Low GPA, High SAT...What are my chances? Will chance back!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello, I was wondering if any one out there could chance me...it would be appreciated, and I am out of state. I'm currently a Junior.</p>

<p>GPA:</p>

<p>About 3.2 UW
3.6 W</p>

<p>ECs: Did some research with Physics teacher, and some research with Math teacher (differential geometry), about 100 hours of community service, self-teaching Astrophysics 1(which is why my GPA is low...sadly), Part-Time Job in 9th and 10th grade (10-15 hours per week)</p>

<p>About my self-study...I talk regularly with UChicago professors with questions I have, and any conflicts that arise from teaching myself. So, hopefully over the course of the year, I will know them better...(maybe a recommendation could come out of it?)</p>

<p>AP Classes:</p>

<p>Junior:
APUSH</p>

<p>Senior:
AP Calc
AP Gov
AP Physics
There may be more to come</p>

<p>SAT:
1st time. 2010 ( 750 M, 600 CR, 660 W)</p>

<p>Major(s):
Major in Physics and a minor in Astronomy....undergraduate</p>

<p>Recs:
Mostly from my Math and Physics teachers....great recs...can verify my independent study</p>

<ol>
<li>SUNY-Stony Brook</li>
<li>Illinois Institute of Technology</li>
<li>University of Illinois- Urbana and Champaign</li>
<li>University of Chicago</li>
<li>CalTech (I know it's a huge reach...I know a professor there)</li>
</ol>

2

<p>Uchicago and Caltech are both reaches, with UChicago a low reach. You can’t really document your self-study in Astronomy if there’s no one supervising it. And it doesn’t matter if you know a professor at Caltech unless he gives you a rec.</p>

<p>Great shot everywhere else.</p>

<p>Chance back plz!
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/865227-im-posting-linux-has-penguin.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/865227-im-posting-linux-has-penguin.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Caltech, UChicago, and University of Illinois (assuming out of state) are all nearly impossible reaches.</p>

4

<p>If you get those recommendations from the UChicago professors, that might be a doable reach, with the research you say you’ve done. I think Caltech is a very high reach, and ‘knowing’ someone isn’t really going to help. The others are low reaches or matches if you bring your GPA up.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/865821-care-chance-dreamer.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/865821-care-chance-dreamer.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>My teachers will write recommendations that will verify my independent study. When I mean I know a professor, I mean that I email him quite frequently with questions on my independent study. I’m also out of state for all of these colleges.</p>

<p>Bump</p>

6

<p>You and I are very similar, because I also self-studied math, physics and astronomy (as well as biology) for years. I just wish I could do some research with teachers, except I don’t think thats their thing, but I digress. You definitely have interesting numbers and a good application? is it good enough for these schools? it may be, but it needs improvement. sat2s in your subjects of interest, more aps and a higher sat will bring you up to par with the other applicants to the better schools in your list.</p>

<p>chance me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/862600-applying-columba-ed.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/862600-applying-columba-ed.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>Any one?</p>

<p>Bump</p>

8

<p>hmm, well UChicago, CalTech are pretty high reaches considering your GPA. but if you could get that up, you might have a chance, because you’re only a junior now. the independent study will show that you are very motivated.</p>

<p>[chance</a> me back?](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/866056-chance-columbia.html]chance”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/866056-chance-columbia.html)</p>

9

<p>I think having a relationship with a professor at the school could actually help you a lot, especially if he is willing to tell the admissions office about wanting to teach you, how good of a student you’d be, etc. It’s their own professor so it’s logical they’d appreciate that. Your SAT’s are a good start, definitely take them again for UChicago though. Your GPA is also not all that bad, especially since you have this spring and next fall. Definitely apply ED though, it can as much as double your chances. Have you considered ACT? The reasoning section may be really good for you since it’s science based.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/861781-transfer-barnard.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/861781-transfer-barnard.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>In to all except UChicago and Caltech. But you might get waitlisted/borderline acception to those two.</p>

<p>Chance me back as well, thank you so much: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/866251-anyone-can-please-chance-me-gladly-appreciate.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/866251-anyone-can-please-chance-me-gladly-appreciate.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>a note about caltech: unless the professor is on the admissions board or well known and talks about you then knowing him wont help your chances.</p>

12

<p>Dude you have a low GPA but you have good initiative and stuff so:

  1. SUNY-Stony Brook - In (good pick for physics/astro)
  2. Illinois Institute of Technology - In
  3. University of Illinois- Urbana and Champaign - match
  4. University of Chicago - reach, It’s INTENSELY self-selecting
  5. CalTech (I know it’s a huge reach…I know a professor there) - Dream reach, sorry</p>

<p>apply to the University of Pittsburgh, UCSD, UC Berkeley (reach, but you have a dece chance), UFlorida, UIndiana-Bloomington, Bowdoin (tough to get in, but less dependence on grades, Williams (reach mejor), Penn State and Texas.
They all have good physics programs</p>

13

<p>how did you do differential geometry before AP calculus???</p>

14

<p>Profs are fortunate to get their own kids in, writing a rec is typically not worth much. Hard to see Chicago or CIT here.</p>

15

<p>I did Calc II on my own with the help of my AP Calc teacher while I was still in Calc</p>

16

<p>I don’t think University of Illinois will be a reach but Caltech probably will be!</p>