<p>I have a horrible GPA , mediocre SAT , and decent ECs. Is it realistic to be thinking about applying to NYU (specifically Stern, applying ED) with a GPA as low as mine? Also, are there any ways I can improve my chances? Thanks.</p>
<p>A brief overview of my stats:</p>
<p>UW GPA: 3.4
-Really bad first 2 years
-School is a top 10 public school in the state
-School has pretty bad grade deflation
-Huge upward trend
-Very rigorous courseload
SAT: 1400/2150 (1st try, retaking and hoping for a 2300+)
SAT II: Math IIC 800, Chem 790</p>
<p>I think you should wait and apply RD. You can use your senior year grades to boost your GPA a little more. Colleges look more for the upward trend instead of stellar grades so you still have a decent chance! I say you go for it!</p>
<p>I think you definitely have a shot. Especially if you show a lot of interest. You might want to consider working really hard your first semester and applying RD, that would show NYU an upward trend with your grades.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Will the fact that many people from my school (over a dozen) got accepted into Stern this year help my chances? Does that mean that Stern really likes my school or something? I asked some of the people accepted and most of them have GPAs lower than 3.8 (lowest is 3.5-3.6), 2200-2300s, and decent ECs (mine are a little better I think).</p>
<p>You should take a third SAT II subject test in the humanities or literature and aim high for that. Then re-take your SAT Is if you can score 2200-2300. Otherwise, your SAT IIs are outstanding and getting over 700 (even better 750+) in the third SAT II would make this part of your app superior.</p>
<p>Then, if as you say, NYU Stern seems to like your school (with over a dozen accepted this year), your lower GPA might be interpreted in the context of a highly competitive public HS with grade deflation. So, just work as hard as you can to get the GPA up for senior year first semester (you will be a senior in fall 2011, right?). Then, yes, it may be worth your while to apply RD and show Stern your improvement in GPA if you feel you can really improve significantly. If not, go for ED to Stern and make sure you work hard on a really good essay, get dynamite recommendations if you can, and then hope that NYU really is appreciative of the level of difficulty of classes and grading in your school.</p>
<p>It appears NYU knows the reputation of your school. Ten students accepted from one HS in a year for a competitive school like Stern is a good indication of what I just stated. Now it depends on who else is applying the same year as you and their credentials. However, with your SAT IIs (esp. if you can get a super third SAT II score) and self-described stronger ECs compared to the peers at your HS, and if you can come through with the other aspects of your app (essay and recommendations received in support of you), then you may very well stand out as strong as if not stronger than the competition from your HS (despite the lower GPA).</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for the detailed response. Do you think I’ll have a better chance EDing in the fall or working on getting a 4.0 senior year and applying RD? Also, does NYU favor ED applicants?</p>
<p>The answer depends on you. Do you think you can bring up your grades significantly in Fall 2011 (it does not have to be a 4.0, but a continued uptrend or comparable to what you did your junior year, when you showed the improvement in grades)? You may not know how well you can do in senior year classes until you begin classes in the fall and see how difficult or easy the classes are for you.</p>
<p>What you can do is prepare the other parts of your application like I mentioned. Think about people who can write you unequivocally strong recommendations. Draw a draft of your own accomplishments, experiences and strengths for your recommenders (to aid them in a stronger, more personal recommendation on your behalf). Start working on your essay over the summer. Edit your essay. Have others critique it for you. Also, stay focused on studying for the third SAT II (to get the high score in a literature or humanities SAT II). In fact, you have the option of just sending in the SAT IIs and forgetting about your SAT I, if you do not get the 2200-2300 SAT I super score. </p>
<p>Well, statistically, you have a greater chance of getting in ED to NYU. NYU accepts a greater percentage of ED students than RD students. Keep in mind that as an ED student, you are agreeing to go to NYU if accepted. That means even if you get a “lousy” financial aid package. So do not apply ED if you have financial considerations in considering colleges.</p>
<p>Thanks again. I think I should be able to get a 4.0 or close to that if I try, but IDK if that’ll increase my chances more than EDing will. I also heard from many people that Stern only cares about GPA + SAT and doesn’t really care about stuff like ECs, essay, recs. Is this true to some extent?</p>
<p>There are too many students with great stats and GPAs. The school needs to distinguish them in some way, so the other aspects of the application are important. SO, ideally, you should have great stats and strong everything else. There have been admitted Stern students reporting here with a lower GPA like yours. I believe they have other strong features in their app.</p>
<p>Also, Stern students are considered for the Dr. MLK Scholarship, which is based on academics and ECs, community service and leadership roles. So, yes, I believe they can make a difference.</p>
<p>Do you know if ED II applicants are favored over the RD pool? Also, do EDI applicants have more of a chance than EDII applicants? EDII seems really appealing to me right now, because it gives me more time to improve both my grades and SAT scores. However, if EDI is still favored over EDII, I might have to go with EDI</p>
<p>It seems that my GPA is probably the only thing holding me back now. Do any of you Sternies know people who got in with a GPA under 3.5? Also, do you know if a great SAT score (2300+) can make up for a poor GPA? Because it seems like Stern favors SAT because it’s average SAT scores are so high compared to those of other schools.</p>
<p>I also really regret staying at my current school T_T. I should have transferred to an easier school in my district when I had the chance. I know some kids in a nearby school who study the period before and still get As in AP classes (yet they are more than happy to get a 3 on the AP tests or 2000+ on the SAT). Sorry if my bitterness was showing too much =/</p>
<p>Hey, I got in with a 3.1UW/3.4W GPA but there was an upward trend in my grades because I failed miserably freshman year but started getting straight A’s nd stuff soph junior year. I also had a 2200 SAT and the exact same SAT II scores as you but instead of chem I did bio. don’t count youself out.</p>
<p>Idk who told you 2100 was mediocre score… But anyway, because you have a pretty good SAT score, I see that making up for a slightly low GPA. The people I know that got in had pretty high GPAs but SAT scores almost 300+ points lower than yours. Good luck and definitely apply (I’ll be applying too :p).</p>