<p>I am a junior from Kansas who is moderately to severely hearing impaired, I am taking a moderately difficult schedule (3 APs, with 4 next year), I have a 3.8 uw gpa (b/c of six B's freshman year), and 4.35 weighted gpa (about 30/390). I have received straight A's since sophomore year, If you discounted freshman year grades, I would have 4.5 weighted GPA. I plan on getting 2150+ on my SAT(210 on PSAT), and 33+ on my ACT. </p>
<p>I have decent ECs (lots of work experience and volunteer stuff, some leadership), and am doing very well when it comes to AP Exams (5 in EURO as a soph). I plan on majoring in some type of business (Finance, Accounting) or engineering. </p>
<p>I just want to get your opinions on how much I will be able to use my hearing impairment as a hook, considering that I have functioned very well socially and academically despite this???</p>
<p>P.S. I am looking at
Reaches...
UPENN
MIT
Columbia</p>
<p>Matches...
CAL-berkeley
Michigan
NYU
Emory
Texas-Austin</p>
<p>I would take UC-Berkley, NYU , Emory and even Michigan (It has been deferring students with great stats this year) as low/high reaches unless you nail the essay’s. </p>
<p>And hearing impairment is definitely a hook … tell your counselor to mention it in her letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, I looked back on my PSAT and I made several really stupid mistakes, including not filling in the bubble when I circled the right answer, I wanted to be modest in terms of the SAT, but I am definetly gunning for 2200+.</p>
<p>Chances look pretty good, but Berkeley OOS is definitely a reach. Also, there’s a huge dropoff in your school choices, I would make sure that your safeties are places you genuinely would like to attend.</p>
<p>As for being hearing impaired, I cannot see you using it as a hook. It may be an edge if you really sculpt your ECs and essays around it, but that’s probably the best you can do with it. Maybe do something unique to help out people with similar hearing impairments.</p>
<p>It’s not a “hook” per se. It’s an interesting feature about you but it’s not as if schools are needing people with this attribute. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Keep Michigan on your list. In my state, at least, it has not been terribly hard to get in . Your grades and SAT should make the cut. In state may be a different story. Friends son and his classmates all ( as in many) got in to UM with less than 2000 SAT’s and are freshman this year. No merit so they are paying full OOS tuition.</p>
<p>Hearing impairment may not be a hook, though, it is a disability that you have overcome or compensated for.
FYI- there are scholarships for hearing impaired by some of the hearing aid manufacturers. Ask you Audiologist about this as she’ll have to fill out the application. Google and see if you can come up with them.</p>
<p>If you can’t afford the public colleges in your list, don’t apply to them. No public colleges except for U North Carolina and U Virginia guarantee to meet 100% of the documented financial need of accepted students. Remember that even with those colleges, what the colleges think meets 100% of students’ need may be far less than what families believe they need.</p>
<p>Most public colleges have little financial aid to give out of state students and even for in state students may meet on average 60% of students’ documented need.</p>
<p>If finances are a concern, apply to at least some schools that you know you’ll be accepted to and can afford. For many people, this means including a safety in-state school within commuting distance, and that might be a community college.</p>
<p>Hooks are students with talents or probable majors that colleges need. This could be football players or students with strong backgrounds in underserved majors.</p>