High SAT low GPA hoping for a top 30 school?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Gender: F
Location: New Jersey
College Class Year: 2018
High School: Public
High School Type: sends many grads to top schools
Will apply for financial aid: Yes</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.30
GPA - Weighted: 4.50
Class Rank: top 50%</p>

<p>Scores:</p>

<p>SAT I Math: 710
SAT I Critical Reading: 690
SAT I Writing: 780 (12 on Essay)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Significant Extracurriculars: - Extensive involvement with Piano competitions, highest level of mastery at piano
- Attended Arts High School (had to audition, sponsored by my High School) for 2 years
- Member of French Honors So
Leadership positions: - VP of French Honors Society
- President of People to People, Edison Chapter
- Leader of Odyssey of the Mind group</p>

<p>Athletic Status - list sport and your level: None</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: - Liberty Science Center Volunteer
- Governor for NJ Volunteer
- Play piano at veterans Home, conducted many events there.
- Regular participant at the Soup Kitchen
- Key club member for 2 years</p>

<p>Honors and Awards: - Winner of Spontaneous round Nationally in Odyssey of the Mind
- Completed Level 8 of the National Piano academy
- Winner of multiple essay contests to donate for worldwide hunger
- 1st place 2 years in a row for artwork at Arts High School
College Summer programs: None</p>

<p>Colleges of Interest:</p>

<p>NYU (CAS)
UPenn
Georgetown (Legacy from sister- attends law school)
Vanderbilt (Legacy from uncle)
George Washington
Penn State
Rutgers (New Brunswick) (Legacy from sister)
Tufts</p>

<p>Desired College Characteristics:</p>

<p>Area: East Coast, West Coast
Importance of cost: Secondary</p>

<p>Are there any other school that you think I should give a shot at? Also, I'm having trouble deciding whether or not to do Early decision to NYU (that being my first choice). Will it be in my worst interest because they do not let you reapply during Regular Decision .. What if my senior year grades end up helping my GPA? Also, I heard it is harder to get in with ED at NYU. Where would be a good place to put my ED? UPenn is just a risk, so I don't want to waste it there. </p>

<p>Also, I think I have an upper hand at essay writing, if that helps. Please help me out, I need some sort of concrete base of how I'm going to approach the applicatoin process.</p>

2

<p>NYU, Penn State, George Washington, and Rutger’s are matches. I’m not sure bout UPenn and Georgetown, because your sat is still a little bit too low for it. But you should try applying to one school by early decision, it will increase your chances. Good luck! :slight_smile: Chance me back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1532343-chance-me.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1532343-chance-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>SAT is fine, but Class Rank and GPA are low for Penn and Vandy. You will need a very good explanation for that low GPA. Otherwise, even half a dozen 5s on your AP Exams and 750s on your SAT Subject Tests will not save you</p>

4

<p>What about the rest?</p>

5

<p>I think Georgetown and Tufts will be about as difficult as Vandy. I think NYU, RU, GW and Penn State are matches.</p>

6

<p>Bumpbump pls</p>

7

<p>Check my list on my thread. My ACT score of 31 is ~2070 on the SAT but I’ll be taking it again (and actually studying this time).</p>

8

<p>You have a good SAT score, but your GPA is very, very low for top schools like Penn, Vandy, and Georgetown. I’d call them all reaches, with Penn maybe even being a high reach. The others are all match-high match, however.</p>

9

<p>-somewhat- close to my numbers, so based off of what I know:</p>

<p>NYU (CAS): Match (no need to ED it if you are intending to give an arts supplement; even without, I’d say you’re in)</p>

<p>UPenn: Reach (its UPenn.)
Georgetown (Legacy from sister- attends law school): Low reach
Vanderbilt (Legacy from uncle): Reach
George Washington: Match
Penn State: Low match
Rutgers (New Brunswick) (Legacy from sister): Match/safety?
Tufts: High match (they aren’t just a numbers school, they really like character, and I think your ECs reflect that)</p>

<p>Best of luck with your list! I also have an issue with highish (not that high though) SAT and low (nonexistent) GPA, and it’ll be interesting to see how “everything works out in the end…” Good luck with it all!</p>

<p>Chance back if you so feel like it?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1557170-heres-my-numbers-so-chance-me-maybe-cornell-ed.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1557170-heres-my-numbers-so-chance-me-maybe-cornell-ed.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>I think it comes to your essay. If you write a good essay, you have a considerable chance. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1557660-chance-me-if-your-awesome.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1557660-chance-me-if-your-awesome.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>1° sister and uncle don’t count as legacies (unless your uncle can donate 1 million to the school)
2° your list is too reach-heavy. that UW GPA will hurt you. Some schools, like Penn State, look at your weighted GPA so you’d be fine; others look at your UW and they won’t like it that it’s below 3.5 or, in some cases, below 3.8.
3° don’t apply ED to NYU if your senior grades can show an upward trend.
4° your EC’s are great and if your writing is great too, that’ll really help you for schools like Tufts.</p>

<p>NYU (CAS) - high match to low reach
UPenn - out of reach
Georgetown - high reach
Vanderbilt - high reach
George Washington - reach
Penn State - match to safety (could get into Shreyers Honors College)
Rutgers (New Brunswick) - safety
Tufts - reach</p>

<p>All of this is in academic terms. Now: will you need financial aid? can your parents afford their EFC or will you need merit money? how much can they afford?</p>

12

<p>NYU (CAS) - 50%
UPenn - 0%
Georgetown (Legacy from sister- attends law school) - 0%
Vanderbilt (Legacy from uncle) - 15%
George Washington - 50%
Penn State - 90%
Rutgers (New Brunswick) (Legacy from sister) - 100%
Tufts - 10%</p>

13

<p>Right now, the odds are overwhelming that you’ll attend either Rutgers or Penn State. Are you okay with these two choices?
Furthermore, you’d have to pay the hefty OOS costs for Penn State: can your family afford them? (Your EFC will NOT be met if you apply to out of state publics. Run the Net price Calculator on each school’s website). If the answer is “no” or" not sure", you may end up at Rutgers, something you’d seemingly like to avoid (or am I wrong on this?)
regardless, it’s time to diversify your list and look for schools that match your stats, that you’d like AND would be affordable - look for schools that are similar to Georgetown (AU?) or Vanderbilt (Rhodes?) but easier to get into. What attracted you to these schools? We (CC adults) may be able to suggest other schools that’d be matches and at least one or two more safeties.</p>

14

<p>NYU has an ED II option if you want to raise your grades. Same deadline as RD but you’re commited to attend if accepted. They review all of the ED II apps first and you hear back earlier. That could be a viable option if NYU is your top choice.</p>