Low GPA, solid SAT, chances/suggestions?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>This is my first post on CC. Still a high school junior so I'm going to list my projected stats. Then I'm going to list the schools I'm considering. Any help, advice, guidance would be truly appreciated. Since I have listed a bunch of schools, don't feel the need to respond to all of them. Any bit of information would be really nice. I've listed colleges I'm looking at at the bottom.</p>

<p>Caucasian Male
Intense Yeshiva with double curriculum
GPA: 3.2 UW, will bring it up to 3.3 or 3.4 by the time of applications.
Honors Courses: High honors for everything (7 classes) except math and science. Almost all...
6 APs:
AP Art history
AP US History
AP English Language
AP Psych
AP English Literature
AP Euro and maybe Bio. Expecting 4s and 5s.</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests: English Literature and Us History, expecting above 700 on both. </p>

<p>Normal SAT: probably 2050-2100 first time around. From my practice tests, by March I am thinking 750-800 writing, 720-750 reading, 550 - 600 math. </p>

<p>ECs: not sure if they're good or bad.</p>

<ul>
<li>Schools drama production for 2 years, probably next year for 3/4. My biggest commitment. </li>
<li>Writer for everything writing related - school newspaper contributions, my own individual blog on the student-run news website, writer for arts/poetry magazine. </li>
<li>Editor of one of those next year</li>
<li>Founder of Philosophy club</li>
<li>Founder of student comedy/satire publication</li>
<li>Outside of school, I have won multiple poetry/essay contests, I have two active blogs which I update regularly, I have an active account on a "debate" site, and I've also written a book on philosophy which I'd like to publish or self-publish. </li>
<li>Play piano, guitar, drums. </li>
</ul>

<p>I'll have written a spectacular essay. Unique, creative, intelligent, all of that stuff. Not to sound like a pompous jerk.</p>

<p>I'll also have solid letters of recommendation. </p>

<p>So... this is what my resume will look like by the time I apply to college. </p>

<p>COLLEGES I'M LOOKING AT:</p>

<p>Brandeis (is this a crazy reach?)
Boston University
Northeastern
NYU
Rutgers
University of Southern California
University of California San Diego</p>

<p>Reed
Occidental
Bard
Hampshire
Oberlin
Dickinson
Skidmore
Colgate</p>

<p>Thanks if you've read to the bottom! Any chances or suggestions are appreciated.</p>

2

<p>bumpppp anyone have suggestions?</p>

3

<p>Everywhere you have listed is pretty doable. Brandeis is really your biggest reach provided you do attain your projected SAT score. Chance me?? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1057649-wheel-chance-what-goes-around-comes-around.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1057649-wheel-chance-what-goes-around-comes-around.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>really? i was thinking my not-so-great gpa would hurt chances at a lot of the schools i listed. thanks a lot though.</p>

5

<p>still looking for some responses</p>

6

<p>Depending on how difficult your high school is…im just going to guess its some public school where getting a high GPA isnt terribly as hard as a private school then…</p>

<p>Brandeis-Reach
Boston University-High Match
Northeastern-High Match
NYU-Low Reach
Rutgers-In
University of Southern California-Reach
University of California San Diego-Reach (I would look closely at the acceptance of OOS students this year since they are changing their policies on how many students they are going to take outside of Cali since they are unfortunately broke at the moment, in years past its around 5% OOS and thats really small making it a reach, but maybe)</p>

<p>Reed (This school is extremely liberal in its teaching, no grades or anything…your gonna need some outstanding essays to make yourself look special to this school)-Low Reach
Occidental-High Match
Bard High Match
Hampshire-Low Reach
Oberlin-Low Reach
Dickinson-Match
Skidmore-High Match
Colgate-Low Reach</p>

<p>Your reading/writing scores will help you out at these liberal arts college but your math scores need help. At the larger schools your GPA will be your weakest point, they wont spend too much time looking at why you did poorly or your essays as hard as just the simple numbers. The smaller LAC’s will look more closely at you as a person.</p>

7

<p>I love it when the blind lead the blind (HSers chanching each other). :slight_smile: Reed actually has traditional, classical, structured curriculum coupled with a progressive, free-thinking, unstructured community culture. Grades are recorded on a traditional transcript, but don’t otherwise appear anywhere; there is no dean’s list. I agree with Anthony that essays are very important to Reed, but you might be a 50/50 match; it’s really hard to say. Interview is important as well.</p>