I got an 1860 in my SAT - will I have a hard time getting in NYU or USC?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello! I’m from the Philippines, and I’m applying ED II for NYU and Regular for USC (since they don’t have ED), and I scored an 1860 in my SAT last year - that’s already superscored. My Math was 650, CR was 590, and Writing was 620.

I’m applying to a total of five schools - NYU, USC, The New School (Lang), Fordham and Syracuse.

I have really great extra-curriculars and a number of leadership positions, and I have a GPA that’s around unweighted 3.3 (B+), and my grades are decent. I’m going for NYU Steinhardt (MCC) and USC Annenberg (Communication).

How high are my chances of getting in? I’m taking the new SAT this October to compare the scores (though I don’t really have high expectations for that), Math I and Chinese this November (I’m probably getting a perfect in Chinese), and World History this December.

I need your honest opinions. I’m really scared about this whole process and as my grades aren’t anything stellar, I’m hoping for some sort of retribution through my ECAs.

2

NYU and USC are going to be rather large reaches for you. Your SAT puts you below both schools 25th percentile. Being an international, you want to be closer to the schools 75th, and preferably above it. Admissions are quite a bit more difficult for international students. You might want to try the ACT for your retake since you’ve already had multiple takes for the SAT. Some people find one of either the SAT or ACT significantly easier.

3

Hete is the Freshman profile with the average 50th percentile for SAT listed.

You are below the averages for Math:680-780
Critical Reading: 650-750

Average GPA: 3.82

Unless you have something special that USC wants, your chances are slim. EC’s donot make up for lower grades and test scores.

USC is a Reach. Use the Supermatch feature on this website to find realistic school choices.

What can your parents afford? Posters could give you better suggestions if you give some more information. What type of school? locations?