<p>Senior in HS</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.68/4
Weighted GPA: 4.32
In the top 12% of my class. (out of a public school of a little less than 800 students)
Have been taking ALL honors classes and AP classes (4 APs senior year).
Involved in 4 extracurriculars: (as of end of senior year)
-synchronized swimming 4 years
-best buddies 2 years
-Model UN 3 years
-club for social change 2 years
Got 1 smallish award.
Volunteered at the library this summer.
ACT: 33
SAT comp: 2090 (but I am retaking it in the fall, shooting for a 2200-2300)
verbal: 670
math: 740
writing: 680
SAT subject: math-770 lit-710</p>
<p>APs (so far, up to junior year): APUSH-4, Eng lit-5, gov't-5, psych-5</p>
<p>Asian female, speak Russian, 1st gen immigrant</p>
<p>Should I even bother applying?</p>
<p>shoot, i meant top 12% in a class of less than 800, but my public school is big</p>
<p>bring the SAT to a 2200+, 2250 would be great</p>
<p>If you can get your SAT to that caliber and apply EARLY DECISION, than you have a good shot.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>I’m thinking about applying early decision, it’s just that my financial situation is not so good–my parents don’t have any savings for me for college, so I’m entirely in the hands of the financial office. Does Columbia give good financial assistance?</p>
<p>columbia will most probably give ample financial assistance. If you’re parents earn under 70-80,000 per year you will get nearly a full ride, under 50 or 60 you will get a full ride. If the financial aid is not enough you are welcome to reject an early acceptance on those grounds.</p>
<p>redlight, the answer to your question about whether Columbia gives good financial assistance can’t be answered here, because the answer will be different from each family’s point of view. For some “good” may mean one thing, for other families it may mean something else entirely.</p>
<p>I’d recommend that you go to the College Board site. Under “Paying for College” you will find some financial aid calculators. One is for financial aid using Federal Methodology, which Columbia will use to determine your eligibilty for federal financial aid. The other is for Institutional methodology, which Columbia will use to determine the rest of your financial aid package. Have your parents sit down with you and work both calculators to determine your family’s Estimated Financial Contribution under both methodologies. Understand that Columbia may use some different criteria in determing your family’s EFC, but you and your parents need to discuss whether the EFC that is indicated under both methodologies would be “do-able” for your family’s situation, given that they have not saved any money for your college expenses. “Good” financial aid from Columbia’s point of view may be very different from your family’s definition of what it needs to pay for college for you.</p>
<p>Don’t delay — do this as soon as possible, and make sure your parents are involved.</p>