please suggest a school for a clueless kid!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi,
I don't know too much about colleges, and my profile is so all over the place that I can't really figure out what schools I'll have a chance at! I couldn't figure it out at the end of October so threw out a Stanford app on a whim (reject, natch). My guidance counselor also says that he's never seen a case like mine, either (he threatened to stop helping me if I was going to throw apps at schools like Stanford), so I need you guys' help!</p>

<p>Asian Male</p>

<p>GPA: 3.3/4.0 UW. My school does not do weighted GPAs, but except for 2 classes my freshmen year, every class I've taken have been honors and APs (only two other people in my school will have more APs than I will). My counselor says that my class rank is slightly outside top 30%. Definitely one of those kids who don't do well in classrooms.</p>

<p>School: Good public on east coast, about 200 per class. Last year, 6 went to Harvard, 4 to MIT, 4 to Princeton, and a handful to several other top private schools, but primarily on the east coast.</p>

<p>APs: European History 5, US History 5, Calculus BC 5 (took it as a sophomore), US Government 5, Biology 5, French 5; taking this year: Macro+Micro econ, Chem, Psychology, English Literature. </p>

<p>SAT I: 2340 (800m+770cr+770w, 12 essay); tied for the highest score at my school (that I know of, at least). The other girl with 2340 just got admitted to Columbia, but her class rank is top 10%</p>

<p>SAT II: 800 math IIc, 760 biology, 760 World History, 730 USH, 730 chemistry, 720 french</p>

<p>Notable: I took BC calculus as a sophomore, and took multivariable calculus and linear algebra at a local college (pretty well regarded) as a junior. I received A's in both classes--even though I had never gotten an A in a core class in high school! Weird. I'm just kinda chilling this year.</p>

<p>Leadership: Captain of Math Team, 11+12.
As you can see, that's it. I didn't do anything impressive. I tried to found a Great Books club for this year, but the teacher who was going to be our advisor left the school over the summer and the idea kinda fizzled out.</p>

<p>Sports: Soccer (JV 9-11) and Basketball (JV 9-11; co-captain 11) (at our school, seniors can't do JV--either varsity or you're out, and I didn't make the cut for either).</p>

<p>Other EC's:
1) Saxophone (all-district band + all district jazz band; concert + jazz band at school)
2) Choir (all district, both in concert choir and jazz choir)
3) Theatre, but no leading roles
4) "Columnist" for school newspaper
5) Scored relatively high on AMC competitions, though I voluntarily did not move on to the AIME round for fear of becoming too nerdy (as if captain of math team wasn't nerdy enough! am I going to regret this?)
6) Volunteered as a large hospital nearby, about 300 hours of service--although it has only turned me off the pre-med track (hospitals are too sad!)
7) A couple of my friends and I got together to form a jazz combo, and we're planning on doing a series street mini-concerts in the days leading up to Christmas, got the town's approval and everything. We're hoping to raise some money and donate it to a charity (any suggestions as for that?). Not my idea though, and I don't know how this would reflect in my applications.
8) Tutoring, both as a job or as a volunteer, in math and SSAT/SAT</p>

<p>So yeah, I just kinda do things that I like, which so far has been music and sports. Nothing with officer positions or anything like that. And I know that I'm not gonna be a music major or an athlete in college.</p>

<p>Strikes against me:
1) I don't really have a teacher who can vouch for me because they all think I'm a slacker. Don't know what my recommendations look like, especially in light of...
2) Two suspensions. One for fighting, and the other for skipping school too much.</p>

<p>My ECs aren't strong or focused, I have no demonstrable leadership. I'm not sure what I want to do with my life, or even what I want to study (i KNOW that I definitely never want to take a math class ever again). </p>

<p>I feel like I should have ED'd but I couldn't commit, so I applied a very noncommittal SCEA at Stanford.</p>

<p>My brother's was an identical case as mine. High scores, low GPA, lots of unfocused extracurricular activities. He got into Dartmouth. But this was a long time ago, and he tells me that he doesn't know much about anything to be of help anymore.</p>

<p>I did really like Dartmouth. I was also thinking of applying to Cornell and Columbia for engineering (I've received advice that engineering schools are more generous to high SAT students). Where else should I be looking at?????</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>By the way, my school limits students to twelve applications per cycle!!! So I only have eleven left. So I have to be judicious. Would it be a total and absolute waste of an application to send something to HYPSM? (I can’t help it, it’s in my Asian blood or something). I really liked Dartmouth so I definitely will apply there (will my brother being an alumni help at all?). Other than that, I just have no idea. I’m not against going to a liberal arts college, but I think it might be a bit too small for me (not that I want to be at a huge school like NYU, either).</p>

3

<p>Ok, so I’ve spent my Saturday night researching colleges.</p>

<p>This is my preliminary list:</p>

<p>Princeton - I figure H/Y are ridiculously out of reach. But is this gone for me, too? Would it be a waste of an application slot? (keep in mind I have only 11 more app slots left!)</p>

<p>Dartmouth - i gotta. Really liked the school. If anything maybe my best chance at cracking the “top 10” (I know, top 11) thanks to their supposed affinity for numbers + brotherly legacy (for whatever THAT’S worth)</p>

<p>Penn - Wharton possible? Or should I just go for A&S? Or is that even a reach and should I consider going to the engineering path?</p>

<p>Columbia - Fu Foundation</p>

<p>Cornell - something in the College of Human Ecology, maybe something health policy related?</p>

<p>Northwestern</p>

<p>Chicago? Would I even survive even if I got in? As you can see, I’m not the most studious type.</p>

<p>Notre Dame - I would love to play in their inter-dorm football league</p>

<p>Vanderbilt - I heard the girls are absolutely gorgeous. Doesn’t hurt that it’s a great school.
UNC, for that matter, as well.</p>

<p>Middlebury - i like to ski</p>

<p>other LACs? Not Swarthmore, though… I could barely handle high school.</p>

<p>Should I throw in Stern/Ross for good measure? Will I even get in? I’m not hard set on finance… I don’t know what I want to do, and would hate to choose a college based just on that.</p>

<p>Georgetown</p>

<p>UVA? I’d be out of state… would I be an auto-reject with my GPA? I heard that state schools weigh GPA/rank heavier.</p>

<p>Hopkins</p>

<p>Duke - apparently an excellent school… I didn’t know of any seniors going there last year.</p>

<p>And I’ve officially run out of schools that I would “like” to go to (honestly, I don’t know much about anything, only campus I’ve been to is Princeton and Dartmouth). Do I have a chance at any of these schools, especially up top?
Can you suggest any other schools to me? Am I selling myself way too long just because of my SAT? (Forgive me… it seems like every “smart” kid from my school is going to an Ivy, and there’s a huge dropoff, so I’m not very familiar with the mid-range schools).</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

4

<p>What do you want to major in? You could get into any top 30 school! Best of Luck!</p>

5

<p>So your GPA is a 3.3 unweighted? That’s rough I mean that’s really going to look bad since GPA is the highest indicator of your success in high school. Are your grades high in your AP classes? It looks like you’re really smart and really lazy, which is something colleges hate. But the few college reps I’ve talked to have said that less than GPA they look at a student’s grades in his/her AP classes. </p>

<p>Your test scores are awesome.</p>

<p>Your ECs aren’t that bad, you’ve got a lot of music in there and math. You probably should’ve tried to play up the math thing but ah well. Unless I’m missing something, I don’t think you have a really good chance at HYPS etc. Schools like Stanford are probably going to be a really high, almost impossible reach because of your GPA so I wouldn’t apply to too many of them. Definitely apply to darthmouth though. </p>

<p>I would try to apply to some state schools and definitely some safeties (you never said what state you live in?) It seems like you’re aiming too high for your gpa</p>

6

<p>Did you mention engineering? How about some slightly less competitive, still strong programs that might be impressed by your scores? Some ideas:
Lehigh
Rowan (a state school, but a good engineering program)
RIT
WPI
Rensselaer
Drexel</p>

7

<p>OK- so you’re not definite on engineering (I re-read your post.) The schools you mention are all reach schools in that almost everyone applying has strong SATs, ECs & AP classes. While you might have a shot at one of them, there is also a good chance that you won’t get in. Like I mentioned in the other post- look at some schools that will be a bit more impressed by your scores. There are many great schools out there beyond the “top 10”.</p>

8

<p>you could slightly alleviate much of the GPA problem if you peg yourself as a smart kid that doesn’t worship grades. a lot of colleges like to see the unique kids that are set apart from the raving pack of applicants who think getting an A- on a transcript is worse than being ripped limb from limb. granted, you have to be very, very careful on how you work with that, because a poorly written essay will just make the ‘slacker’ persona shine through, but a well written and careful essay could work wonders in showing how you don’t waste your life fiddling over an A or B. this especially looks good for engineering-type fields</p>

<p>try applying to georgia tech. at my school, a lot of really smart kids that are kinda slackers applied to this school last year and got in. it’s definitely math/science heavy and all the kids there seem to love it.</p>

9

<p>Whats your rank? That may be able to account for the low GPA if your school is tough (which it sounds like).</p>

<p>Your EC’s aren’t that bad, your GPA is your weakness. I would try to account for that somehow in your apps (but don’t make anything up).</p>

<p>Unless you’re rank is awesome, or you can explain your GPA with an amazing reason, I’d say most of the top schools are wasted applications. Sure you can try one more, but you should focus lower.</p>

<p>What about your state flagship? Also, vanderbilt and nortre dame are good. Good luck, hope I helped.</p>

10

<p>Um, Ivies are going to be a little tough for you, not just because of GPA/grades but your ECs. There’s no harm in applying but unless you have a stellar essay it’ll be very hard for you to get in.</p>

<p>Case Western (Cleveland, OH) is a REALLY great school and you could probably get in there with a decent scholarship. Vanderbilt is also a great school. Look into Emory, Purdue, U-Illinois Urbana Champaigne. Duke is a good school but even that might be tough. You’d probably get into GA Tech with your test scores.</p>

<p>Make sure your essay is VERY VERY strong. And get an interview to as many places as you can.</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/827313-im-first-my-family-go-through-process-can-you-please-chance-me.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/827313-im-first-my-family-go-through-process-can-you-please-chance-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>Yeah, I’m not exactly set on engineering. I only mentioned engineering because I had received advice that engineering programs may be more forgiving of my lack of extracurriculars. I don’t exactly know what I want to do, so I just wanted to go to “the best school possible”, whatever that means. My bro says that worst comes to worst, he’ll pull some strings to let me work at his company, but tells me that he couldn’t pull those strings unless I was going to the schools listed above or others of that caliber haha. Not that this is what I want to do, but it does illustrate the sad truth of this world, that where you go to school does matter a lot more than we’d like.
I live in new england, so my state flagship is not all that great, and would prefer that I didn’t have to go.
I kinda wish there were schools like Wake Forest or Bowdoin–but backwards, so they look at SAT but not at GPA haha. Any other suggestions? Or suggestions at least on cutting down that list? I think I’m going to add BC and Emory to the ever-growing list, and would like to add a couple LACs as well.</p>

<p>Paved88 - my AP grades aren’t any higher. I’m a solid B+ student no matter what I do (actually, given that my non-honors grades were also B+s, it’s better that my school doesn’t weigh GPA?). </p>

<p>Doesitmatter - any ideas on how to let this be shown on the application? I’ll admit, it’s definitely a combination of both. Yes, it’s laziness and disinterest and everything, but I can definitely turn it up if needed (string of 5’s on AP?) and definitely keep myself busy otherwise. One of the biggest obstacles to doing my homework is wikipedia… i know it’s not the most reliable source, but I definitely find myself spending hours. So it’s definitely not for lack of “desire to learn/know”. But I can’t exactly come up with a way to reflect this on my essay. (My EA essay was pretty bad, so I’m in the process of writing a new one)</p>

<p>Alex - GPA being low, everyone can see. I was concerned that all the other kids applying to ivies were presidents of that and founders of this and national finalists in something-or-other, and I have… nothing. I’m not even all that great in math, I don’t even get to compete half the time (only if a SOPHOMORE doesn’t show up). I got to be captain only because I’m like the only one on the team that’s not awkward enough to hold a conversation with someone else…</p>

<p>thanks all!</p>

<p>PS–you guys don’t think my suspensions will play a huge factor?</p>

12

<p>Hi, </p>

<p>You are obviously a very bright slacker. Nice job.
Anyways, I am not posting to state the obvious, so, I think you should look into Reed. It is known for taking chances on kids who might otherwise be overlooked. I am not a student there (I am still in high school), but, I am in a similar situation with the mediocre GPA, so have been doing some hard core google searching :slight_smile: It’s hyper intellectual, similar to University of Chicago in that respect, and seems focus more on learning for learning’s sake than achieving that coveted 4.0. It’s also incredibly well regarded. Look into it.</p>

13

<p>Thanks for the Reed and Lehigh suggestions. Did not know about these schools at all.
Anyone know what my chances might be at east coast LACs? Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury and Wesleyan? (Might as well throw Colgate, Hamilton, and Bates into the mix). </p>

<p>And of the listed schools above, which ones do you think I should definitely take out? (that is, have absolutely no chance at?) Thanks!</p>

14

<p>“2) Two suspensions. One for fighting, and the other for skipping school too much.”</p>

<p>I fear this may be the hurdle to overcome; with all the top applicants, top schools may not see a need to take an additional chance, considering your GPA and rank.</p>