<p>Hi, I was just wondering if someone could help me out in figuring out my chances for NYU and what I can do to increase them. I want to apply for a Journalism major. Additionally, I'd like some advice on how to raise my SAT scores. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>High School Junior from NewJersey
SAT:
Math: 560 Writing: 590 CR: 590
(Took it just to see what I would get the first time, didn't study or prepare)
Classes:
Honors Algebra 2
AP U.S. History
Personal Finance/Health
Honors Chemistry
Honors Spanish 3
Journalism (2nd year)
AP Language and Composition</p>
<p>I took as many AP classes as possible this year and senior year I plan to take more.</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
-Spanish Honor Society
-Spanish Club
-Scrabble Club (Started by my friend, had to go) (Treasurer)
-Pride Club (Secretary)
-Yearbook
-School Newspaper (Head Writer, next year Editor)
-Spanish Tutor
-Math Tutor</p>
<p>Volunteer:
-Youth Group, countless hours of community service
-SAIL (local library volunteer program)</p>
<p>Work two jobs, one at a parish office, one at Taco Bell.</p>
<p>I'm working on a possible internship with my county's newspaper.</p>
<p>My grandma actually attended NYU for free, as she was the secretary for the Chancellor, I don't know if that's something I could mention in my application to increase my chances?</p>
<p>I also did 9 years of dance, 4 of track and field, 4 of soccer, however had to stop as a result of knee injury. I plan to do throwing shotput and discus again for my track team, as it does not hurt my knee.</p>
<p>You have an amazing chance at NYU but only if you raise your SAT score by just a little! Most students that get in have scores within 620-730+ for each subject. What I find helps me prepare for the SAT is buying the official College Board study guide for the SAT and basically cracking the code for the test. Once you get a hang of the type of questions, you can start to see a trend for each subject. Pinpoint your weaknesses by assessing what kind of questions you got wrong on practice tests. Hire a tutor if you need it.</p>
<p>For math, it’s just a matter of understanding what the question is asking in the first place. Operations are a breeze and usually don’t even require a calculator. The only tricky bit is just understanding what to do. You only really need Algebra I, II, and geometry for this. The SAT also loves tricky questions, so make sure to brush up on things such as the rules for factoring, exponents, etc.</p>
<p>For the verbal, vocabulary is key! I found that most of my mistakes came from not understanding definitions, so studying vocab is a must. Also, I started to have a very logical approach to each question. The choices for each answer, whether it’s sentence completion reading comprehension, must be 100% true. In other words, take everything in a VERY literal way. There are many different answers to trick you into choosing something that’s slightly off and slightly wrong, or fails to mention every single detail. </p>
<p>It’s interesting to see someone that’s almost on the same boat as me… We’re kind of similar in a lot of aspects, but you’re much more qualified for NYU! I really have no doubt that you’ll get in. You show a lot of potential in being able to handle a whole list of things in and out of school, and you also show long term commitment to these obligations. That’s what most colleges look for.</p>
<p>Another tip: Don’t go around joining random clubs this year or during senior year because NYU likes seeing commitment and dedication to a smaller list of activities rather than a crap load of stuff. You’re basically set for NYU! good luck</p>