I'm new here, so...what are my chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>HI!
So...this is my first post on College Confidential, and it comes at a good time because the college search is really starting to heat up for me (or at least it should be), so I thought that I would look to the community for some guidance! A few words about me: I'm a white male rising senior in Howard County, Maryland who is currently looking at Boston University, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, Chicago, NYU, Vanderbilt, Duke...with Columbia as a dream school. High hopes, high hopes.
I'm meeting with a college adviser this afternoon, but before I go, I just thought I would get your input. Am I in the right ballpark as far as schools go? Should I take the SAT again? Do I have a good shot at getting into these schools? Am I taking the right classes for senior year?
Listed below are my stats (they aren't that spectacular):</p>

<p>*3.52 GPA unweighted
*Will have taken 11 AP classes by graduation in 2010
*I am enrolled in my school's humanities program. My school is one of the few public schools to offer such a program, which combines social studies and English, teaching relevant literature, music, and art to the time period of focus.
*SAT1: 2140
-CR: 700
-Math: 710
-English: 730
-Essay: 11
*SAT2:
-Math 2: 760
-Planning on taking 2 more this October.
*I am in NHS.
*I have been a member of my school's mock trial team since junior year. Last year, we were county champions.
*I have been involved in a charity club in my school since freshman year, helping to organize the yearly canned food drive and other charity events.
*Last but not least...CELLO:
-I have been playing for 12 years at JHU's Peabody Preparatory. I am currently studying with a conservatory teacher. At Peabody, I play in a piano trio, take theory lessons, and serve as principle cellist in the Peabody Youth Orchestra. I perform in recitals 3 times a year and have performed in the Vella Silver recital twice, an invitation-only recital.
-In school, I have been first chair cellist for the past 2 years and performed as a soloist in my junior year (I played the Haydn Cello Concerto in C Major).
-Over the summer, I attended Indiana University's Summer String Academy, an intensive four-week classical music program. While I was there, I won the cello concerto competition and placed second in the quartet competition.</p>

<p>My schedule for senior year is as follows:
Orchestra
Economics Micro/Macro AP
Psychology AP
Humanities English AP
Humanities Social Studies
Calculus C AP
French 5 AP</p>

<p>So...what are my chances? Am I looking at the right colleges? Am I taking the right classes for my senior year? Thanks everyone!</p>

2

<p>Your chances are verrrry slim at all of your schools, except for BU. Harsh, but true. You’re well below the bottom 25th percentile in GPA (and close to it in SAT scores) at every single one of those (again, except BU).</p>

<p>And I know you’re new, so just fyi, chance threads aptly go in the “What Are My Chances?” section :)</p>

3

<p>just apply.</p>

4

<p>Besides BU, i also think you have a good shot at NYU.</p>

5

<p>Thanks guys! Sorry about the section mix-up. I’ve seen so many “chances” posts I knew there had to be a place for them :confused:
I’m still working on expanding my list, and I’m definitely working on finding colleges that aren’t so ambitious, but still have good academics and have a good music program. I’m not planning on becoming a music major, but I need a college that has a good music community. For some of the reach schools, I may even apply as a music major. I’m still weighing my options.
But thanks for the input! I’ll move along to the “chances” section.</p>

6

<p>A quick stop at [College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/]College”>College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics) shows that your SATs are around the 50th%-tile at Vanderbilt, Columbia, JHU, and Chicago. They are 75th%-tile at BU and NYU but around 35%-tile at Duke. The problem area is your GPA, your profile is average or lower than most applicants to these schools. As a result BU and NYU are the only schools I would feel comfortable about.</p>

<p>Visit [College</a> MatchMaker - Type of School](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board) and search for some schools, try the “How do I stack up?” button; this will get you access (free) to the relevant statistics.</p>

<p>The only offset I see is the possibility of a School of Music acceptance. Your chances would improve if you are accepted by the respective Schools of Music, (which will require auditions).</p>

<p>In short, you need to expand your list to include more likely acceptance schools.</p>