I am currently a senior at a ridiculously competitive public high school (Ranked top 20 in United States).
I thought I did well. I have a 4.0 unweighted high school GPA, 4.4 weighted (AP classes count as a 5), 35 ACT, 1550 SAT, a 5 on six AP tests, and a 4 on one. I know that I am at least in the top 7% of my class of 600 but my school doesn’t rank.
I am an accomplished jazz pianist with national awards and I am doing original research right now as part of the selective humanities conservatory program at my high school. I have several leadership roles in these ECs.
I thought I was competitive for Ivy schools out of high school but emailing with my counselor after getting deferred from Harvard, she says that there are too many students at my school with stronger stats that I really don’t stand a chance at any top 25 school.
I’m kinda panicked after hearing this news and honestly don’t know how so many kids from my school could be better. I have never received a “B” grade in my life but there are kids at my school that have 4.6 weighted GPAs. She says I should at least consider community college if I want to go to a top school.
If I maintain a 4.0 GPA in community college, how strong will my chances be for Cornell, Columbia, USC, Northwestern, and UCLA? I would apply to the other ivies but I understand that they don’t really accept transfers. I live in a California and I plan to transfer after one year. I know I will be against a slightly less competitive pool. By the way, I am a white upper middle class male with legacy at Brown University.
This is honestly so shallow. You have a 4.0 GPA and a 1550! Why would you go to community college? You can get into a great college, and you still have a shot at an ivy league school. So what you got deferred from Harvard! It’s Harvard!!! You can’t just give up know. You are already thinking about transferring–really? Apply to all of the schools you mentioned, with of course matches and safeties, and you will be fine. Also, your life isn’t over if you don’t get into an ivy league school–just saying. So what if people from your school have better stats than you? There’s always going to be someone better than you–that’s how life works. Focus on yourself, and presenting yourself in the best possible way. Chill. Good luck!
You’d have a really good chance for UCLA at least, but the catch is that your HS grades won’t matter. You sound like you succeed academically, so I would go for the challenge of a 4 year. My experience with CA CC is that it is ridiculously easy- you will be hating life because you’re so unchallenged. I had a friend transfer to USC from CC after one year with decent high school grades (yours far surpass hers) so I’m sure you’d get in there. Cornell has a high transfer rate which is notable. My advice is that make sure you have more than one reason you’re going to CC (aka not just didn’t get into top 25. You can always transfer from non-top 25). Good luck!
That sounds like odd advice from your counselor - that you have no shot at any top 25 college. It sounds like you either have a really crappy counselor or there’s more to the story. If you have a really crappy counselor, then ignore her and move on. Your stats are not a problem.
On the other hand, do some soul searching. Getting into the top 25 isn’t just about having certain stats. You’ll also need to write really great essays that show you as an appealing person that would be a fit at that college. Is it possible that your counselor was referring to your essays as being the part that makes you uncompetitive? Are the essays poorly done, do they not show you in the best light? Those are real possibilities and what I always suspect when we see posts from students with Ivy level scores like yours that don’t get into any of the 10 places they apply.
If your family can afford it, you should get a second opinion from a college admissions consultant since you’re getting such bizarre info from your counselor. The consultant could also help you work on the parts of your applications that need help (if any - getting rejected from Harvard doesn’t in any way imply imperfection.)
@milee30 thank you for your response. As it turns out, I’m pretty sure my counselor and I had a misunderstanding. She is now saying I have a shot at most top schools including some lower ivies. I think she got me confused with another student.
Ivy leagues are highly overrated. In the end, you or your parents are going to pay a lot more for that bachelor’s than it’s worth. A master’s degree at any university will immediately squash it. Also, virtually all of the flagship universities have caught up in the last 20 years, and they have a lot more money to throw around for scholarships. Just follow the scholarship trail, find a strong major and you’ll be just fine.
Don’t go to community college (and I am someone who strongly recommends community college for a lot of people). You’ll find a school that you can excel at. Ivy isn’t the end of the world. You can have a great experience anywhere, or a bad one at an ivy league.
I agree with @sciencenerd and @coolguy40. With your stats you should be able to get into a very good university where you can do very well for 4 years. You don’t need to go to an Ivy League school (although being a Brown legacy with your stats I would apply there, if you want to go there). Being in-state you should have a shot at very good UC’s also.
When I was a graduate student at a highly ranked university in California, there were other graduate students in the same program who had done their undergrad all over the place. Many had a bachelor’s from their in-state flagship – I specifically remember several friends from Rutgers, and one each from U.Michigan and UNC. If you are set on going to a top 20 university, your best bet is probably to apply to a range of schools for undergrad, and if you get into a “top 100” school but not a “top 20” school, then go where you get in and consider applying to top 20 schools for your masters.