UCB, UCLA, USC, NYU, etc

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi guys!
My name is Chandler, and I’m going to be a senior in high school this fall and I was wondering if anyone on here would be kind enough to take the time to tell me what my chances look like for getting into my top-choice colleges, and if my criteria would fit any other schools that I don’t list here, please tell me. Thanks!

SAT: 2040

AP Courses: World History, Calculus BC, Physics C (Mechanics), English Language/Composition, English Literature/Composition, Microeconomics, US Government, Spanish, Music Theory

EC: Officer in drama club (11, 12), President and founder of Astronomy club (11, 12) , NHS (10, 11, 12), track and field JV (10) Varsity (11, 12), drama productions (9, 10, 11, 12)

GPA (Unweighted): 3.77
GPA (Weighted): 4.14

Employment: Sandwich shop employee - I make sandwiches and do dishes and all of the general restaurant business. I’ve been saving my earnings and I am planning on putting them towards a new guitar and other musical equipment.

Info about Letters of Rec:
I’ve gotten 2 letters of rec so far. One is from my calculus/physics teacher, most likely describing my work ethic and my love of math and physics. The other is from my english teacher with whom I am very close. He will most likely say that I am well rounded (i.e. playing music, performing in school plays, participating in athletics, and still maintaining a respectable GPA). I have not and will not read their letters, I’m just assuming this is what they will say. Regardless, though, both teachers have lots of experience writing strong letters of recommendation.

Colleges I intend to apply to:
UCB
UCLA
UCSD
UCSB
UCSC
University of Southern California
Pepperdine University
University of Washington
New York University
Vanderbilt University
University of Chicago

Intended Major(s):
Mathematics
Physics
Astrophysics

Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to look over my information. I really appreciate you helping me with this. :slight_smile:

2

Are you instate in CA?

3

Guessing you are in-state for CA, but…

Pepperdine or NYU?
Vanderbilt or UChicago?

Can you say more about why these places? They are very different…

4

My stats seem to fit the profile for schools like Pepperdine and NYU. I’m about on par with the average applicant at those schools. I was encouraged to apply to UChicago and Vanderbilt by a teacher because they are more likely to be reaches for me. It’s true that they’re very different schools, but that is the reasoning behind it. And yes, I am in-state for CA.

5

For UChicago, try EA? I think that might help your chances a little bit. I think you are a good match for NYU/Pepperdine and the middle-tier UCs, everything else is a high match/lowish reach. Good luck!

6

Thanks for the update. A few more questions:

  1. Can you afford all of the colleges on your list?
  2. Do you currently go to a large or small school?
  3. What, besides getting a college degree, matters to you about where you go to college?
7

Pepperdine and USC will definitely be a challenge to afford, but I’m hoping to earn some scholarships that will help me out. I’ve heard that lots of private schools give good scholarships.

A larger school would be preferable, but I haven’t visited any of the school’s yet, so I can’t say for sure. But I feel like my best fit would be at a school with a vibe similar to something like UCLA.

I want to be able to get a good job after I earn my degree. I want to do research both while I’m in school and after I graduate. The experience of college and the connections and friends made at school are really important to me as well, but the main goal is being able to do research and make some sort of difference in the world.

Thanks again for all of your help. I really appreciate the time you’re taking to help me. :slight_smile:

8

If by scholarships you mean merit aid, for USC & Pepperdine, your stats are in the middle 50% of admitted students, which is good enough to make it a match but typically not good enough to get a lot of aid. Private colleges give merit scholarships to attract students with higher stats, which then raises the college’s average, which then makes the college more attractive to high achieving students.

If by scholarships you mean financial aid you can run a Net Price Calculator to see how much aid you would be eligible for.

If USC & Pepperdine are a stretch financially, Vanderbilt and UChicago will be as well.

I’m struggling to see why Pepperdine is on your list: it’s small (3000 students), and is the antithesis of a UCLA / urban environment. Unless the Christian atmosphere is particularly interesting to you, I don’t see why you would be applying there. Similarly, Vanderbilt is about 6.5K students (undergrad) and is a very different feel to UCLA- both the campus and the students- take a look at their videos on YouTube to get a feel. Also, Vanderbilt has a reputation for weightnig test scores heavily, which doesn’t play to your strengths. Again, unless there is something that particularly draws you to the school, it doesn’t seem like a great match for you.

Will come back to this later, but one more big question: are you thinking of going to graduate school?

9

If I major in physics or astrophysics, it would be preferable to go to graduate school, but it all depends on whether or not I’ll be able to afford it. And I’m actually going to be visiting UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll be able to decide which atmosphere I prefer. Thanks again!