<p>I've already finished all my Common App stuff and essays required, took my SAT, everything. I am stuck on whether I should apply EA or not. Here's my stuff:</p>
<p>Ethnicity: Hispanic. Born in Peru, moved here when I was 12.
SAT:
- First time: 2140
- Second time: 2160
- Spanish Subject: 800
- World History Subject: 720
- National Hispanic Recognition Program
- National Merit Commended</p>
<p>GPA/RANK:
- GPA through junior year is 4.95/6. Huge upward trend. If you want me to explain my school's system, ask me.
- Rank through junior year: 39/557. Once again, huge upwards trend.</p>
<p>APs:
- Taken: World History, APUSH, English Lang, Psychology, Spanish Lang. All 5s except Psychology (4).
- Senior year: English Lit, Spanish Lit, Calc AB, Stats, Computer Science, Bio.</p>
<p>ECs:
- Notre Dame Latino Leadership Program: Selects 40 Hispanic kids every year to go to Notre Dame and study Latino stuff. All Expenses paid. In summer.
- UT Honors Colloquium: Invites students to University of Texas for a weekend to showcase its honors program. In summer.
- Helped my mum tutor kids in Spanish.
- Debate for all 4 years. Various local tournament trophies.
- Spanish Club, National Spanish Honor Society (not a big involvement in them).
- National Spanish Exam 2nd Place for two years.</p>
<p>I want to know if I have good EA chances and if I will get good merit/any aid if I apply EA. I cannot attend Fordham if I do not get a large scholarship! I have heard EA/ED kids do not get good aid. I know I may get a full ride for the NHRP thing though.</p>
<p>Thanks for any help. I am REALLY indecisive about this. You can ask me any questions in case I am missing something. Thanks a bunch.</p>
<p>If you use the Common App, then they will handle the letters of rec. Fordham will only take one letter anyway. You just “invite” the teacher on the last page of the Common App. That’s all you need to do.</p>
<p>I feel like you have very, very good chances. I don’t like to say things like “shoo-in,” but you’re in the top 25% at Fordham for sure with your test scores, and the top 10% at your school, as well as having the hook of being a URM. If you didn’t get in I’d be very surprised, and EA will probably on increase your chances. As a National Hispanic Scholar, you’re eligible and competitive for a couple of full tuition scholarships, I think. And I was at the Honors Colloquium at UT as well, what a coincidence.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely apply EA…you may have a shot at a good scholarship package! Also, don’t worry about your GPA…Fordham cares more about high school rank…you’re in the top 7%, which is pretty good, especially if you attend a competetive high school. Good luck!</p>
<p>“I have heard EA/ED kids do not get good aid.”</p>
<p>I may be wrong, but I am fairly sure that applying Early Action will not reduce your financial aid package. I think that applying Early Decision may, because they know that you are dead set on going there, and you have no financial aid packages to compare and select from. (However, if your amount of financial aid is too small and isn’t feasible for your family, you can back out of a Binding Early Decision contract.) </p>
<p>But Early Action may even be advantageous to financial aid, because if you get your CSS Profile and/or FAFSA (Fordham requires both, if applying Early Action, they ask that you submit the CSS Profile by November 1st deadline as well) in by the priority deadline, you’ll make sure to not lose out on financial aid. (I think some schools without large endowments run out of merit money and grant money - sometimes.)</p>
<p>I am applying to Fordham Early Action and hoping for a National Merit full tuition scholarship. They sent me an application in the mail to encourage me to apply Early Action, and I think it talked about consideration for scholarships.</p>
<p>“Students who would like to have their application reviewed early may submit an application by November 1. Students applying under the Early Action process should complete the SAT or ACT by October of their senior year. The Early Action process is non-binding, and students do not have to commit to the institution they plan to attend until May 1. Decision letters will be mailed by December 25. Estimates of financial aid for Early Action applicants can be made after Fordham receives the processed CSS Profile form.” —Fordham’s Website ([Early</a> Admission/Early Action – Fordham University](<a href=“http://69.7.74.46/section5/section67/section69/index.html]Early”>http://69.7.74.46/section5/section67/section69/index.html))</p>
<p>My weighted GPA is on a 6.0 point scale, but I couldn’t have taken 6 point classes until junior year. Fordham and other schools are used to weird point systems, and even if your grading system would take time to explain to us, Fordham has probably seen it all and will read your Secondary School Report - and will likely convert it to an unweighted 4.0 scale. (Just in case you were worried!)</p>
<p>Thanks to both of you. I have one more question: I do not have my own Social Security Number (only my mother does), but we are still legal residents. Can I still do CSS or FASFA?</p>