This is my post first on CC and I really want to know what my chances are for these schools:
-UCLA
-Pomona
-Bowdoin
-CMC
-Vanderbilt
-Northwestern
-College of William and Mary
Female:
GPA: Unweighted- 3.91 Weighted- 4.459
SAT: 1460/1600 (still have time to retake)
Ethnicity: Guatemalan (1/2)
ECs: 4 years of Varsity Basketball, Three years of drama, two years of JV Volleyball
I play the piano, member of Environmental Club, Forensics Club, International Thespian Society, Drama Club, and I started that 48-Hour Film Festival Club at my school.
My courses:
Freshman-
Spanish 1
World History Honors
PE/Health 9
Music/Intro to Tech
English 9 Honors
Conceptual Physics Honors
Geometry
Theology
Sophomore-
Theater Arts
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
AP World History
Research Biology Honors
Health/PE 10
English 11 Honors (in 10th grade)
Personal Finance/Economics
Spanish 2
Junior-
Musical Theater
Math Analysis Honors
AP Statistics
AP US History
AP Psychology
AP English Language
Research Chemistry Honors
Senior (next year)-
Musical Theater 2
Dual Enrolment English (H)
AP Calculus BC
AP English Literature
AP Environmental Science
AP Government
AP Spanish
Creative Writing/The World of Ideas (Philosophy)
I want to do a double major in Philosophy and Creative Writing, if it’s offered. If it’s not I want to major in Theater. I received a 5 on the AP World History Exam and I haven’t received scores back from the junior AP exams yet.
I think you have a decent shot at any of those schools on your list. They are all so selective that you really can’t count on any of them, even if you had perfect GPA and test scores. But you are in the range that most of their accepted students are. So you definitely shouldn’t be discouraged from any of them, but you shouldn’t get emotionally attached either. Remember, you are largely competing against your own school’s current and recent peers. How do you compare to the most competitive kids at your school who may apply to the same schools? Does your school have Naviance so you can see specifically what weighted GPA and test scores others from your school had who were admitted?
And you need some less selective schools that you can also be happy with on your list as lower targets and safeties. There are lots of sites online that can help you find less competitive peers for the schools on your list.
A coupe specific comments:
– College of William & Mary is a state school in VA. So by law it takes 2/3rds of its students from VA. So any stats you read about it are going to make the admission criteria seem easier than it really is for an out-of-state (OOS) applicant. Again, I think your stats are fine. Just don’t think of it as safe. Absolutely great location and beautiful campus BTW.
– When you get around to your application, find ways to emphasize your leadership. You listed a lot of activities. The only one you described that specifically suggested leadership was the 48 hour film festival club – which sounds super interesting BTW. Emphasize that. If there are other things where you played a pivotal role in your club, sport, etc., note it. Colleges are used to students listing lots of activities and know its easy to join lots of clubs. Demonstrating that you were more than a member is always a plus, when possible.
@merc81
I very much disagree. The OP’s GPA is amazing and her test scores are good. However, there are plenty of other factors and her ECs don’t have much to them.
Are you in-state for UCLA? If so, you have a very good chance of getting in.
@RoundGenius : This is a chances topic in which all respondents are basically taking a guess using incomplete information. In this sense, there should have been very little in my post to “very much disagree” with. If you believe the OP will get into fewer than three of her choices, you can simply say so.
That said, the OP’s basic statistics put her documentably over 400 SAT points and half a GPA point higher than at least some of the students at her colleges of interest. This leaves plenty of room for her application to be received favorably at some of these schools, however uncertain the actual outcome.