<p>I've tried time and time again to rearrange and eliminate colleges from my list but I can't. I'd like to apply to 6 or 7 colleges so that I wouldn't have to invest to much time and money in apps. I think I have fallen in love with too many reaches/low reaches so I'd like to take some off. Some quick stats:</p>
<p>GPA: 2.9-3.0 UW (I know it's really low--string of Bs freshman and sophomore years and a terrible Junior Year due to a variety of issues, but I'm trying to get to a 3.25-3.3 UW by app time)</p>
<p>SAT: 1950 (June SAT-First Time, Retaking in December)</p>
<p>Major: Film (Possible Minor in another area)</p>
<p>APs: 12 by the end of Senior Year, 8 completed so far.</p>
<p>ECs: Good, but nothing to outstanding. Multiple Leadership positions, Community Service, and Writing related activities.</p>
<p>Recs: AP French Teacher (happens to be head of Language Dept. (10th)), AP English Literature and Composition Teacher (12th), and AP US Government and Politics Teacher</p>
<p>Ethnicity/Gender: African American Female</p>
<p>Potential Colleges:</p>
<p>Reaches:
USC School of Cinematic Arts
Emory<br>
Wesleyan or Vassar
NYU Tisch<br>
Bard
Boston College</p>
<p>Matches:
Chapman
Florida State University (in-state)</p>
<p>Safeties:
University of Central Florida (in-state)</p>
<p>Even with your projected GPA, most of the schools you have listed are long-shots. I’m not sure how you can also consider Chapman a match. If I were you, I would do some more research on match and safety schools, for someone that matches your academic profile, so you aren’t spinning your wheels on too many schools that are simply out of range.</p>
<p>^Thanks for responding. I figured as much. I would consider it a reach, but I couldn’t possibly compare it to other schools of interest like Boston College or Bard. I know my gpa sucks and I really wish I was more cognizant about it earlier on. Anyone else?</p>
<p>Is your math + verbal in the 1350 range? If you can get to 1400 it would help to outweigh the grades. It should help—maybe especially in LACs—to be African American. Bard seems to me a lot less of a reach than Wesleyan and they have an early action program which would give you an idea if you need more matches. Skidmore would be a little easier than Wesleyan/Vassar.</p>
<p>^No, it’s not. I think it’s 720 W, 640 CR, and 590 M, So 1230 combined M/CR. I’ll try to shoot for that score but the math section is the most difficult for me. I’m really not sure about applying EA to Bard because I’d like to get my Senior grades for the semester in before app time and I probably wouldn’t be able to take another SAT before then. I don’t believe Skidmore offers a major in film so I’m not sure about it. I’d really like to choose between Wesleyan and Vassar because I believe they are both similar in environment, academics, and arts. Which one might be easier to get into for me?</p>
<p>you’re misinformed, most schools dont really look at writing/consider it as heavily. your 1230 cr/m, even as an African american female, puts you out of the running for all of your schools listed, unless tisch and usc cinema school look at theatrical performances and not grades. dont waste your money on those applications or at least be disappointed when the decisions come back.</p>
<p>^Ok, collegebound41. I do plan on retaking the SAT if my October results aren’t sufficient. I’m sure although Tisch and USC weight portfolio heavily, academics are also just as important. Though they are still my top schools. Which schools particularly should I reconsider?</p>
<p>Take a look at the Bard Immediate Decision Plan. From a little that I’ve heard, it sounds like you have a day long visit that includes a seminar and you have a chance to be judged in part on your performance. Maybe talk to the admissions people there about it. Wesleyan and Vassar both have ED II which might increase your chances very slightly (people always debate that). Maybe look at Emerson.</p>
<p>In addition, according to the Chapman’s Dodge College site, for fall of 2011, their average freshman GPA was 3.71 and average SAT was 1940. You’ll need to add a few more less selective schools for your matches and safeties.</p>
<p>You can’t consider UCF a safety either. While your SATs are above the 75%ile your GPA is in the bottom 1% right now. That’s not to say they wouldn’t look at your scores and figure you had turned things around but UCF would be a match at best. Are there any others in FL with lower stats that you would consider?</p>
<p>You have taken a lot of AP classes…is your weighted GPA significantly better? Where does your GPA put you in the context of your HS class?
Have you thought about taking the ACT?</p>
<p>^No, my weighted gpa isn’t significantly higher. I believe it’s a 3.3. My rank is 198 out of 642. I took the ACT a few weeks ago, I hated the experience. I think I am more SAT oriented.</p>
<p>You should run through national universities ranked in the 50-100 range and select those schools in the part of the country you would like to live. This should narrow it down to a more manageable list of schools. Then do your research on those specific schools and you’ll be able to weed out a few.</p>
<p>Some good target schools include (if you were looking at the northeast):
Syracuse University
Northeastern University
American University</p>
<p>Some good target schools include in the southeast:
Tulane
Maryland
Clemson
Virginia Tech</p>
<p>Some good target schools on the west coast:
Pepperdine
UC Santa Cruz
UC Riverside
University of San Diego</p>
<p>Florida State is a great safety for you as you are in-state. You could throw your hat at Miami as well, but their recent jump in the rankings makes their application cycle unpredictable this year.</p>
<p>How will you be able to raise your gpa that much by application time? It is application time NOW. Your senior year first quarter grades may show a good trend, but they won’t be changing your gpa unless your graduation credits are computed on a quarterly basis.</p>
<p>Your 1230 SAT is solid and I am sure you improved on your retake…a great positive.</p>
<p>As an African American female, is there a reason you did not include any of the HBCUs on your list?</p>
<p>Also, what are the financial realities for you? Have you discussed how much your family can afford towards college? Many of the schools on your list–whether they are reaches or matches or safeties for you academically–do not necessarily meet full need, or meet need with grants instead of loans.</p>
<p>Are you interested in considering any LACs? They are often more holistic in their approach to admissions and you would be a desirable candidate at a large number of these smaller schools.</p>
<p>I would take UC Santa Cruz and UC Riverside off the list. Based on last year’s freshman admissions profiles to both schools, a student with this GPA is unlikely to be admitted.</p>
<p>Boston College should be taken off this list, as well as Emory and USC. I would spend some time researching more match schools. Also, you have not mentioned whether you intend to pay full fare for school or if you are looking for schools that meet financial need. Those factors can swing the school list dramatically.</p>
<p>@informative Thank You for the list of colleges, but I’m skeptical on whether some of these colleges have good film programs, or film programs at all.</p>
<p>@boysx3 I’ve been taking a few online courses in order to raise my gpa. Once I complete them they are automatically factored in my gpa. I was also hoping that some colleges would be able to see my 1st semester grades once I apply. I’m not that interested in HBCUs. I want a diverse environment with all types of people and I don’t think most if any offer respectable film programs. I’ve spoken with my parents. My father makes around 80,000 to support my 7 other family members, not including my stepfamily, so money is an issue. I am considering LACs as welll.</p>
<p>@mommamocha I’d really like to give these schools a chance, even if I fall at the very bottom of the app pool. I’d be looking for schools that offer me a considerable amount of aid.</p>
<p>@quakerstake I’ve considered both previously. I wasn’t really that interested in either.</p>