University of Miami - What are my chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I recently applied for early action to the University of Miami and want to know what my chances were to get into this amazing University. It is pretty much where I want to go. My major is Broadcast Journalism.</p>

<p>I am a senior at a Charter school. I'm Hispanic (birthplace Venezuela) and moved to the USA just 5-6 years ago.</p>

<p>SAT: 530 CR, 590 M, 590 W --- Combined: 1710 --- CR + M: 1120
SAT Subject Test: Spanish with Listening: 780
ACT Composite: 28</p>

<p>(Since I am applying as an early applicant, they don't take into consideration my December SAT scores, in which I got a better score of a combined 1800 and a CR + M of 1190. It isn't really a huge improvement but it is for me).</p>

<p>Awards/Honors:
- AP Scholar with Honor Award
- Fairchild Challenge Awards (received one all four years of high school)
- School's Honor Roll (9th, 10th, 11th grade)
- School's Newspaper Award - Best in cartoon (I am a really good artist and I am the cartoonist for the school - for our magazine and yearbook).
- High School Journalism Awards - Graphics/Illustration
- Sun Sentinel Award in Journalism</p>

<p>ECs:
- DECA member (12th grade): Marketing lessons, running the DECA store, organizing fundraisers.
- Spanish Honor Society Secretary (12th grade)
- Key Club member (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade)
- Photography & Art club: (9th and 10th grade)
- Journalism & Yearbook: 10th & 11th grade.
- I am a Speed Skater. I am on a team and have been doing it for 4-5 years now.
- Worked with a Construction company 15hrs per week during summer.
- I am the Mistress of Ceremonies (MC) of the school, they pretty much choose me for all those events in the auditorium.</p>

<p>I am applying for Financial Aid since only my father brings income to the house.
Annual Income of $49,000 - $60,000</p>

<p>My essay is about the hardships I have endured when I moved to the United States. When I was in Venezuela, I lived in a really dangerous zone where we would hear gunshots and family members and friends of mine were being kidnapped on a daily basis, plus the political situation has never been amazing. When we moved to the United States, I did not know English... And when I say none I mean NONE. I registered in a Florida school in early January and they assigned a student in every class to translate what the teacher said to me. I was made fun of and I was seen as ignorant. It took me almost 3 years to start understanding English but still I got good grades because I translated everything with a dictionary and would stay up every night doing my homework.</p>

<p>Classes & Grades:
Freshman:
- AP Studio Art - B (3 on AP)
- Intensive Reading - A
- English I Honors - B+
- Algebra I Honors - B
- Biology Honors - A
- Geography Honors - B</p>

<p>Soph:
- World History Honors - A
- Geometry Honors - B+
- AP Drawing - A (4 on AP)
- Journalism II - A
- Chemistry Honors - B+
- English II Honors - B</p>

<p>Junior:
- Physics Honors - A
- AP Art History - A (4 on AP)
- AP U.S. History - A (2 on the AP)
- AP Spanish Language - A (5 on AP)
- English III Honors - A
- Algebra II Honors - B+</p>

<p>Senior:
- Forensic Science -A
- AP Psychology - B (haven't taken AP test)
- AP US Govt & Economics - B (haven't taken AP test)
- AP Environmental Science - A (haven't taken AP test)
- English IV Honors - A
- Pre-Calculus - B</p>

<p>I hope this is enough for you guys to chance me! I will chance back!! I really want to know if I have a chance of entering. It is my dream school :)
And please do not use the terms reach, match, low reach... Because I don't understand what those mean. I am new to this forum!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>I forgot to add that my academic GPA: 3.8, Cumulative GPA: 3.4, Weighted GPA: 4.8
I am ranked in the best 10% of the class, I rank 39/421</p>

3

<p>bumpbumpbump. I really need to know pleaseee!</p>

4

<p>I applied to UMiami early action as well. I think you have a good chance at being accepted.
While your SAT and ACT are a little low your GPA/class rank and stellar extracurriculars make up for it. Your extremely high score on the SAT subject is very impressive and will also help.</p>

<p>Anyways best of luck to you, I’m sure you will get.</p>

5

<p>Haha, as with most private schools, you will get in and you will pay for it. Note, the U of M has no reputation for anything, even in Florida. It is a Mecca for latinos who want to be near south Florida.</p>

6

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<p>not even girls??</p>

7

<p>You could get in, but your SATs are low. Can you take them again? I agree with WarringtonSenior that if you did get in, you’d get no scholarship (but you could get need based aid). I disagree that UM has no reputation for anything. According to US News, it is the top school in Florida, higher than UF (People just aren’t all up in arms about how hard it is to get in because it is not a low-priced state school). I hear from friends in New York who went to ivies themselves that their kids are applying to UM. My DD is applying there, and her SATs, which are all well above 600 (740 on Verbal) seem to be merely average in UM admissions. Take the test again if you still can. Your grades are good, but since they are a local school, they will know that things like Fairchild Challenge are nbd. I don’t think being Hispanic will help you with UM (though the hardship essay is good). They have no shortage of Hispanics applying. It helps with schools in the Northeast, but I’m going to guess you don’t want to go away. Good luck!</p>

<p>P.S. How recently did you apply? Recently wouldn’t be early action.</p>

8

<p>I did take them again and I got 600 CR, 590 M and 610 W, but since I applied early action they won’t take that into consideration because it already passed the November 1st SAT Deadline. (Although at the end of the day they will still have to look at them one way or another because I still sent them those new scores).</p>

<p>I don’t know what you mean by “recently” but I applied the earliest I could… And by the way, on my online status it says “Application has been sent to admissions committee for review.”</p>

9

<p>Quite honestly UM is an average school, they do accept quite a few students, but few can afford $54K per year. My D was accepted last year with scholarships totaling $32K. Bottom line is we werent willing to pony up to an additional $22K per year. Off note: consider if you want to live off campus after freshmen year, you cannot afford the area, and would have to commute from who knows where.
Remember your education is important, but merit based scholarships are hard to find if most applicants have inflated SAT scores and GPA’s. There is just so much need based aid, and there is no reason to get into a financial bind for an education that may not pan out to a real job down the road.</p>