So, recently I’ve been stressing out about getting into NYU (College of Arts and Sciences). I intend to major in either sociology or political science. Also, I’m planning on taking the SAT and ACT again, but here are my stats.
GPA UW: 93
GPA W: 97
ACT: 29 (I want to get this up to a 30 or 31)
SAT: 1230 (extremely disappointed with this as my calculator broke while I was taking it, want to get it up to at least 1350)
Class Rank: My school doesn’t give out class ranks until senior year (just finished junior year), but I assume I’m anywhere from 40-70 out of 500 (large, competitive, public high school)
APs: By the end of senior year I’d have taken 8 AP courses. I got a 3 on the one I took sophomore year, and haven’t gotten my junior year grades back yet but I took four.
ECs:
-International Club (President 1 year, Treasurer 1 year, member 2 years)
-Class of 2018 Homecoming Float Build Team (4 years)
-National Honor Society (3 years)
-National Foreign Language Honor Society (2 years)
-Breaking Boundaries (community service club; 2 years)
-Athletes Helping Athletes (leadership/athletics program; 2 years)
-Student Government (1 year)
-Literary Magazine (1 year)
Outside Activities:
-Coached T-ball
-Published screenwriter
-Production assistant on four short films
-Internship at a film production company
-Volunteered for Meals on Wheels
-MENSA member (don’t think I’ll include this as I’ve read it comes off as pretentious)
I’ve been really stressed out about getting into CAS because it’s my dream school and I don’t want to miss my shot. I’ve considered applying to Gallatin as it’s easier to get into and then transferring to CAS as soon as I can, but that’s not really an ideal situation. I assume that I’m going to have good recommendations and essays as well. Also, I’m partially African-American and Asian from a great grandparent but I’ve always just identified myself as white on forms, so will adding African-American or Asian to my application give me any sort of advantage?
You gotta get a 33 to have a good chance, or a 1500. A 1350 or 31 wont make much of a difference. And based on your GPA which is good but not stellar, I would recommend not playing the race card, because if you say you are Asian, and Asians usually have strong academic scores, you will look weak in that field. I just took a college visit at NYU and they said that usually they don’t accept people whose test scores are below 30, so you really need to work to get it there. And then there’s the issue of cost, but that’s for another day.
Cost isn’t an issue for me, and from everything I’ve read 28-32 is the NYU average for the ACT. Also, a 1500 is an absolutely insane grade. That’s like Ivy League level so I’m not sure where you got that from.
At the campus visit they told us about 10 times that the average is 30-33, so there’s not debating that. And a 1500 is not that crazy. I’m telling you, if you think you can walk up to NYU with a 1350 and think you’ll get in, you’re doing yourself a disservice. A 1500 is safer, and is equivalent to a 33. Plus, 1540 is more like ivy league.
Well, anyways you only need to send in your ACT, SAT, 3 SAT subject tests, or 3 AP tests and I was planning from the beginning to send in my ACT grades. I am taking the ACT again and hopefully will get my scores up, as the 29 was my first time taking it with no studying. Also, as for my GPA, when I converted my UW to a 4.0 scale it is either a 3.65 (manually converting) which is higher than NYU GPA average (3.63) from what I’ve seen, or it’s a 4.0 (using the College Board converter), so I don’t know how these grades are not acceptable.
I’m not trying to sound rude here, but as you can probably tell I’m very stressed about this. Also, you answered me with the Asian part, but what about African-American?
I was waitlisted this cycle by NYU CAS despite doing pretty much all that is possible to show interest and intent to matriculate. I was then subsequently accepted off the waitlist about half a month ago after which I declined admissions because of the COA being ~40k above our FAFSA EFC.
My UW GPA was ~3.9, W GPA ~6.42. I had a SAT of 1450 on the new test and a 2000 on the old one. ~780 on three SAT IIs. I had taken 10 AP courses and tested for 11. I was ranked #3 out of ~200 students. While your ECs are far more impressive than mine, for you to have a chance at NYU, you absolutely need to increase your SAT or ACT dramatically. I don’t mention my stats to brag but rather to provide proof that a 1350 is not going to cut it because I can only imagine the applicant pool can only get better next year.
Adding Asian to your application, unless you have immediate ties to some wartorn area that has substantially disadvantaged you as a student is not going to help you. In fact, as @oakland818 mentioned, it could hurt you because Asians are unfortunately held to a higher standard. African American could help but it would be VERY minute and almost inconsequential. Don’t bank on race helping you here.
Thanks for the help, I appreciate it. I don’t plan on sending my SAT scores as I just found the ACT to be a much easier test, but also I’m really hoping I can boost that up. I’m definitely taking it again (with studying), and might take it a third time as well. I scored in the 30s for reading and writing, but I just need to increase math and science (which I was told were exceptionally hard for the test I took by people who had taken other ACTs already). Do you know if NYU superscores the ACT? As for the SAT though, that is substantially below my caliber and ~150 below what I got on the PSAT, which I contribute to my calculator and being sick on the day of the test.
I’m happy that my ECs look somewhat impressive as my outside of school activities was something I was banking on helping me stand out. So judging from the advice, I’m not going to add Asian but I’ll probably add African-American as I’ll take any advantage I can get, even if it’s small. I’ve heard that essays are extremely important to NYU, and I don’t mean to brag, but I’m very confident in my writing abilities and hope that can further improve my chances.
Also, you spoke about being waitlisted. How does the waitlist exactly work? If I’m waitlisted can I commit to another school but withdraw if I’m accepted into NYU? Also, what disadvantages to do waitlisted students face? I’m asking this because my high school’s valedictorian was waitlisted from NYU, but I do know a number of lesser-achieving students who were accepted so it’s clear that anything is possible.
@ontario101 I wish you luck on the ACTs then! Waitlist means that they do not have room for you at the moment and the school is waiting for some accepted students to decline admissions before offering you a seat. During this time, you enroll at a different school but if NYU accepts you off the waitlist, you have the choice to withdraw and lose the nonrefundable deposit you sent the school you enrolled in and instead pay a deposit to NYU and commit there, or to decline admissions and continue with your original plan to enroll at the other school.
The waitlist is not ranked at NYU which can be a disadvantage. This means that it is pretty much random who gets off the waitlist. Obviously, if one’s stats are subpar though, an unranked waitlist could also be an advantage.
I know people who were accepted into NYU with a 1290… test scores are only a section of your total application that will determine if you are a good fit
NYU is known for similar chance between ED and RD strangely. It means if you apply ED, the chance will be the same. But try to get a number for this year, because this year the acceptance rate fell sharply to 27% from 35% and the ED chance could have gone up compared to RD. If you really want to attend NYU, research this year’s number and apply ED if ED has shown higher chance than RD.
lmao don’t listen to @oakland818 . Standardized tests are important, but they aren’t everything. I scored a 1350 on the SAT and a 27 on the ACT (it was a rough day) and i’ll be attending nyu this fall as an MLK Scholar- so it’s possible.
When I visited NYU in April, I talked to an admissions counselor and they said the process is very holistic so if your standardized test scores are less than average (like mine) make sure your essays are lit.
Also, get off of this website lol. It’s so toxic and will do nothing but make you paranoid & anxious. Take it from someone who knows exactly what you’re going through.
Yes, definitely say you are African American, because it will give you an advantage and it is legit to use since a grandparent was African American.
I suggest you read the common data set for NYU. Here is the link. Common Data Sets are published for all schools, and have the most accurate info as reported by the college directly to the fed govt. It’s lengthy, but gives a great deal of important detail.
@ontario101
I fairly certain you have to mark your race(es)/ethnicities on the common app. And tbh I don’t see you getting in if don’t tell them your URM status. For NYU a 29 would be enough, but a 30 would make it a Match for URM’s.
Good luck.
One-month-old necro, but as a NMF with a 35 ACT/1520 SAT along with 770+ scores on 3 sat subject tests, I got waitlisted for the class of 2021. So as to what Jray2711 said: I absolutely agree. Even though I got accepted off the WL in the first wave, I didn’t get into my primary choice, CAS - I had to go to LSP. Test scores, to be honest, don’t matter much at NYU - what you bring to the community as an individual matters way more, and that was probably where I was lacking as a test-taking robot. Definitely add in your race, but your application would be so much stronger if you could expand on your heritage.
For anyone who is a MLK scholar, I just wanted to know why you think you got to be one? Was it your grades, GPA, Extracurricular activities etc.? Also, what AP classes and ACT/SAT score did you get?
Hi, do you guys think I have any shot at NYU CAS?
GPA: 98.66
ACT: 31 composite
Class Rank: Top 2%, 17th out of 1,300 students
APs: AP World, AP Eng Lang and Comp, AP US History, AP Statistics, AP Government and Politics, and AP Literature
ECs and Honors:
-Model United Nations Club (member and speaker for two years; E-Board member; President) (all 4 years)
-Choir and advanced to highest level by senior year (all 4 years) (Section Leader and Winter Concert Soloist)
-Participated in the Carmina Burana Choral Project and performed at Carnegie Hall
-Competed in the Festival Disney Orlando Florida Choral Competition and won Grandsuperior
-Moot Court Quarterfinalist and Semifinalist
-Virtual Enterprise (Executive Board Member and Presentation Team Member; made it to city-finals; offered only senior year)
-Moot Court and Mock Trial Team (3 Years; Head Researcher, Key Speaker and Lawyer)
-Sonia and Celina Judicial Internship Program (summer of soph year)
-Culture volunteer at JCH (summer of junior year)
-National Honor Society (advanced to senior member the next year; 2 years; only offered junior and senior years)
-Leadership Program (1 year)
I really like my college essay and worked on it with my AP Lit teacher. Also, my supplement is thoughtful, demonstrates my knowledge of the school, and shows exactly what I plan to do at NYU if I am given the opportunity to attend. I hope my letters of recco are good as well (from APUSH and Ap Eng Lang teachers).
Do I have any chance?
