What are my chances at these schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>SCHOOLS:
UCLA
USC
NYU
Florida State
University of Wisconsin- Madison
Emerson College
Columbia
Vancouver U</p>

<p>Average GPA: 3.7 unweighted</p>

<p>Class rank: 56 out of 380</p>

<p>ACT: 31</p>

<p>Classes: I don't feel like listing them all. But I took the hardest classes available at my school, with the exception of math. I took good ol regular math until my sophomore year, then was bumped up to Honors math Junior year.</p>

<p>Activities:</p>

<p>9th
- Ninth grade play (Student director)
- Student government
- Track team</p>

<p>10th
- Fall play (student director)
- School Newspaper (editor)
- Debate Team
- Speech
- Spring Musical (lighting crew)
- Tutoring</p>

<p>11th
- Fall play (played the lead, Peter Pan)
- School Newspaper (editor)
- Debate Team
- One-Act Play
- Speech
- Tutoring
- Environmental Club (founder)
- Film Club (founder)
- Spring Musical (wrote the play)</p>

<p>12th
- Fall play
- School Newspaper (editor)
- Debate Team (Captain -- I know this because I was voted Captain last year)
- Speech (Captain -- ditto)
- One-Act Play
- Tutoring
- Environmental Club (founder)
- Film Club (founder)
- Spring Musical</p>

<p>Summer
- I took Summer School the summer before my Sophomore and Junior year so I would have room in my schedule for classes I’m really interested in.
- I’ve been in a volunteer program called Rising Stars since the 8th grade. The mentors (us) meet once a week to write skits for a variety show that we later help little kids put on.
- Marching band</p>

<p>Jobs
- Employee at movie theater for two years</p>

<p>Volunteer Work
- Library
- Church
- Various environmental causes that were part of the Environmental Club
- Started a petition and spoke in front of the school board to end our school’s use of styrofoam plates. It worked.</p>

<p>Essay: I don't feel like posting it here since it's really long. But my English teacher proofread it and he told me it's really awesome. I'm hoping he's right.</p>

<p>Reccomendations: I got two recommendations. One from the head of my school's drama department and one from the English teacher I mentioned above.</p>

<p>Accolades: Unfortunately, not a lot. I made it to State in Speech one year but didn't go further than that. Won a few local essay contests. And I've published a poem and a short story. </p>

<p>So, based on all I wrote, what would you say my shots are?</p>

2

<p>Can I get someone's opinion please?</p>

3

<p>You are applying to state schools with are very stats oriented - apply to more privates like BU, George Washington, etc if you want to stay urban.</p>

<p>UCLA - Rejected
USC - Wait List
NYU - Rejected
Florida State - Accepted
University of Wisconsin- Madison - Rejected
Emerson College - Accepted
Columbia - Not a chance
Vancouver U - Accepted</p>

4

<p>What in my stats would have gotten me rejected from those schools?</p>

5

<p>Your rank. Look at USNEWS top 10% stats. Top schools HATE to admit outside the top 10%, it makes them look worse. Columbia, for example, has around 88% in top 10%, and that includes athletes, URM, etc. Private high schools dont release rank, so those kids get an edge.</p>

<p>After the top 10-15 schools, state schools care more about rank than private colleges who spend more time looking at the whole student.</p>

6

<p>That's the only problem? Rank?</p>

7

<p>you will be accepted to madison and you have a chance at nyu</p>

8

<p>Can I get another opinion? Because when I posted my stats at another site I got this response:</p>

<p>"I think you're just the type of applicant they look for, excuse me for sounding like a search letter. You have solid stats. And yes, it's not as hard as, say, the ivies. A couple of the seniors in my school are going and they have a lot less involvement in school activities, and had basically all the APs (which are like 5), so I would think you have a great shot." [This was refering to NYU]</p>

<p>So what is it? Reject pile or just the applicant they're looking for?</p>

9

<p>chowderhead:</p>

<p>Assuming you are a California resident,
UCLA: Slight Reach</p>

10

<p>What major are you looking into, b/c based on your ECs the theatre program at UCLA wouldn't be too bad. My friend was accepted to the UCLA theatre program with a 3.4, keep in mind his application was weighed heavily on his audition and not on his stats and he was also a California resident.</p>

11

<p>I'd like to be a film production major. There were no film courses at my school so I focused heavily on the other arts and founded a film club.</p>

<p>Unfortunately I'm not a California resident. :( I'm aware it's really hard to get into UCLA if you're not, so I figured it'd be a reach.</p>

12

<p>UCLA - reach
USC - match
NYU - match
Florida State -safety
University of Wisconsin- Madison - match/safety
Emerson College - dont kno about this school
Columbia - super reach
Vancouver U - safety</p>

13

<p>good luck at nyus film...thats hard stuff...not trying to be mean...but since you have listed no filming experience...idk, theres a lot of stage tech stuff (which i totally respect, im an actor) but film is a different monster...id look to do something else, then take classes in film and work from there...maybe transfer into a major if possible, idk if that works with film...good luck though</p>

14

<p>Thank you. But how much film experience are you supposed to have when you're still in high school??? I don't own a video camera (poor) but my friends rented one and we filmed, like, three short films in the amount of time we had. Is that good?</p>

15

<p>chowderhead:</p>

<p>UCLA: Reach (out of state)</p>

16

<p>if i remember correctly usc and nyu are the two hardest schools to get into when it comes to film school. i believe spielberg and a few other greats graduated from usc film school. when applying you are supposed to send manuscripts and stuff in to show your expertise in film. I have friends with lots of film experience and good grades that were rejected from both film schools.</p>

17

<p>Yeah, I know. I've been preparing a portfolio for those schools. Unfortunately though I never really could afford a video camera so I don't have as much experience as I would like. How bad is this?</p>

18

<p>not to sound mean, but that can be pretty bad. As I mentioned before I had friends with some amazing videos that they sent in with the app that did not get into either usc or nyu. In terms of film, these schools are as competitive as the ivies. Rather than just showing gpa, sats and ecs you now have to also show your film expertise, which many people have already refined in high school.</p>

19

<p>you are a shoe in at Madison</p>

20

<p>Well, I think if you don't have a bazillion films to list that's alright, but I think the big places want to see that you've at least put in effort since it is your "dream". Personally, I could never afford a camera either, but I borrowed a screenwriting book and got to work. I worked as many steps as possible before shooting, and am now in the process of finding a way to film it(school might be getting xl2!) Oh and chowderhead, what exactly do you do in your film club? I'm in talks with the principals in hopes of starting one too. I plan to film at least one solid film this school year.</p>