Hi, would guys please chance me for UT Austin, Rice, and/or Cornell and Columbia GS? Thanks.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi, I’m a 21 year old male attending a Texas CC. Intended Major is Philosophy with English minor, with the ultimate goal of attending a top-twenty law school.

BACKGROUND:

If you feel it would be helpful, please feel free to read my story on my profile page. Briefly put, I was homeless periodically since age 12 until 18. From about 18-20, I worked in the oilfield while dealing with my dad’s medical issues. At 20, just before my 21st birthday, I finally broke into the world of the academics by earning my GED (Honors).

ACT: 32

(Math brought me down, got nearly perfect scores in the other sections. In response to this, I’ve taken math in CC so I can score higher on the ACT math section. I have taken one math, gotten an A, and am about to take the second math. Since the ACT tests college readiness, and I have done college math now, I will do better. Just assume it will be a 34-36? I will retake it, and trust me, I will get a 34-36.)

GPA: 4.0

LOR: 4 letters, each powerful and unique.

One letter by my HS counselor who knew me back when I used to sleep in a van. Naturally, it is an emotionally charged letter with his full backing and support. Also, I forgot to add, I have three outstanding letters from my professors.

EC’s and awards:

Honors College member

Honors College Scholarship winner

Stayton Scholarship for Writing winner (published author in poetry and non-fiction)

Peer tutor for English/Composition and Rhetoric

Coauthor for my professor’s PhD dissertation,

***(Part of my professor’s dissertation deals with critiquing the English abilities of immigrants. Therefore, I am not a research collaborator, as I understand it, but a legitimate coauthor. This seems most obvious in that I have produced the entirety of chapter four of his book, which he proceeds to comment on in chapter 5, and which will soon be published at University of Houston-Downtown.)

Phi Theta Kappa member

Editor-in-chief of newspaper that spans the college system that I attend, (8 campuses in a major city)

Thanks for reading all of this. Please let me know what else I can do.

2

First of all, can I just say that reading this made my day. It is inspiring and amazing how far you have come, so congrats! I am confident you will get a 34 or higher the next you time you take your ACT. Your GPA is perfect, EC’s are great, and you have a compelling hook/backstory. Also, I am not 100% certain but I’m pretty sure that transferring from a CC to a 4-year school has higher acceptance rates than applying to those colleges straight out of high school. To be very honest, I would be surprised if you DIDN’T get into any of these schools. Good luck! You have a very bright future ahead of you :slight_smile:

3

You have a very good shot at all the places you listed. Your narrative is quite compelling. Columbia is always on the reach side, but I’d be surprised if you didn’t get in to at least one of the four.