What Are My Chances? Stanford, USC, UCLA, Ivy's

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello everyone!! So I made one of these a couple of months ago as a rising Senior, but now I have submitted my very first application and all my stats are final, so let’s get into it!

Intended Major: Fine Arts
School: Top 20 Private
GPA: 94.6/100 (meaning I have quite a few Bs but a very strong upward trend)
Class rank: n/a (literally no idea)
Class size: 200

ACT Test scores: 35 (E34, R35, M35, S34, 10/12 Writing)

APs: only 4s in French, 2D Design, English Lit and Lang (but the only AP class I took was English Lit, this is because I went to study abroad for the first semester of senior year and my school doesn’t offer APs earlier than Junior Year)

Honors/Awards: Intel ISEF (for working on a Cure for Cancer), Saatchi School Art Award (International, on of 20 from 24,000 submissions to expose work in London), AP Scholar with Distinction, Scholastic Art and Writing Award (Gold and Silver Key), NHS

Extracurricular activities:

  • Internship in The Netherlands with an international sculpture exhibition
  • Job teaching elementary school children art and sketch innovation after school
  • Tennis, internationally-completing + co-captain on the varsity team, winning deciding game on starting lineup for 2 state-championship titles
  • Video Content Creator - written and edited over 125 videos on my own channel as well as created music videos and other digital projects
  • Music Producer/Songwriter - independently released 3 original singles and an EP on all major platforms, all accompanied by music videos
  • Film Crew - I have worked with the art department and am a camera operator for various feature and short film productions in the city, Which have won major awards and recognition
  • Co-founder of the Zen Club at school (very nessesary at my school lol)
  • Part of Creating Communities - a school cohort that explores how art interacts within its city, we travelled to Nuit Blanche in Toronto this year

Foreign Exchange - spent a month hosting a student from China during the school year and spent a month exploring China there to study as well as Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong

  • Worked with a community of artists in the city where we promoted art education, made a mural at one of the elementary schools, made bowls for a soup kitchen, and raised $10k for a library in Guatamala

Talent / ability: I have a little bit of a niche interest in sculptural art which I talk about in additional info

Essays: 10/10 I talk about how important curiosity and learning people stories have been for me because of being multicultural etc it’s been a huge part of my life and I believe the way I wrote about it shows a lot of personality and drive

Recommendations: 10/10 counselor rec will probably be strong, she is incredible and we are quite close, 9/10 for teacher recommendations, 10/10 for an additional arts recommendation from a teacher from the study abroad program

Alumni relation: at Penn and Columbia

Minority status: African American, Pacific Islander, Latina, Indonesian (haha this is why I wrote about it)

So! For the schools I’m applying to (in order of interest):

  1. Stanford REA (submitted!!!!)
  2. USC
  3. UCLA
  4. NYU
  5. Brown/RISD
  6. Penn
  7. Columbia
  8. Yale
  9. WashU

And I have applied overseas also (which is why I don’t have as many ‘safety’ schools on my list)

Awesome! Well that is all :slight_smile: let me know what you think

2
  1. Stanford REA (submitted!!!!): reach, but it is that way for everyone. good ec's but gpa and b's might hurt you.
  2. USC: match. Depends on what state you are from. If from cali high match. If from out of state low match.
  3. UCLA: match. Again depends on what state, but this time the opposite.
  4. NYU: match.
  5. Brown/RISD: reach, reach, reach. You probably have a good chance at each of the schools seperately but this program is mad hard to get into. Best of luck.
  6. Penn: low reach because of legacy.
  7. Columbia: low reach because of legacy.
  8. Yale: reach, again is for everyone.
  9. WashU: if you are not from midwest you will for sure get in. If from midwest match/low reach.

chance me back. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/2024655-chance-me-yale-scea-2017.html#latest

3

Can you afford these schools? Are you a resident for some of these schools?- which does make a difference in admission.
USC is very expensive.

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@bluepear2000

I’m not much for chancing as it is nearly impossible to do well for a list of competitive schools. Some quick thoughts.

Did you do arts supplement for Stanford? Rumored to be helpful, but I have no real 1st hand info.

Not sure why post #2 suggests USC is a high match for CA and low match from out of state. If anything being from a less-well represented state (the Dakotas or Wyoming or Rhode island etc.) might help a tiny bit at USC as they like a diverse student body. Also, apply to USC by Dec. 1st as they do give merit aid, unlike most of the rest on your list.

Similarly, UCLA will be more likely if you are CA resident, as OOS and International applicants generally have to have higher stats (and pay more money. There is very little if any aid for OOS/Int. students from the UCs and OOS tuition rivals some privates.)

You have good enough stats and an interesting enough “story/background” it’s certainly “possible” you could get into some if not a few of your choices. A lot will depend on the quality of your app. GPA sounds like it could hurt you, but a 35 ACT, your vis arts, if good, and URM status, could keep you competitive at some schools.

Legacy will really only help at Penn if you apply ED, or at least will “most” help at Penn if you apply ED.

UCLA is the only state school on your list where residency will affect anything.

NYU, USC and UCLA are most likely the “most probable” on your list, but I’d really encourage a few very solid safties.

NYU is notoriously stingy with merit aid. USC is pretty good, but as noted very expenisve. Dunno much about WashU.

If you are serious about USC make sure you hit the Dec. 1 early deadling. There is a good thread on here someplace about applying to USC. I’d hunt that down and read it.

For Penn read Dean Furda’s blog posts on applying to college.

Good luck.

5

Hi @pinkisfun! Thank you :slight_smile: I realize I’m applying to a load of schools that are high reaches for everyone, and that’s ok! I’m from Georgia (so in state for none of them and in the South) idk if that helps or hurts at all, I feel like Georgia is kinda in the middle and doesn’t really hurt or add to anything in particular.

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@“aunt bea” hello! yes, financial aid will be something I will be looking at (pretty confident I don’t really qualify at all though) so yes it definitely will be something that will be taken into serious consideration; however, it isn’t necessarily a factor that will make any of the schools impossible for me to attend (I realize I’m in an extremely fortunate position and definitely do not take this privilege lightly.)

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Hey @CaliDad2020 thank you for your post! It’s super in depth and very helpful.

To answer your questions, yes I definitely submitted an arts portfolio to Stanford in sculpture (if you’re curious to see it at all the link is artbycyandanjou.com, I specialize in Sculpture!)

Also, I am a resident of Georgia (neither well nor poorly represented at any schools so it’s very middle ground, I believe), so also none of the schools on my list are in-state. I have decided to sort of apply to a lot of reach schools because I’m also applying to a few EU schools that are rolling admissions (I have dual-nationality so this is definitely an option I’m considering for location and for tuition price!)

Also for USC, I am working hard now to get it in before December 1st :slight_smile: both because of merit scholarships and due to the fact that the program I’m applying for, Iovine and Young Academy, requires an early submission anyway, so that is something I’m currently working on now that Stanford is out!

Deciding not to apply early at Penn was heartbreaking (also due to the legacy thing), but it was a decision I had to make because of applying to schools overseas (Stanford REA allows me to still do this).

Thank you so so much for all your info, it’s been uberly helpful!

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@bluepear2000 you’re welcome. Good luck!

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You will get no financial aid as an OOS student for UCLA so expect full fees at $60K/year. There a few merit scholarships available but very competitive.
Run the net ptice calculators for all the colleges on your list to see the cost estimates.

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@Gumbymom yeah I know… It’s ok… All of the schools will be incredibly expensive as I doubt I’ll receive financial aid for any…

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Consider UCLA a Reach school but you look qualified so best of luck.

12

how many B’s and how many A’s?