<p>Hello everyone,
I am finally a junior and I am coming face to face with the fact that the college admission process is coming up. Just recently, I discovered Questbridge and I am confident that this is the right choice for me. I suppose I should post my stats and I would like to know what colleges I can apply to that are attainable. The college I want to go to is first and foremost, Columbia University. As a Californian resident, I believe my next "dream" choice would be Stanford. I took the SAT Subject Tests in Chemistry and MathIIC at the end of my sophomore year. I received an 720 and an 800 respectively. I will be taking the subject tests in US History and Physics later this year. I took the SAT reasoning test, the November of this year. I received a composite score of 2100 (660CR 800M 640W) I will definitely be taking it again. My grades are fine, however, I slightly blundered my sophomore year. I got a C in AP World History :/ Lame.
I am taking 6 AP's this year and an Astronomy course at the local community college. </p>
<p>Aside from this laundry list I am giving you, I come from a very serious background. My life ultimately changed when I was 8. My father was intentionally murdered in Armenia, leaving me and my mother alone. It has been quite a journey to still have the strive to live. You can say I was affected deeply by this. My essays for QB will be solely based on the significance of this experience. It will certainly not be a sob story but something to remember me by. I actually want to become a writer in a sudden abstract way.</p>
<p>Any who, I want to know where I'm at. Do I have a reasonable chance at any of my "dream" colleges? Do essays count a lot in admissions?</p>
<p>Other things I am part of:
Varsity Tennis (9th-Current)
Student Run L.A Marathon Runner (Current)
Astronomy Research on the EXCITING Gliese solar system (Pending)
Volunteer Work (All throughout my life)
National Science Bowl (9th-Current) Captain (10th-Current)
Glendale Youth Alliance (Employment facility for young aspiring students-Summer)
President of French Club and National French Exam Participant
Community College Student (Completed 8 units so far)
Writer (Wrote numerous plays for school production)</p>
<p>I think I covered the main aspects.</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.94 ish
Weighted GPA: 4.32</p>
<p>In addition, my mother goes to college so she can get a degree and support her small family. We have no income as of now. My life basically sucks but I'm hanging on. Well that's me in a nutshell. I appreciate everyone's feedback and I apologize for the length of my post. :)</p>
<p>You might want to wait until after the seniors find out decisions. Then we can give you more information and more attention. Right now we’re too distraught and stressed out to help juniors XD </p>
<p>Sorry if this sounds mean, but look around you on the boards-- filled with questions about the upcoming release date. You have plenty of time, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>But from what I saw, you have a great shot. Keep up the good work.</p>
<p>Take note that it is much more difficult to get in through QB [than through ED] and that Columbia would give you a full ride if you have no income anyway.</p>
<p>No it’s fine, I understand.</p>
<p>When looking through QB, I thought it would be an ideal path for me since I can apply to all the high ranking colleges for free. The issue is that I’m afraid of being rejected from Columbia through ED, a school I’ve wanted to attend for so long.
But with QB, if I get deferred, will I have a higher chance of acceptance in the RD process as a QB finalist?
O-O</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There are fee waivers. :)</p>
<p>Yes, InvisibleMonster, I suppose there is. But again, now it’s Columbia ED vs. Columbia QB (2 Chances)
And the underlying question is does a QB finalist have a higher chance of acceptance in RD?
It would very helpful if someone answers ! :D</p>
<p>First of all, you can get deferred through ED as well and have 2 chances.
A QB finalist has it harder both times. The only people I know who got into any elite college through QB had really outstanding stats.</p>
<p>Are you trying to say that my stats are sub par and that there really isn’t a point in applying to QB? If so, then just say it, I don’t mind. I want to know. Perhaps, i can work on something before apps are due.</p>
<p>No, you mistook me.
Around 50 people from my [extremely competitive and prestigious] high school applied to QB last year and nearly all of them became QB finalists [5-6 of these were not even qualified imo -they kind of slipped into it]. About 20 of them I would say were qualified enough to get in anywhere they wanted if they had ED’d [ie. they had 2300+ SAT scores and brilliant GPAs and all were involved in really nice ECs]. Only five of the applicants of them got in anywhere and they were very exceptional cases. One hispanic guy [2370 SAT] and one african american girl [23xx I forgot SAT] got into brown. I think one asian girl with a 2300+ SAT score got into bowdoin and one ~1900 african american guy got into MIT. There was also another caucasian girl with a ~2000 SAT score who got into a LAC who’s name I can’t recall.</p>
<p>Basically, 3 of the acceptances had very outstanding stats and the others just got lucky - no one in the middle really got in and a lot of those really fantastic people who could have gotten in ED also didn’t get in.</p>
<p>If Columbia really is your dream school, you have a decent shot with your current stats and a really great shot if you boost your SAT [if you do early decision]. Columbia gives everyone who has an income <60k a full ride. I just simply don’t see many positives to applying through QB. </p>
<p>Your stats are very good, but not in the phenomenal zone where you have a good shot through QB. Aside from your SAT [which is only slightly below columbia’s average on the 1600 scale], your profile is very unique and presents a compelling argument for Columbia to accept you if you did ED instead of QB.</p>
<p>Basically, if you even do slightly better on your SAT, you have a great shot at getting into Columbia ED, while QB is almost always a crapshoot.</p>
<p>Wow thank you so much for your prompt response. I definitely mistook your previous statement. </p>
<p>Hmmmmm you have a really good point. I am definitely aware of that fact that the match program actually matches very very VERY few students each year. And I am assuming all of the deferred students in your high school applied RD and still got rejected? Uh, I think I can raise my SAT score. Maybe in the October SAT of my senior year, I’ll be able to receive a 2250+. Now I’m more confused. I love Columbia to death but, seriously, a rejection from Columbia ED will absolutely devastate me. :(</p>
<p>Well, a lot of them ended up at top universities anyway, but maybe they didn’t go to their dream school or made it unnecessarily hard for themselves when they could have just applied ED and had a great shot at their dream school, making the process a lot easier for themselves.</p>
<p>If you’re going to apply ED, I would suggest taking it in june or may, not october. Trust me, you’ll have enough to worry about with essays and applications to focus on the SAT. That’s not to say you can’t - but it might be easier if you took it earlier.</p>
<p>You’re going to have one shot at an early. Whether you pick QB or ED is ultimately your decision. While getting accepted via QB is amazing, you don’t want to eventually regret doing it [as many of my friends did] and wondering about where they could have applied ED instead of doing QB. A lot of regret could come from doing QB and not getting in, then not quite having the stats to get in RD (while you may have gotten in ED). QB is an amazing program and I don’t want to disparage it, but there are cons to it just like there are pros and you’re eventually going to need to evaluate those yourself and decide whether you want to take the risk.</p>
<p>If you don’t get in through Columbia ED, it won’t be the end of the world - you’ll know you gave it your all. Also, if you don’t get in via ED, it’s likely you wouldn’t have through QB, either. </p>
<p>As a Junior now, I would just focus on keeping your grades up and doing well in terms of ECs. Try getting the SAT done before the school year is done so you can carefully consider the colleges you want to apply to during the summer, as well as whether you want to do QB or ED.</p>
<p>I will definitely take your word for it. I’m so glad someone is actually telling me this because I am just remedial when it comes to knowing hooks of information related to college admissions, programs, etc. </p>
<p>So what were some of the colleges these students got into? </p>
<p>Yeah, ED does have that near 20% acceptance rate for Columbia. Maybe I would have a better chance, if I convey a profound personal essay (which makes me feel a tad bit uncomfortable but if that is the best essay, so be it) </p>
<p>I honestly feel I got very lucky on the SAT because I started out, before the summer, with a 1700 attached with an extremely low cr and writing score. I know I have a lot more to do to really be confident in the SAT. But since I got a 800 on the math, I have to send this score for that superscore thing right? </p>
<p>Thanks again !</p>