low GPA. please chance me.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>my parents are really intent on forcing me to apply to top-tier (as in ivy league) schools, but i'd like to know how realistic/unrealistic my chances are of getting into schools of my own choice - </p>

<p>schools i know are reaches: JHU, NW, duke, and probably an ivy league just for the hell of it. </p>

<p>i'm also applying to UT austin, NC chapel hill, UVA, NYU, washington university, BU, plus some assorted UCs (probably UCSB, UCSC)</p>

<p>stats:</p>

<p>asian female, california, decent school (API is around 870, i believe). looking to major in history.</p>

<p>SATs: 730 CR/700 M/780 W, superscored its 730 CR/700 M/800 W.</p>

<p>SAT IIs: 720 english lit, 800 AP US history</p>

<p>overall GPA is around a 3.6 UW, 3.9 W (i know, i know.) </p>

<p>AP/honors classes taken: chemistry honors, physics honors, spanish 4 honors, AP calculus AB (a mistake of a class TBH), AP US history, and this year, AP literature, AP government, AP environmental science. i'm only taking four classes senior year, but i'm also getting elective credit for being an AVID tutor and an AP US history TA. </p>

<p>ECs:</p>

<p>1 year of JV co-ed golf, three years of varsity golf (captain, MVP)
history bowl (qualified for nationals, captain)
history bee (individual competition, 3rd at regionals)
historical documentation club (president)
various volunteering things, but nothing really long-term. </p>

<p>i also run a blog on tumblr (again, i know).</p>

<p>i'm not sure how serious admissions people will take it, but it has over 16,000 followers and counting, it's history-centric and all original content, and it's actually kind of time-consuming (updated mostly every day). i'm also a tag editor, but i don't know if it would be wise to mention that on my app.</p>

2

<p>Nobody is ever a guarantee for top-tier schools, but based on what you have here, you definitely have a shot. Your academics GPA/SAT’s are pretty good, but depending on the number of hours you put in, the range of your extra-curriculars might be lacking a bit. However, you see to be very passionate about history, so you might want to put extra time and effort into that, because although schools like well-rounded students, they also like students who are deeply concentrated into one particular aspect.</p>

3

<p>thanks for replying! and yeah, it’d be silly to ask if i were a shoe-in for any of these schools. i’d just like to know if it’s worth applying and if i have a shot in the first place, based on my stats.</p>

<p>hmmm… well, i feel like i put a lot of hours into these activities, but obviously i’m biased. i’m definitely going to emphasize the fact that i want to major in history, which i’ve tried to focus my ECs around.</p>

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<p>oh, i’m also applying to american and george washington, along with the aforementioned schools.</p>

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<p>anyone else mind giving me some advice?</p>

6

<p>can’t really offer advice, but i think your title is quite misleading. a 3.6 UW isn’t considered low for half the schools you’re aiming to apply to.</p>

<p>and considering you are deciding to major in history, where the pool of applicants isn’t that competitive to begin with, combined with your solid years of major-related experience, i do think you have a good chance if not better for all of those schools, excluding a few ivy leagues (if you decide applying).</p>

<p>yay first post</p>

7

<p>compared with all the unweighted 4.0s in the CC forum, it seems pretty low to me! but thank you very much for your input. although half the people i’ve talked to have said that i have no chance with some/most of these schools, and the other half says that i have a good chance, so i’m still kind of confused…</p>

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<p>What is your GOA in history classes? Do you have upward trend? This number is not absolute.</p>

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<p>in terms of overall GPA, it’s remained fairly steady through the first three years of high school. i’ve only taken two history courses, regular world history + AP US history, and received As in both (and a higher grade in the latter although i don’t think that shows up at all on the transcript).</p>