Someone chance me please? (Unique circumstances..)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Can anyone chance me for Stony Brook (top choice), SUNY New Paltz, Marist, Hofstra, Barnard, Vassar, University @ Buffalo, and NYU? Also, can someone suggest some larger schools, or schools in bigger cities that may be a match (in state schools)?

I missed ~4 months of school freshman year bc I was in a psychiatric hospital, so my grades suffered. I’m planning on writing my personal statement on this subject, so attention will be drawn as to why my grades were so poor. My school also cut my Chinese class so I only took it accelerated in 8th grade, which shows up on my transcript, and for freshman year. My counselor is going to talk about this on my application.

White female, resident of NY state. Intended major: secondary English education.

Grades:
Freshman year -
Chinese: 71
Algebra: 71
Biology: 88
Honors English: 86
Honors Global History: 85
Sophomore year -
Geometry: 82
Earth Science: 92
Pre-IB English: 96
Pre-IB Global History: 93
Junior year -
Trig: 72
IB Biology HL1: 90
IB English: 94
IB History of the Americas: 87

Senior courseload -
IB Psychology, UHS (University in the High School, classes through UAlbany) Statistics, UHS Sociology (if enough people express interest in the class, if not I’m substituting this for another UHS class), IB Biology HL2, IB English, IB 20th Century Topics, and some English electives for the free spaces. I’ve always had a full schedule all 4 years and taken any electives I could.

GPA unweighted - 3.23
GPA weighted - 3.32
Class rank - 42/503, top 10%

SAT: 1280/1600. (CR = 680, Math = 600) Barely studied. Taking it again in October after I study. Took the Literature SAT subject exams, waiting for results. Planning on taking the Bio E, US history, world history, and perhaps retaking the literature SAT subject exams.

Extracurriculars:

•GSA (Gay Straight Alliance): 2013 - 2015
•Class of 2017 Class Officer, Secretary: 2015 - present
•Roots Club (a club addressing racial issues): 2015 - present
•Debate Club: 2015 - 2016 until the club stopped running
•Poetry study under an English teacher at my school, also participate in slam poetry events with this teacher - summer of 2015 - present
•3 week writing program at Union College - summer of 2016
•Volunteering at an elementary school leading my own class in the next 2 weeks
•Volunteered with my sisters kindergarten class when needed in June of 2015
•My friend and I are discussing starting a student activist club next year.
•Taught myself ukulele.
•Rockclimb (not on a team, unfortunately)
•Started photography project similar to Humans of NY, documenting people who live in my city

Recommendations:
My counselor and I have an extremely close relationship so I’m sure hers will be fantastic. I’m planning on getting one from the English teacher I did the poetry study under (she will also be MY English teacher next year). My 2nd recommendation is going to come from either a professor at Union College whom I met at the writing program, or my IB Bio teacher.

2

I’m not one for chancing, but I did want to recommend that you not write about your stay in the psychiatric hospital. You can ask your counselor to address a “health problem” your freshman year that caused you to miss a lot of school.

3

Do you mind me asking why? Everyone I’ve shown my personal statement draft to said it was fantastic. I didn’t really write about the psychiatric hospital, I wrote about how a letter I got from an English teacher while there helped me discover my passion for reading and writing and how this has shaped me as a person, but I gave a small bit of background on my anxiety disorder.

4

@suzy100 says that because many colleges would want to be worried about an unstable student. They want to see the potential for future success. If your personal statement shows that your anxiety disorder isn’t holding you back then go for it, but if not, then I suggest not addressing it directly.

5

Okay, thank you. I believe the way I wrote about it will be effective. Regardless, can someone chance me?

6

Stony Brook- High match
SUNY New Paltz- match
Marist- match
Hofstra- match
Barnard- High Reach
Vassar- High Reach
University @ Buffalo- Match
NYU- Reach

Truthly, I would suggest some backup schools, even though you have good rank your GPA means you need some more backup schools.

Schools to consider: Yeshiva University (if you like being in a NOT diverse place), Fordham, CUNY- Hunter College

Backup Schools: Pace University, CUNY- Queens College

7

@johnnyhobo I truly think that you should write about your stay in a psychiatric hospital in your additional comments section. I don’t know what anyone else is talking about! You have shown significant improvement, and if you are doing better talk about how you are doing better… I’ve been talking to an academic counselor at U’Mich who says they want to know ANY reason why your grades suffered. No one, NO ONE, should shame you for being in a psychiatric hospital, not a college, not a college confidential poster, and you should not be ashamed of that either.

8

Thank you! I do have some safeties and a few others I’m looking at. I wanted to be chanced for schools I was feeling uneasy about. A letter I got from an English teacher while I was there made me realize how much I love reading and writing and how I want to be a teacher, so in a way, it was the most formative experience of my life so far, and I’d like to include it. I appreciate the support. :slight_smile:

9

You have a 3.2 GPA. Seek out lower profile schools.

10

I do have lower profile schools on my list. I asked to be chanced for these schools because they’re schools I believe would be tougher for me to get into.

Do admissions offices take the high school’s reputation in account? My HS has something like a 56% graduation rate. A 3.2/3.3 at my school is not very common. Do schools consider that?

11

What’s your class rank?
If 3.2 places you in the top 10% then yes you’re still in the running for some schools . Make sure your gc indicates with specific examples how exceptional your achievements are for your school.
Do you attend a lower performing school? Are you urm or lower income or from an under represented state/area ? Will you qualify under HEOP?

12

My school is under performing. I’m a white female, so not a minority. I don’t qualify for EOP. My class rank is 42/503, so I’m in the top 10%.

13

?

14

Do you not qualify because our parents’income is too high? (please check with the official page).
Academic criteria vary by college so don’t assume anything (grades or scores too high, etc).

Your guidance counselor will have to emphasize that even though you have a 3.2 GPA, you’re top 10%. Have you filled out your brag sheet yet?

NYU, Barnard, and Vassar are unlikely without heop.
Add Skidmore and Muhlenberg as reaches.
St Lawrence, Hobart/ws, St Bonaventure, Siena, Goucher, as matches.

15

Exactly. I don’t qualify because my parents income is too high.

My brag sheet?

16

Like my resume?

17

Google 'college counselor brag sheet '. Print, fill out, and give it to our gc when school starts.