Good match?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Boston University
1

<p>Hey guys, I was just wondering if I have any shot at getting into Princeton, Cornell or UPenn. My math schools are looking like BU, GWU, and maybe Northeastern (not sure), while my safety is Rutgers. So do you think BU would be a good match for me?</p>

<p>I plan on doing engineering.</p>

<p>I go to a very competitive private high school in New Jersey.</p>

<p>I guess I’ll just list some stuff and you can let me know if you need anything else to tell me my chances.</p>

<p>white male</p>

<p>SAT I: 2020 690 CR, 630 Math, 700 Writing
SAT II: Haven’t taken any yet but plan on doing Math, Chem, and Eng Lit</p>

<p>GPA: 3.9 UW I did incredibly poor freshmen year and had to work instensely hard to get my grades up. I don’t know if they’ll see that but the self-improvement was immense</p>

<p>Rank: top 10</p>

<p>Junior year coursework: Honors English, Honors Chem, Honors Alg2/Trig, Ap US History, Honors Spanish 3</p>

<p>Senior year: AP Eng, Honors Physics, Ap Art History, Ap US History, Honors Precalc</p>

<p>Taken 3 courses at a local community college, intro to philosophy, sociology, and American Government and Politics, looking into another one.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Academic Team- Captain</p>

<p>Robotics Team-builder and participant when we won the 2004-2005 state championship</p>

<p>New Jersey Regional Science Fair-participant</p>

<p>Spanish Honor Society- helped fundraise and tutored students</p>

<p>Model United Nations</p>

<p>NJ Boys State representative</p>

<p>Intramural Basketball League assistant coach/player</p>

<p>Chess team</p>

<p>Interschool Ultimate Frisbee League- Co-Founder, captain of a team, and player</p>

<p>American Cancer Society Relay for Life-helped organize and set up event</p>

<p>Worked at Afterhours Formalwear</p>

<p>Awards:</p>

<p>· The Elmira College Key Award, 2006
· Excellence in Spanish 2 CP, 2004-2005
· Excellence in English 2 CP, 2004-2005
· Honorable Mention in Eastern Civilization CP, 2004-2005
· Excellence in English 3 Honors, 2005-2006
· Excellence in United History 1 Advanced Placement, 2005-2006
· Honorable Mention in Spanish 3 Honors, 2005-2006
· Rutgers Science Fair Student Award, 2005
· National Spanish Examination Certificate of Achievement and Merit¸ 2004-2005 and 2005-2006</p>

2

<p>BU is a match for you.</p>

3

<p>BTW that should say "my match schools are" not "math schools."</p>

4

<p>BU will most likely accept you. it's a match in terms of that.</p>

<p>but visit the campus and learn more about the school to see if it actually FITS you.</p>

<p>and by the way.. is the robotics thing for FIRST? what team/school were u?</p>

5

<p>Yes it is for FIRST. Immaculata High School, team 1279, we also won the NJ regional in 06...pretty good for a tema that's only been around for three years.</p>

6

<p>BU is a match but like all colleges these days kids with scores in the mid range, or upper range for that matter, are not necessarily "sure bets". The echo boom generation numbers will drive this for a few more years so I'd say its best to use the reach-match-sure bet standards loosely. NE would be a good safery perhaps with merit aide.</p>

<p>You have a nice ecclectic profile in the EC areas. Are you male and from what state? Good luck and keep us posted.</p>

7

<p>Yes I'm male, which seems to be a disadvantage these days, and I'm from NJ.</p>

8

<p>Being a male is an advantage not a liability these days. The gender ratio is skewed in favor of females at many colleges, including BU. I agree you should see if these schools are a good fit for you in all areas besides academics. Do you want an urban environment? I didn't know GW and American had strong engineering programs. I always think of them as focused on communications, political science, etc.</p>

9

<p>I'm pretty neutral to the setting, I enjoy scenic campuses as well as bustling metropolises, and everything in between. GW isn't really know for engineering as much as BU is, I liked the location of that more so it's just one of those schools I thought I might as well see my chances for before going any further, you know? And as far as I know, American doesn't even offer engineering.</p>

<p>And I only said being a male is a disadvantage because I'm trying to get into ivies, where being a female in engineering is considered a minor hook for admissions.</p>

10

<p>Besides fit, another factor is financial aid. You and your parents should figure your EFC and decide what you can afford to pay. If you have to pay full freight, you might want to look at some schools where your stats will put you in the upper echelon and a possibility of merit money.</p>

11

<p>Yea, I definitely need a lot fo financial aid. My dad is widowed so he's the only source of income and he makes around 40k ish a year. I was thinking BU and other schools would be pretty generous for financial aid.</p>

12

<p>You should do the EFC calculation now. Then research which schools will meet 100% of financial need.</p>