Schools I'm Applying To

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Demographics: Male, Junior, Caucasian, Jewish, attends Public School
Intended Major: Biological Sciences

ACT: 28 – I plan to retake the ACT at least two more times (target 32 ) GPA: 100.5
IB Classes (currently taking): IB Physics SL, IB Spanish SL, IB Math SL, IB Chem HL , IB Lang and Lit HL , IB History of The Americas HL, IB Theatre HL

IB Classes (Next year): IB Spanish SL, IB Lang and Lit HL, IB History of The Americas HL, IB Theatre HL , IB Physics HL

AP Classes (Next Year): AP Calculus BC

Extracurriculars:
SADD/ Youth Decide – 1 year
Mathletes (all years)
Drama Guild (all years, possible treasurer or VP)
National Honor Society (running for Treasurer) Student Government (running for secretary) ,
Cultural Cooking Club (president and founder of this club) Science National Honor Society (2 years), Spanish National Honor Society (2 years) Math Honor Society (2 years) Tri-M Music Honor Society (3 years) Peer Mediation Club (selected to peer mediate students needing counseling) Coding Club (1 year) ,Biology Club (1 year), Yearbook (possible editor)

Choir –
Been in Chamber Singers (3 years) , Choraleers for 1, ACDA Eastern Conference (honors high school choir) (2 years), all-county (3 years)

Theatre –
Outside Theatre Communities (4 years), Theatre internships, Been apart of 11 shows at my High School

Work Experience / Internships –

  1. I worked at Molloy College as an intern and was the stage manager, and learned the ropes.
  2. I worked at a sleepaway camp as a counselor for children ages 0-5.
  3. I was offered an internship for this summer at a Theatre Company
  4. I may volunteer at a local hospital nearby

Schools I am Applying to:

  1. Cornell University (Reach) - CALS
  2. Binghamton University
  3. University of Florida
  4. Emory University
  5. Georgia Institute of Technology
  6. Clemson University (Safety):
  7. SUNY — Buffalo (Safety):
  8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  9. Ohio State University
  10. Wake Forest University
  11. University of Michigan —
  12. University of South Carolina (Safety) —
  13. University of Pittsburgh (safety)
  14. University of Virginia

NOTE: Before anybody roasts me about my ACT score, I am in the works of improving it. I clearly know that a 28 will not get me into Emory, Wake Forest, Cornell, Georgia Tech, UVA, or Mich. ***

2

UF, Ohio State, and Clemson are not safeties. UF would be a definitive reach for you, and the other two are still targets (as hard if not harder than Binghamton).

Admittedly, your EC’s are cool. Objectively speaking, all of your reaches are HIGH reaches. Wake Forest is a definite objective reach as well, though a more comparable score may boost the chances. Best of luck with that prospective 32; you’ll need an objective boost for your reaches. Your EC’s do give you a boost, and there are obviously a variety of extraneous circumstances that could just go your way that we don’t know about. You might still get in to one or two of your reaches; who knows. I will go ahead and warn you that the IB course load is cool, but I have come to believe that it really doesn’t help THAT much (IB and AP really tend to get weighted almost identically). It’s still good, though; it sounds like you would fit the bill for having a “most rigorous” schedule. Great GPA.

Overall, keep searching and good job so far; I think there are plenty of other great schools that you haven’t considered yet that may be easier to get into. Are you relying on financial aid, btw. If you are, you should probably trash your public OOS options.

3

Where is your home state? What is your uwGPA in 4.0 max scale? Your current ACT score is too low for UMich. Even 32 would not make it a match due to low admission rate. It is a reach school for you.

4

Good call. I didn’t notice it in the list (Ann Arbor would have triggered it for me). Definitely a high reach.

5

My Guidance counselor was assuring that I would get into UF. Is it beneficial that I am OOS?

6

@MON824 You mentioned schools that would be easier to get into…I think my list is pretty solid… Would you mind listing some schools that match my data. My ACT score is not my intended score, obviously.

7

What is your financial circumstances? Hard to judge the list if you can’t afford the schools

8

@MON824 Also, when I visited the school, they directly told me that they weigh 50% academic information with 50% non academic info like EC’s and such so I really cannot see how UF could be a reach? Even Naviance said I would get in.

9

@bmastor2000

Naviance is pretty unreliable, as athletes (who have terrible grades/scores) weigh down the average.

They say 50% academics, 50% non-academic, but that 28 ACT is really pulling you down.

10

Think of UF as a match, it’s holistic admissions can seem a bit random at times, and you never know how they may feel about your ECs. Also, that Essay is IMPORTANT, make sure you put some effort into it. If you can do some volunteer work this summer, that would be a plus at UF (which puts a lot of weight behind volunteering).

OOS admissions is about as hard as In-state admissions at UF (not any harder). UF puts more weight on GPA and class rigor (they respect IB), than they do test scores, so that’s also a plus.

Good Luck!

11

@Gator88NE despite all the other schools on my list, I think I will end up at UF (if I get in)

12

You are surely lucky if you make it to UF Good Luck!!

13

If you are from NY and family income is under $100,000, I would take a serious look at your SUNYs.
You could get a STEM schoarship or Excelsior scholarship to cover tuition. I think Purchase also gives merit for science majors.

Since you are looking at Biosc, are you premed?

No sense borrowing alot for undergrad if med school is in the future.

Pittsburgh would be a great school, but not a safety since merit consideration starts at ACT 33 and high class rank is needed too.

14
  1. Cornell University ( OUT of Reach) - CALS
  2. Binghamton University (Target):
  3. University of Florida (Match)
  4. Emory University (Very HIGH Reach)
  5. Georgia Institute of Technology (High Reach apply RD) if you are in state ( Low Reach/ Match)
  6. Clemson University (Match):
  7. SUNY — Buffalo (Match):
  8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Match/Low Reach)
  9. Ohio State University (Safety):
  10. Wake Forest University (Low Reach)
  11. University of Michigan —(Reach) (Match) if in-state
  12. University of South Carolina (Safety) —
  13. University of Pittsburgh (Safety) Your grades are stellar it's just your ACT score, try to raise it, also take the SAT it might be better for you.
15

@VANDEMORY1342 thanks for the advice! Most helpful so far! I have never tried the SAT, but I think I might just take the August SAT. I do well on math and science. Where I score low is in the English and reading sections. I really would like to go to Wake forest , Emory, or UF.

16

@bmastor2000 Emory has a high Jewish population, and Jewish outreach. I will say you ACT is low even for ED1, if you got a 32 ED1 would be a low reach/match, while ED2 and RD would be Reach/High Reach respectively​. I personally got a higher score on the SAT than ACT. I don’t like feeling rushed at all; maybe you are the same. Are you in-state for any of the public schools mentioned?

17

@VANDEMORY1342 I do not particularly like any of the state schools in NY. I agree, I do not like the time constraints on the ACT. Is the SAT really that generous with timing?

18

That’s pretty irresponsible of your GC. Assuring you that you have a solid chance is fine, but assuring you that you will get in is just foolish.

19

@STEM2017 do you think that I have a high chance of getting in though? I really just need to improve my grades.

20

Your GPA is 100.5. I guess that’s weighted. Do you know what it is unweighted? How does this compare to your classmates (i.e., general idea of class rank?)

Your grades look pretty strong. It’s your standardized test score that’s the problem for many of the schools you like. If you can get to a 32, that will open more doors than the 28, but it’s not a great idea to assume a 4-point jump.

Agree that the SAT may be better if you feel rushed on the ACT.