread from this past cycle to get an idea of some of the stellar applicants who were rejected. Do you have a chance? Maybe. You are asking the AOs to consider many circumstances which maybe seem extenuating to you but won’t be to them and you don’t want to appear whiny about your situation as many applicants have obstacles and circumstances that’s aren’t ideal but it’s how you deal with them that counts.
You should apply to NYU if it’s a top choice for you but make sure you have safeties that you would be happy to attend as well.
IMO if your family is able to be full pay to a school like NYU I don’t see where extraordinarily difficult circumstances will come into play in terms of your SAT score. People apply with much more difficult circumstances than yourself. Yes, all the moving around may make some schedule glitches understandable since different school systems have different graduation requirements, different academic sequences etc. However, the SAT remains an issue – the SAT covers pretty basic math concepts (no pre-calculus, no calculus) and if you don’t have those concepts down there is little chance you will be accepted, especially as a STEM major.
The bottom line is - yes, all your circumstances will be taken into account but as @happy1 says you still need to get some kind of minimum. Even for HEOP applicants I think the SAT scores are usually above yours. Again, I point you to the test-flexible policy in case there is another option you will be able to use - you obviously won’t have any APs, it’s unclear to me if you will be able to use any IBs , but there might be one of the options available. However, if it is indeed correct that the math concepts are the problem then none of those alternative test policies are going to be sufficient either. It may be worth getting a math tutor and not just a SAT one. What level math are you actually doing at the moment?