Decision: Accepted to Gallatin (EDII)
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 580 W, 610 R, 680 M (didn’t submit)
ACT: 31 (34 E, 29 M, 30R, 29 S, 30 W)
SAT II: —
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.73 // 4.1 (weighted)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 70/280
AP (place score in parenthesis): 8 in total // Calculus BC, Macroeconomics, European History, Physics I(teacher left halfway through the year so 1), Art History(4), US History(4), Statistics(3), and Language & Composition(4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): —
Senior Year Course Load: Art, Government, AP Macro, AP Calculus BC, British Literature, AP Euro, Forensics, Orchestra
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar, Silver and Bronze Awards for Girl Scouts
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Orchestra (Section Leader, President)
National Honor Society (Secretary)
Chamber Orchestra (Section Leader)
Academic Team
National Spanish Honor Society
Beta Club
Spanish Club
HERO Club (in collaboration with UGA)
Student Government
Executive Board
Girl Scouts
Job/Work Experience: worked at a local thrift store a couple of times throughout high school
Volunteer/Community service: stuff through my community service based EC’s, oh & Girl Scouts, duh.
Summer Activities: Traveling and bebopping around suburbia
Essays:
- Common App Essay: wrote it about my mom who died when I was 10. very lighthearted and reminiscent. talked about the events leading up to her death and how I’ve learned from the experience
- Why NYU? Essay: well I quoted Frida Kahlo, my favorite artist. (for context, the quote: “I don’t paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.”) I talked about how my dreams ranged as a child and how I wanted to make my dreams a reality. I also mentioned my mom’s career when she worked in NYC. sounds like jibberish but it all made sense
---- side note: I really discovered my knack for writing through these essays along with my use of figurative language (a jazzy sprinkle of goodness on your essays), and I found connecting my essays together makes you a more memorable candidate. For future applicants…
Teacher Recommendation:
- AP Lang teacher, AP Art History teacher, & Academic Team coach: if you’ve ever had a best teacher bud… well she is mine. (wow. I sound so creepy…) Probably the best recommendation I could ask for. She knows me quite well.
- Pre Calc & AP Calculus Teacher: I’ve had him two years in a row, and he knows I’m a hard worker although I might not do the best in his class…
Counselor Rec: 9/10 never saw it, but she seemed to be quite helpful and interested in my college pathway towards the end. also said I would have a slim chance of getting into NYU so… look who’s laughing now
Additional Rec: —
Interview: —
Other
State (if domestic applicant): Georgia
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: public (somewhat competitive, especially in the top tiers)
Ethnicity: Asian (Chinese) & Caucasian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 75K-100K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nothing tbh
Reflection
Strengths: number & variety of AP courses, rigor of schedule, ESSAYS
Weaknesses: GPA, rank // not bad but could be better
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: Mercer University & Georgia State University (yay for safety schools!)
Rejected: Northwestern (applied EDI, first application I did, weak)
Applied (but had to withdraw): Boston University, University of Georgia, Pepperdine University
General Comments:
Wow. I have so much to say. Alright here we go… I know everyone says grades aren’t everything, and that’s true at NYU where they truly take the holistic approach. NYU was my dream school and then it was tied with Northwestern, but Northwestern didn’t want my presence. But I truly believe NYU will be the place for me. And Gallatin AGH I love all they stand for.
For future applicants reading this (and this goes for applying to any school although I’m no expert), choose one thing to highlight in your application. You want to look well rounded, but you also you want to be passionate about something. And don’t take the essays with a grain of salt. If you’re feeling insecure about the rest of your application which encompasses 4 years, then choose to shine in your essays which you have months to craft and that can be the you now rather than the “I’m trying to figure myself out all throughout high school” you. Last tip, LET SOMEONE READ YOUR ESSAYS. I get it: your essays are like your private diary, but trust me when I say a second opinion is best. Also try practicing reading some of your friends’ essay; I read about 15-20 other essays that weren’t my own, and it truly helped me craft my own writing style. Ok, I promise this is the last thing… ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ is a friend, a great tool, a partner in crime, a mano to lend its help.
And finally, for my fellow NYU mates, hi I’m Pamela. Wonderful to meet you. I’m hoping to concentrate in marketing while at Gallatin and somehow craft something that I won’t feel so stuck in as if I went into business itself. If you want to make a friend before the fall, I’m here to chat. It should be pretty easy to find me out here on these internet streets. Happy searching and looking forward to seeing you in the concrete jungle.
