<p>My family is extremely poor, my mom and I rent a house and my dad is in another country. We are immigrants. My mom earns $20000 to $25000 per year and her job is painful...She also has to send my dad money on a monthly basis. No house, no car, but there's always some possible support from my uncle and my aunt who are in the low-middle working class. There's no worrying about food and shelter, there's still money to spend on fun things because I'm the only child. But my dad is kind of sick and my mom can't keep this up forever..
I did my best to learn English, I learned English within a year of coming here in 3rd grade. I surpassed all the ESOL students in my class in terms of Reading level when they've been there for 2-3 years and it was my 1st year.
I just want to know if a situation like this could help me get into colleges such as Cornell, UCLA, etc. I don't want to go to any colleges that's worse...my family is a 1st gen college family starting from me.
Let's say, with a 3.8 GPA UW and a 2000 SAT...and a couple quality EC's, will I have a chance at those colleges?</p>
<p>Im a junior and not applying to college yet but im just wondering where would you put on this information on your application. I also have a family situation but im not sure if you can actually put this on your app</p>
<p>unfortunately, ucla and cornell and those schools are still a reach</p>
<p>Get the SAT up, make sure your ECs are SOLID! Do some stuff like research, internships, and write damn good essays! You have a good story! Tell it in your common app!</p>
<p>Yeah…I’m trying to get my SATs into the 2000-2100, but that would be a 300-400 point jump theoretically form my PSATs.</p>
<p>There’s an acapella choir that is student run that I was involved last year in 10th grade but this year I’m just not interested anymore. And there’s a mock trial club that my history teacher runs, but it overlaps some of the time where I have red cross meetings o.o</p>
<p>What’s in-state for you?</p>
<p>Your best shot is 100% need schools.
[100%</a> Meet Need Colleges | CollegeGreenlight](<a href=“Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students”>Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students)
Although these schools typically get to decide how much your “need” is, for a 20-25,000 yearly income you’d get an EFC 0 and they’d probably cover all your costs. Some even include no-loans (Davidson, Brown…)
[FinAid</a> | Answering Your Questions | No Loans for Low Income Students](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid)
They’re also among the most generous…ie, they’ll provide money to cover books, or travel costs. However, if you looked at the list, you could see one problem: they’re the most selective in the country. For a high achieving, first gen student, they’re the best bet for maximum financial aid. Run the Net Price Calculators on each and see which ones seem to cost your family the least.
Note that Hamilton especially seeks out First Gen students (their President is first gen, as are many professors).
Have you asked your counselor for your waivers? (NACAC and College Board and/or ACT waivers cover both your costs for taking the tests, but also your applications up to 8 colleges)
Make sure you have a safety (a school you’re sure you can get into, like, and can afford - that would typically be a school where you’d get into the Honors College, or your state’s flagship or in state public university +/ Honors College.)</p>
<p>Thanks, financial aid is a problem, so yea I hope that fixes it. If I write my situation and my story in my college essay, will I have any chance at Cornell? My gpa in 9th and 10th grade was 3.7 UW but in 11th grade atm and my 1st term is a 3.9 UW, so do I have a chance at all? I’m 100% dedicated to what I do and I take things seriously, perhaps too seriously and emotionally…</p>
<p>If the schools you are applying to use the Common App, there is a special spot where you can write about your challenges. You sound like a really promising candidate and selective schools like Cornell value diversity like this (and are willing to provide lots of merit aid!). So absolutely aim for the best. Your state might matter (if there are a lot of people with similar stories there you may not stand out as much). But also keep in mind that you’ll be able to get a fantastic education at many schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>yes, apply to Cornell and a few other top schools on this list. For maximum “preferential packaging” or no-loans, apply to schools 400+miles from home from the 100%need met list, or to no-loans schools (links provided above).
Apply to your flagship’s honors college ASAP (large universities look at applications in “batches” or “rounds”, so that applying earlier is always better.)
In addition, many schools have Dec 1 deadlines for the best scholarships.
What schools are you applying to, outside of Cornell?
Note that UCLA wouldn’t offer you any financial aid, but USC and Occidental might.</p>
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<p>Have you taken any practice SATs in a real testing environment? You can’t just assume that you will score 2000+.</p>
<p>Well, no but I’m going to study to get a 2000, and I know I can do it. And yes Cornell is my number 1 choice and I am over 100 percent ready if I get in. I want to go to Cornell because I know it’s already a high reach but I need to show my true potential and not disappoint my parents (and also surprise my friends). Harvard and Yale is not my goal, because I believe Cornell is more than good enough if I can get in. Other colleges…well, uPenn, but 1/4 of my class is applying there lol. And also a lower-tier wold be Lehigh…, and Boston College maybe…</p>
<p>Don’t bother applying to Boston College, they don’t meet need.
Have you looked at the list I gave you?
Lehigh isn’t on it so run the Net Price Calculator to make sure they’d offer sufficient aid.</p>
<p>If you’re a girl, look at Bryn Mawr. </p>
<p>Look at colleges 400+ miles from home and colleges where most of your classmates DON’T apply so that it’ll be easier to stand out. </p>
<p>Use these websites for first-gen students:
[FirstGenerationStudent.com</a> | Help for First-Gen College Students](<a href=“http://www.firstgenerationstudent.com/]FirstGenerationStudent.com”>http://www.firstgenerationstudent.com/)
[College</a> Search | Find Colleges to Apply To](<a href=“http://www.firstgenerationstudent.com/schools/]College”>http://www.firstgenerationstudent.com/schools/)
[First</a> In the Family](<a href=“http://www.firstinthefamily.org/]First”>http://www.firstinthefamily.org/)</p>
<p>Read this:
[Colleges</a> try to meet needs of ?first generation? students - Metro - The Boston Globe](<a href=“Colleges try to meet needs of first-generation students - The Boston Globe”>Colleges try to meet needs of first-generation students - The Boston Globe)</p>
<p>You can’t imagine the number of students who confidently asserted they’d get a 2000 and ended up with 1700. So unless you have a real score, at least PSAT or practice, you can’t think you’ll get this or that score, it’s the surest way to get disappointed.</p>
<p>Yea true, I will work my way up, so that’s why my “dream” college is Cornell but my backup college in reach can’t be something like an average college that half of the people applies to. And I’ve never heard of anyone applying to Cornell in my school, it’s only a small high school with 260 kids though. But I know a few kids applying to uPenn next year for sure…so no uPenn. Cornell is the best option.</p>
<p>I got a 162 on my 10th grade PSAT from a 140 in 9th grade, I did no studying at all. I’m getting my PSAT scores for 11th grade in a month, and I believe I got at least a 170 without any proper studying, I looked over online for like 15 minutes the night before the test…</p>
<p>So if I study hard for CR and writing (which I heard is easy to master and improve), I can get 300+ points on the SAT. I got a 67 on Math in the 10th grade SAT so I’m good on math. I do realized that SATs is longer but it’s in short bursts.</p>
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<p>Who said that? If it was “easy” to master and improve its score, then everyone would be scoring high 600-700s.</p>
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<p>Why would they be “disappointed” on you if you don’t get admitted into an Ivy league school?</p>
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<p>You can bring out your true potential at other colleges/universities too…</p>
<p>Well maybe I worded things wrong, but I would be disappointed in myself if I don’t get into Cornell or colleges similar to that. And I didn’t mean easy like everyone could do it, I meant that it was not as hard to understand the pattern of the writing SAT questions.</p>
<p>yes there’s a definite pattern to the SAT, that’s why it’s called a “standardized” test. 
Understanding it will help you a lot. Practice with number2.com – it’s not “easy” in that it looks easy but in the end, many students end up doing more poorly than they thought they would. :s Regular practice is thus essential.
Look at the USNWR - not for the rankings, but to get ideas and see them as “groups” or sets of similar schools; realize that all schools in the top 30 national universities and top 25 LACs are hyper selective, prestigious institutions. All are roughly of the same value to you. They’re reaches for <em>everybody</em>. You can’t be disapointed in yourself for being human. Try for those, as many as you wish or can afford, but first you need to have at least 2 academic AND financial safeties and 3-6 matches with good financial aid.
So, look at the schools ranked 30-54 for LACs and 31-52 for universities (or so) in both categories: those are excellent schools that are matches for you. Eliminate the out of state public universities unless they offer full ride or full tuition scholarships for your stats (they won’t offer financial aid). Add your flagship’s Honors College.
Then look at schools ranked 56-76for LACs and 57-69 u’s (or so), plus schools ranked 1-3 in the regional university category for safeties.
Fill out the “request info” form on the websites for the schools you’re interested in. Request interviews with alumni in your area.</p>
<p>If so many of your classmates are applying to Penn, do you happen to live in Philadelphia? If so, there are some special resources potentially available to you.</p>
<p>@Wordworker Yea I do.
@MYOS, I don’t want to ANY public unis, I’m aiming for a college AT LEAST NYU level, if you know what I mean.
Btw this boosted my confidence a lot!
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cornell-university/1176294-advice-after-speaking-cornell-admissions-officer.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cornell-university/1176294-advice-after-speaking-cornell-admissions-officer.html</a>
Honestly I’ll cry so hard if I get in…</p>
<p>On a side note, I took the November 2nd SAT 2 Chinese and I got a 800!
I think over half of the people who takes it gets 800 but I’m still glad I did!
I’m a native but the CD listening part of the test is particularly annoying, if you lose attention while the cd is playing, you are screwed.</p>
<p>@ThePariah</p>
<p>Congratz!</p>
<p>However… getting 800 on your first language test will NOT impress any adcoms(nor it will have any effect on your admission). I heard that SAT II for any foreign languages is mainly taken by students who want to be exempt from foreign language classes in college/university.</p>
<p>Why don’t you want to apply to any public universities?.. There are public schools out there that are at NYU “level” if not higher.</p>
<p>The problem is that being a native Chinese speaker and getting an 800 on a test at the A2 level isn’t going to do you any favors (it looks a little lazy and means nothing).</p>
<p>LACs aren’t public, and anyway I specifically said to cut out the OOS public universities (only UVA and UNC-CH provide 100% financial aid, although it’s Ivy-level difficult to get into UNC-CH from OOS since 82% students must be from in state). UVA and UNC-CH are actually more respected overall than NYU.</p>
<p>You seem to have a very nihilistic attitude: either I get into <em>these</em> colleges, or I will not go at all. I’m not sure I understand properly though:
What matches do you have? Safeties?
I do understand you want to attend a top school, but so do many students. 
What matters is finding a good fit at other schools similar to your dream school but less selective. So, you might want to look for schools that share some characteristics that Cornell has, but are easier to get into. And if you get into Cornell, all the better.
Don’t play poker with your future.
If you don’t have matches and safeties, your choices will be 1° community college or 2° gap year where you work full time or do CityYear. Don’t become one of the many, many CC posters who come here to cry in April because they “didn’t get in anywhere” (except their state flagship).</p>
<p>Still, it’s very true: as long as you’ve hit a certain threshold, your score doesn’t matter as much as your extracurriculars (in particular, your awards/leadership roles) and your essay.</p>
<p>So, essentially, you’re aiming for the top 35 universities/LACs. That’s still a lot of leeway, even if you remove the public universities. And that makes schools in the 35-65 range easier to investigate for you.</p>