What are my chances so far at these schools (some Ivies))?

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Hello everyone I would really appreciate you guys giving me some feedback on this.</p>

<p>I am an international student who currently has an unweighted gpa of 3.37. Despite my terrible gpa, I would like to apply to some Ivies (of course major reaches), namely Yale, UPenn, Brown and possibly Columbia.</p>

<p>Targets include NYU, Tufts and Vassar and my likelys are looking to include BU, American Uni and George Washington. I'll also be applying to RISD, universities in the UK (maybe Cambridge?) and top art universities in the uk.</p>

<p>My grades freshman and sophmore year range from A's to B's. However, my junior so far as been terrible. I had a really low point right the way through first semester because of personal reasons and my grades suffered. I dropped out of AP Physics and ended up with grades ranging from B+ (A- in art) to one C in mathematics. I am in two high level courses (Math and French) and am doing an English AP. I took AP computer science as a sophmore and got a 5.
I had some really bad teachers sophmore year and so my grades suffered in those classes, but I was also in advanced classes such as math, but only ended up with a B. How will colleges realistically look at this?
Next year I plan on taking AP Calc BC or AB, AP Stats, AP Econ and AP Art. I might also take another English AP.
SAT wise I am definitely expecting between a 2000 to 2200. </p>

<p>I feel what sets me apart is my extra curricular. </p>

<p>Briefly -</p>

<p>Music - Guitar 6 years. Taught myself a bit of piano, drums and bass. Make digital music. In a band.
Art - AP's etc, do it outside of school. Done design for people etc.
Cooking - Worked in catering companies, done courses on cooking etc.
Sport - 1 year (will be 2) varsity Rugby starter. Goto the gym on of seasons, worked in gyms learning about sports science, fitness and nutrition. Big part of my life etc.
Clubs - 2 years robotics team doing animation, programming, website stuff, building, design etc. Active participant in a music charity club. Editor/part of school arts magazine.
Charity - worked at my synagogue for 2 years teaching kids etc.
Awards - Math competition certificates, Computer programming competition certificates. Became a teacher at my synagogue etc. Black belt at Karate.
Work Experience - Catering company, gym (also made a very complex and beyond industry standard website for them). Going to do work experience involving economics/banking etc.
Summer - Went to stanford to do a computer science course, work experience, done various programming projects including making an app and websites etc. This summer I am going on a eurotrip with some friends, hopefully going to do an art course somewhere and do an internship (among others) in a banking/investment firm.</p>

<p>^Im sure I can find more stuff like this but im keeping it brief for you guys.
Interests - Art, music, cooking, sport (skiing, rugby, weight training etc), programming/technology etc</p>

<p>If you got this far well done, I know that was alot!</p>

<p>Many thanks.</p>

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<p>Many people applying to Ivies have the same if not better EC’s than you, not that yours are “mediocre” because they are in fact pretty great… But colleges may view you differently, as some may think they do set you apart, while others won’t, and will take the lower GPA into account.
Hard to tell without test scores, too.</p>

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<p>Really appreciate the feedback thanks! I know without test scores it’ll be hard, but I am expecting all 5’s in ap’s and that range of sat. My gpa will probably go up by the end of my time in high school, but remedying my bad semester will be very difficult, especially considering how I tend to do well on exams like ap’s but mediocre in to good in classes. How do you think I could increase my chances? I have done alot of other things such as a creating a piece of software sophomore year that was essentially a robot simulation that used artificial intelligence to learn how to drive itself during a programming class because I already knew all the curriculum. I have tons of little things like that, but I don’t think colleges care about that stuff over grades.</p>

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<p>Your ECs are fantastic, you do a lot of stuff, and your probably good at it all - but they don’t have depth - at least it’s hard to pick out.
Make your passion more visible, what’s your intended major? Use your ECs to show them how well rounded you are but to also show them how much passion you have for whatever topic/subject/field you can’t get enough of.</p>

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<p>Thanks very much for the useful insight! I thought american colleges were all about how broad you are.
But Im not sure yet, I am debating between art, computer science and economics. Perhaps even doing a double major. The reason why I am drawn to Yale, UPenn and NYU are because of their art and business departments, but mostly because of their art. I think by the end of this year my passion for art will really shine through. I have started a tumblr for example where i post my more recent photography and art pieces and spend a great deal more time after school doing art. I have a concussion right now from rugby and am using my time where i would be training to do even more art, so hopefully this helps with the depth.
I feel my deepest extra curricular has to be computer science at the moment. I have just done so many freelance projects, personal projects that are based on programming and a few of my internships.work experiences have involved real world problem solving.</p>

<p>But thanks for the help!</p>

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<p>Anyone else?</p>

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<p>I think you need to be honest with yourself. Read common data sets and boards here where people who got in give the stats they had. The ivies are unrealistic. GPA is the most important factor and yours won’t cut it at ivies. Even if you’d had good grades through sophomore year, grades falling junior year make selective schools especially hard.</p>

<p>What you call targets are high reaches. If you get the 2200 and improve junior year and do well the first part of senior, they may be worth applying to. Your likelies are targets if you get the 2000 and can afford them. You need some true safeties.</p>

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<p>With a 3.37 and a downward trend in grades, your chances are essentially nonexistent at Yale and the other Ivies without insane extracurriculars (which you don’t have, although yours are pretty good). I would not suggest applying to Yale, Penn, Brown, Columbia, or Cambridge, although I would keep the others as reaches (NYU, Tufts, possibly Vassar, although I’m not that familiar with them) and matches (BU, American, GWU, etc…). You need to add some safeties, score well on your SATs (try to score more on the 2200 side of that range), and pull your grades up significantly for the rest of high school.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks F0ssil and Waverly for the advice. I’ll take it on board and readjust things. Im doing much better this semester as what caused my bad grades has stopped so hopefully colleges notice this.</p>