Hey guys, I’m really beginning to get worried as my GPA is low and I’m in my junior year so I can’t fix it anymore. But just wondering… with my current resume…
what are my chances at Wharton, NYU Stern, USC and Babson?
I put them in order of personal liking and n the order I’m going to apply to them… wharton ED, nyu stern ED2, usc and babson RD.
Unweighted GPA: 3.7 on the college board scale, 3.68 on my schools scale
5 aps as of now… 4 aps next year so 9 in total
I guess I should probably mention that I have two C+s on my record from two very challenging courses but anything in the Cs will never ever happen again.
SAT: 2350
SAT 2s:
chinese with listening: 800
USH- 800
Physics: 800
math 2- 800
ECS:
FBLA locals: 1st place- entrepreneurship
FBLA States: 4th place- e-business
Math Fair: Silver
Clubs: president of FBLA and another business club that I won’t name
NYU Poly research competition- finalist, got a small scholarship for NYU Poly only
Business that has been on multiple publications
Organization that will- hopefully- go viral over the summer. I’m really going to work on it.
160+ volunteer hours in a medical center
200+ volunteer hours playing piano for the elderly- also the branch president to the organization that plays music for the residents home
3 years varsity swimming
2 years varsity golf
1 year varsity track
Piano: passed level 6 NYSSMA and level 8 ABRSM
I'm probably going to go for many other misc business, engineering and science research competitions and hopefully I win a couple there.
sorry for the lack of description for everything... I just didn't want to go much in detail in case someone I know recognizes my list of everything. Gotta be discreet, ya know?
Summer:
9th grade- LeadAmerica Babson for Entrepreneurship
10th grade: John Hopkins Engineering Innovation
11th grade: DoSomething internship and a one week all expenses paid internship in Japan
College essays: I suppose I write alright and I’ll make sure they’re interesting and unique.
Also, do you guys think it’s better to create a completely unpredictable essay… like a picture or a fact sheet or just a completely out of the blue essay (but still good)… or go the safe way and give them a brilliantly written essay?
Letters of recommendation: AP composition teacher- he likes me a lot since I’m one of his top students so I guess it’ll be good
not sure who the other one will be
What would happen if I got someone famous and respectable to write my recommendation? Would it increase my chances?
Also, people have told me that they met with the admissions crew, got friendly and exchanged business cards and such and they were accepted. Does that really play a large factor?
AdComms generally do not like them, so unless the somebody famous can write about some way that they know first hand about your abilities it is more likely to hurt than help.
Any chance one of your APs is Calc (preferably BC?). If so, Oxford (or a UK uni) might work for you, as they are test-centric. You would have to take the TSA, and E&M is considered one of the toughest courses at Oxford to get into (it’s a numbers thing: very high ration of applicants to openings). Do read the description carefully: you take 4 economics courses, 4 management courses and 3 electives. You will do a LOT of writing (think a research paper - called an essay- every week) on the management side plus a mix problem sets/essays on the econ side.
@collegemom3717 I’ll be taking BC next year! If i do well on BC, would that greatly affect my chances to Oxford? Also, it’s not that I have to do the E&M program, although I definitely would love to… I am open to just normal double majors at Oxford. If I don’t go for the program, what do you suppose my chances are? Also, how do you think I’ll fare applying to Wharton and Stern?
A strong math score in Calc is a minimum requirement for admission to any Econ subject- it’s a very mathy subject. Chances at Oxford fall into 2 main groups: getting the numbers (standardized testing + the TSA [or relevant test, depending on the subject]) and being a good fit for the subject (Personal Statement + Interview).
If one of the APs you already have is a 5 in an essay based subject (History would be good, for example), you may well have enough standardized testing (even so, you could still get a conditional offer based on the APs you are scheduled to take in May, especially Calc). The next hurdle is the TSA- you can find past papers for practicing online. Depending on where you live, organizing to take the test can be difficult, so don’t leave it too long. There is only one sitting (in the fall),
Your Personal Statement is not like the usual college essay: you talk about why you are interested in this subject, making the case for why you are good fit through references to what you have done beyond the classroom (including substantive reading). You are expected to show maturity and commitment (to quote one tutor: we want you to love our subject as much as we do).
If your standardized testing, TSA, PS & recommendation are good enough you get an interview offer. The interview is like a cross between an oral exam and a tutorial. You may be asked to talk about books or work you mentioned in your PS, and you will certainly be given some kind of work that is unfamiliar, to see how you think and how you respond to the tutorial process.
Once you are across the threshold with your regular standardized testing more doesn’t make much of a difference, but the TSA is sometimes used when candidates are closely ranked after interview.
What is the important part to you about “normal double majors” (aka dual honours)?
…and sorry, I don’t know enough about the other programs to give useful feedback
@collegemom3717 do most people not get interviews? If so, does an interview basically mean that the interviewee is halfway in the door of Oxford and the other half depends on how much the interviewer likes the way the interviewee thinks?
The % of applicants interviewed varies widely by subject* and somewhat by year (depending on the number of applicants). As a rule of thumb Oxford interviews ~3 people for every place available, so if you get to interview your odds have gone way way up.
There are always at least 2 interviewers (sometimes more), and after each day’s interviews, the interviewers sit down as a department and review how the interviews went- so it’s not down to just one interviewer’s opinion (it it’s a dual honurs course, both departments have to agree as well). But yes, with the exception that Oxford specific test scores may break a close call, typically once you get to interview it comes down to how you do.
*beware of trying to game the system: I know a good student (UK) who applied for Geography- partly b/c he knew that they usually interviewed 90% of their applicants. He was rejected before interview. Ouch. (fyi, for the last two years geography has been interviewing in the high 60%s)
@Duvarc That’s what I thought at first! But my GC keeps telling me that my chances there are nil so I came to seek outer opinions. Are you from NY, too? Do people get in easier from NY?
If i do well on BC, would that greatly affect my chances to Oxford? Also, it’s not that I have to do the E&M program, although I definitely would love to… I am open to just normal double majors at Oxford. If I don’t go for the program, what do you suppose my chances are? Also, how do you think I’ll fare applying to Wharton and Stern?