I know my chances are a definite FAR reach... But chance me anyway?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>General
Ethnicity: Hispanic (1/2 Cuban)
Gender: F
Location: Florida
Intended Major: Psychology
I have a stregnth in the arts, and will be sending in supplemental slides of my work to schools that allow it</p>

<p>Grades
Highschool: Private, Roman Catholic, All Girl HS, Competitive (Sends some grads to top schools... Many have high GPAs, but most have SAT < 1300...much less)
UW GPA: 3.15
W GPA: 3.65
85 students in my class
School does not rank</p>

<p>Scores
SAT I
700 CR
650 M
760 W
(will retake to improve M, and hopefully CR)
SAT II
720 Lit
660 US H</p>

<p>Awards:
- National Hispanic Recognition Programme Honourable Mention*<strong>*
- Recognition in “Next Generation & 11th Congressional District High School
Art Exhibition” (competitive art competition)</strong>
- 2007 Fiestaval Invitational Music Festival - 3rd Place Show Choir Category
- High School Letters in Drama* & Track
- Ventures Scholar
- National Forensics League Degree of Merit</p>

<p>In School ECs
- School Show Choir*<strong>*
- School Plays/Musicals*</strong>*
- National Art Honour Society*<em>
- Art Club</em>
- School Worship Band (Vocalist)
- Set Design for Plays/Musicals
- Media & Technology Club*
- Math Club*
- Mu Alpha Theta
- National Beta Club</p>

<p>Out of School ECs
- Mensa
- Piano Lessons (since age 7)*
- Volunteer at Assisted Living Facility
- Member of Youth Volunteer Group (help with environmental things, and holiday events)
- Teen Court</p>

<p>Employment
- Babysit very week (for neighbours)
- Secretary at a law Firm (summer)</p>

<p>Leadership/Initiative
- Initated, rallied support for, and led the “Day of Silence” (Nation-Wide Annual Student-Led Day of Silent Protest against Harassment of LGBT Persons)<strong>+
- Initiating a Recycling Programme at my school*</strong>*
- Media & Tech. Club Treasurer</p>

<p><em>Important to me. (in other words, I enjoy all my ECs very much, and find them a valuable use of my time... But these are the ones I'm really invested in)
**</em><em>Very* important to me (the most</em> invested in)
+Wrote my essay about it</p>

<p>Subjective
Essay - I've been told it's very good by everyone who reads it. I've had 25+ read it so far.
Recs - Amasing:
- My GC loves me, and knows me fairly personally. I stop by and talk to her sometimes. She was a moderator on a class trip to NYC, and I dragged her along to a musical and play (Spring Awakening and Inherit the Wind), so she knows my tastes, hobbies, etc.
- My 2 teacher recs will also be amasing. I am very close to one of the teachers (talk to her everyday in school, out of class, about personal aspirations/problems/hobbies/daily life/etc... I was gonna go see HP5 with her and her husband, dressed up, but then I found out I'm gonna be outta town :()
- My other teacher rec is a teacher I had in 7th, 8th, Soph, and Junior year. She has seen me grow, and I have conversations with her outside of class. She knows my basic aspirations. She knows my strengths/weaknesses, likes my sense of humour, and likes me as a student.</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>Ok, now for the colleges. The ones with *s are the ones I really need an opinion on. The others I'm pretty sure I'm in. (In order of preference: )</p>

<p>Eugene Lang College
Columbia University (CC)*
Marymount Manhattan College
Fordham University*
City University of New York (Honours College at either Hunter or CCNY<em>)
Pace University
Case Western Reserve University</em>
New College of Florida*
Xavier University</p>

2

<p>bump</p>

<p>(10 characters... bah humbug)</p>

3

<p>Also, at my school you need 28 credits to graduate. However, I will graduate with 30 (possibly 31) credts (very rare... in fact, I only know of 3 other people whom this applies to).</p>

4

<p>Any reason your grades are so low compared to your excellent test scores? It's hard to say how the admissions office will view your application. Being a URM will obviously help you. Case Western needs girls; I predict you'll be in there. Sorry, I don't think you're in range for Columbia.</p>

5

<p>Don't list Mensa as an EC. Anyone who has a shot at the Ivies would qualify, and by putting it you just come across as arrogant.</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
Any reason your grades are so low compared to your excellent test scores?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Two words: sophomore year. There was a lot of crappy family crap going on. And I became apathetic and depressed... I might have my GC write something about it to explain. Or I might not. If I get an interview with Columbia, I might explain it then...</p>

7

<p>I feel rather pathetic... bumping so much. But whatever.</p>

<p>Bump (...again)</p>

8

<p>bump5678910</p>

9

<p>I've heard that depression is always a lame excuse for low grades, in the college admissions world. I've heard. </p>

<p>But those look like pretty darn good stats and ECs and everything. The GPA... not so much. But if you have a solid A record for 11th grade, it might bring you up a bit in some of the adcoms' opinions. They do try to look at you in context of the big picture; they might see that sophomore year and say, "Hmm, an otherwise outstanding student had a rough year. But she seems to have overcome it and now she ought to be fine. *[But she might be one of those people who is easily overturned by stressful events in their lives... easily upset... fragile... academic or personal pressure in college might do her in... * etc.]"</p>

<p>The low sophomore grades might be something that a teacher or counselor letter of recommendation can clear up--not by making excuses for you, but by stressing how wonderful a student and person you are, how resilient you are, how well you recovered from a tough time in your life, how you got yourself back on track and demonstrated <strong><em>, _</em></strong> and ___ (traits that apply to your situation), etc. </p>

<p>The LGBT thing is unusual, at least based on what I've seen on other "Chances" threads. Drama/theater involvement also appears to be rather unusual (surprisingly, to me). Unusual is good. </p>

<p>I don't trust myself to venture to give you real "chances" opinions, though. </p>

<p>Good luck. :)</p>

10

<p>I went to Eugene Lang college for a year - in place of my senior year of high school (dual enrollment from my HS's point of view). I had a great year there. My classes were a lot of fun and I enjoyed exploring NYC. I agree you'd have no trouble getting in there. I don't really know anything about the other schools on your list, although I wouldn't completely discount Columbia for you, especially if you had strong junior year grades and continue to do well senior year.</p>

11

<p>average chance for columbia (which means that you will be rejected)</p>

<p>you come across as arrogant, and with a tad bit too much time on your hands</p>

12

<p>
[quote]
you come across as arrogant...

[/quote]

Is this because what I said about my recs? I'm sorry if this came across as arrogant, but it's how I feel. I chose my teacher recs because they know me so well, and in knowing me they can help present the adcoms with the fullest picture of me.
If that's not the reason, then why? Because I'm in Mensa, and I mentioned it? Don't worry, I'm not gonna include Mensa on my apps. So it doesn't even matter, if that's the case.
If neither of these is the reason, can you tell me what it is?</p>

<p>
[quote]
...and with a tad bit too much time on your hands

[/quote]

Well, I do ECs almost every day <em>shrug</em></p>

13

<p>+-=bump=-+</p>

14

<p>Please chance me... bump</p>

15

<p>I feel u will get into all of them.</p>

<p>Eitherway I feel u should aim a lil higher.</p>

<ul>
<li>NCF: If ur gonna consider staying in Florida the only worthwhile options are UF, UM or FSU. NCF has only graduated about 3 classes or so. its extremely new and its not as well known nationally. When applying for a job, NCF might be a problem in my opinion unless your staying in Florida and even in that case, its still not well known. </li>
</ul>

<p>Of my suggestions:
- FSU: match
- UF: reach (realistic reach)
- UM: reach (realistic reach)</p>

<ul>
<li><p>City University of New York:
Its got descent programs but with ur stats I would aim for schools with national prestige. NYU is a possibility. its a reach like UF and UM but still realistic. </p></li>
<li><p>Case Western: I feel Case Western is a great option for u. its very well ranked nationally and you have a good shot at getting in.</p></li>
</ul>

16

<p>bump</p>

<p>"I'm tired of these mother<em>beep</em> ghosts in my mother<em>beep</em> hotel!" Sam L Jackson 1408 :D</p>

17

<p>bumping gets old...</p>

<p>"That smugness of yours really is an attractive quality."
"Thank you. It was either that or get my hair highlighted. Smugness is easier to maintain."</p>

18

<p>What's your Class rank? If you are ranked in the top 15% I'd advise applying ED to Columbia to maximize chances.</p>

19

<p>I'm not sure what my rank is... I know that doesn't help matters at all...</p>

20

<p>"Oh, this is where I give you advice and pretend you are going listen to it, I love this part."</p>

<p>Found that appropriate.</p>

<p>Bump.</p>