What are MY chances? (Various colleges including Fordham, NYU, & Ivy League)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, so I'm an incoming Junior for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year. (This whole description is rather long but I wanted to be descriptive and include everything).</p>

<p>I go to Midwood High School in Brooklyn (you can search it on Google). It's arguably the best public high school in Brooklyn after the Specialized High Schools (such as Brooklyn Tech and Stuyvesant). All my classes since the fall term of my freshmen year until I graduate as a senior will be an Honors Level Course, unless I take an AP class, because I'm in the Humanities Program. I'm also in the Gilder Lehrman American History Program.</p>

<p>I haven't taken any AP classes yet, but next year I will be taking AP American History and AP Psychology. For senior year I'm planning on taking AP English, AP Goverment, AP Economics, and maybe AP Statistics. </p>

<p>I got a 2010 on my practice SAT test that I recently took with my SAT prep class (which was much higher than my 165 PSAT score.. I took the PSAT without any preparation to see how well I would do since it doesn't count for anything when you take it as a sophomore). </p>

<p>My unweighted average is about a 95 (more or less). </p>

<p>My rank is 50 something out of over 1000 (I have a large class size), so I'm in the top 5% of my class. (I think.. I don't know exactly.. my rank might be higher.)</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars: (I put the year I joined, which also is the year since I've held the leadership positions.. I run for them immediately after joining the organization)
School:
-President and Founder of Young Writers Club (since Sophomore year)
-Member of Key Club (since Freshmen Year)
-Head Script Writer for SING-SOFRESH (since Sophomore Year)
-Chairperson of one of the committees in Model Congress (since Sophomore Year)
-Member/Writer in JAALs (history magazine) (since Freshmen Year)
-Member of Arista and Archon (National Honor and Service Societies) (Since Sophomore Year)
-Freshmen Orientation Monitor (since Freshmen year)
-Guidance Counselor Monitor (since Freshmen year)
-Monitored for various teachers (since Freshmen year)</p>

<p>-And I will be a member/writer of PATTERNS (writing magazine) beginning my Junior Year and I'm hoping on becoming an editor.
-I'm also planning on being on the Yearbook Committee during my senior year and becoming an editor as well.</p>

<p>Parish/Church: (counts as community service and ministry.. which is extra-curricular)
-Teen Leader of Teen Group (Parish's Youth Group.. weekly meetings every Friday Night for three hours which usually includes a discussion on a teen-related topic, also engaging many volunteer work) (since Freshmen Year)
-Captain of the Altar Servers (assists the priest on the altar during mass) (since Freshmen Year, although technically I've been an altar server since I was eight years old)
-Lector (reads the liturgy during mass) (since Freshmen Year, although technically I've been lectoring since 8th grade)
-I've also volunteered for the CCD (religious education program), assisting teachers and working in the office (which is every Wednesday Night during the school year)</p>

<p>Independent Organizations:
-I've also worked as an intern for one of the local politicians (member of the City Council) (Since Sophomore Year).. I'm interested in majoring in Political Science with a minor in Writing
-I've also volunteered at a local Middle School in the area, helping out during special events at night and on the weekends, doing mostly administrative work. (since Freshmen Year)</p>

<p>Awards/Recognitions:
-Member of Arista and Archon (national honor and service societies)
-Participated in the Gilder Lehrman Institute Civil War Essay Contest (honorable mention)
-Writing published in Teen Ink (teen magazine)
-Region 7 Stars Certificate of Recognition - Outstanding Achievement as am Exhibiting Artist
(winner- city arts exhibition)
-The American Classical League and National Junior Classical League Certificate of Honorable Merit: Magna Cum Laude (winner - Latin award)
-Award Certificate Presented by the United Federation of Teachers for Academic Achievement and Character (winner- UFT award)
-Citation of Honor by Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes In Recognition of Outstanding Leadership, Character, and Service in Promoting "Progress Through Justice" in the School and Community (Winner- District Attorney Citation of Honor)
-The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators of the City of New York (CSA) Leadership Award in Recognition of outstanding Leadership (Winner- CSA Award)
-Cathedral Preparatory Seminary: Pope John Paul II Christian Leadership Award recognizing outstanding commitment to faith in action (Winner- Catholic Community Service Award)
-President's Volunteer Service Award: Gold Level (Hoping on achieving the higher level of the President's Call to Service Award by next year)</p>

<p>-Participated in the Brooklyn Book Festival Essay Contest.. waiting for the results to come back in September.. hoping to be a finalist
-Planning on participating in the Scholastic/Alliance for Young Artists and Writers Awards next year once the guidelines and deadlines are announced</p>

<p>Talents/Skills:
-I am an avid writer, I love writing stories, memoirs, and poems especially.
-I love to sing, and I'm an avid song writer. (I wrote my first song at seven years old and I still have the napkin that it's written on).
-I'm also a musician (although this is not my strongest point), I do know how to play the guitar and the piano.
-I love to dance as well, I went to dancing school from the time I was 3 years old until I was 12 years old.
-I love public speaking and advocating.. just fighting for what you believe in.</p>

<p>Rigor of High School Record: (even though I haven't taken some of these classes yet, such as the ones for Junior and Senior Year, the ones I did put down are a requirement as part of the programs I'm in.. so I have to take them no matter what. Just as a note, my school uses the term "Gifted" instead of "Honors" sometimes, however, it has been made clear to us that the words can be used interchangeably, and so both are the highest level of study under AP.)
Math: (each taken for a year at a time.. year = two semesters)
-Integrated Algebra (taken in 8th grade)
-Honors Geometry (taken in 9th grade)
-Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry (taken in 10th grade)
-Honors Pre-Calculus (taken in 11th grade)
(four years as of now)
-Maybe AP Statistics in 12th grade</p>

<p>English:
Honors English 1 & 2 (Freshmen Year)
Honors English 3 & 4 (Sophomore Year)
Honors Creative Writing (Junior Year)
Double Classes Senior Year, one class will be AP English (requirement of Humanities Program)
(total of 5 years)</p>

<p>Science:
Earth Science (8th grade)
Honors Living Environment (9th grade)
Honors Chemistry (10th grade)
AP Psychology (11th grade)
(total of 4 years)</p>

<p>Social Studies:
Honors & Gilder Lehrman Institute Global History & Geography (9th and 10th grades.. four terms)
AP American History (11th grade)
in addition to Two electives during Junior Year (one each term)
AP Government (12th grade)
AP Economics (12th grade)
in addition to Two electives during Senior Year (one each term)
(Extra social studies electives are apart of Humanities & Gilder Lehrman Program)
(total of 7 years)</p>

<p>Foreign Language:
Spanish I (8th grade)
Honors Spanish II (9th grade)
Honors Latin I (10th grade)
Honors Spanish III (10th grade)
Honors Spanish IV (11th grade)
(total of 5 years)</p>

<p>Arts:
One Semester of Art (Video Production) (9th grade)
One Semester of Music (Guitar) (9th grade)</p>

<p>Physical Education:
One semester of Health (9th grade)
All other seven terms will be Gym</p>

<p>As far as Recommendations go, I'm planning on getting one from the Pastor of my Parish (Church) who has known me since I'm six years old and who I have a very close relationship with, as well as the Director of the Teen Group, the Deacon (clergyman who is an assistant to the priest and works in the parish) who also both know me extremely well for many years now. I also have pretty much decided I'm going to ask for teacher recommendations from my 10th grade history teacher, who teaches the Gilder Lehrman students and is the faculty adviser for the Young Writers Club I made, as well as Key Club which I'm a member of, as well as my fall term 10th grade math teacher, my spring term 9th grade spanish teacher, 9th and 10th grade english teacher, and my 10th grade latin teacher, all who know me well and whose class I especially excelled in both academically and socially (I guess you could say outside the classroom as well), as of now. I might pick the best three or so from the five. </p>

<p>My first choice is Fordham University. My other choices are Brown, Columbia, Yale, NYU, and Iona, as of now. (I'm going to apply to Brooklyn and Hunter College just for the heck of it as well). What are my chances?</p>

<p>And are they any other colleges you suggest? I prefer private and/or Catholic colleges over public ones.</p>

2

<p>I think you have a great chance at any school that you apply to. That being said, your courseload is on the easy side, and you might have to explain that. Other than that, write a good essay and get good recommendations, and you should be accepted to most schools you apply to. Good luck</p>

<p>chance me: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/957028-chance-please-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/957028-chance-please-2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>You will definitely get into Fordham and NYU. You probably have a shot at the Ivies but that SAT score needs to go way up from your PSAT.</p>

4

<p>I found it surprising you said my courseload is on the easy side. Basically, those are the classes my school has given me, we don’t have much of a choice with anything. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the NYS curriculum, but I’ve taken a bunch of extra classes. </p>

<p>I’m hoping to get a 2000 or 2100 on the SAT. I have yet to take it yet though.</p>

5

<p>You can definitely get into Fordham and Iona. The others are reaches of varying degree.</p>

6

<p>NYYankees2012- Before I say anything else, I like your username ALOT. It’s good to see another Yankee fan from the big apple on CC. </p>

<p>So, is it my PSAT score that caused you to say the rest of the schools are reaches? Or is it something else I wrote here?</p>

7

<p>Stuyvesant is not in brooklyn, it is in battery park city in lower manhattan.</p>

8

<p>Yes, I know. I should have wrote the five boroughs instead of Brooklyn, considering there’s a lot of kids who travel from Staten Island or Queens or Manhattan to go to Midwood just as they do with Stuyvesant or any of the other specialized high schools. But that was my mistake.</p>

9

<p>Can you afford NYU, Fordham and Iona? With a 2000 you would probably get into these schools, but they are not good financial aid schools.</p>

<p>For the ivies, really work for a 2200 SAT score at minimum.</p>

10

<p>I know they are not extremely good financial aid schools, but I want to stay within the NYC area. Are they any other schools you suggest? And, since I come from a very low income family (my dad is now retired and makes $35,000 a year and my mother doesn’t work), I’m hoping I will receive financial aid from the government as well.</p>

<p>And thank you, I’m going to be keep studying for the SAT.</p>

11

<p>Uh, you probably do NOT want to get recommendations from BOTH of your church people…would they say anything whatsoever different from each other?</p>

<p>Also, I know you haven’t met your junior year teachers yet, but at least one (preferably both) of your recommendations should come from them, according to colleges.</p>

12

<p>Oh, I didn’t know that. I guess I’ll see then. I don’t know any of my junior teachers yet, so hopefully I’ll excel well in my classes. Nothing is written in stone yet, this was just a brainstorm of ideas I have in mind already. I think these are all the people I’m going to ask, as of now anyway, like I said, things could change by the time I’m actually filling out applications, and then I’ll just pick the best from there.</p>

<p>Also, as far as the people from my church, I think the Pastor and the Director of Teen Group will say different things. The Director will be able to talk about my role in the Teen Group, how I started new committees and came up with ideas on how to improve the organizations, how I took the responsibility of running all different kinds of aspects of it, how I got 30 new members to join after my first year alone, how I was the first Teen Leader she picked in over five years (she had given up on picking teens for the leadership position because she felt none of them had any good leadership qualities and couldn’t be responsible, but of course, I changed that) and so on.</p>

<p>The Pastor, however, will be able to say that I have spent somewhere around 500 hours over my high school life volunteering for the church itself. He can say how I’m in charge of the altar servers, I’m usually at two or sometimes even three masses over an entire weekend, and helped him recruit and train new altar servers. He can also say how I’m the youngest lector, and the first chance to become one, I did, and how I’ve taken much more responsibility than most of the other lectors who are all adults… and a lot of other things.</p>

<p>My friend who recently graduated from Fordham Grad School (she went there for undergrad too) was involved just as much as I was when she was my age and got recommendations from both the Pastor and the Director. They hold two different positions in the parish.</p>

13

<p>I think your chances for Fordham seem perfect… Don’t stress over it… You are probably doing really well, even for getting into Columbia. I don’t know if you are in SAT prep, but let’s say you are… it will help a lot!!! So don’t worry!</p>

14

<p>If you are low income this is not a good list. There is only so much money you can get from the gov’t. The only non loan/work money is a Pell Grant (about $5500 is you happe to quality for the max) and any NY state grants you qualify for. This is a drop in the bucket for private colleges that do not meet need.</p>

<p>You need to figure out your EFC for these schools and construct a listof schools you can afford.</p>

15

<p>Your SAT score is too low for the Ivy’s. You should get into Fordham, NYU is a low reach. Bump it up to 2150-2200 and you’d have a much better chance. Maybe Cornell/Dartmouth you have a shot. But prep prep prep!</p>

16

<p>So you’re saying I shouldn’t apply to these schools? I don’t want to pick a school based on my financial situation. I can always take out student loans. The only schools I can afford are SUNY and CUNY, and I don’t want to go to a public college. I spent my entire life in public school and have saw how being in a private school is a much bigger advantage than being in even the best public schools.</p>

17

<p>To mathcountser, I haven’t taken the SAT yet, but I’m aiming for a 2150-2200 range. I have been studying since the fall of my freshmen year and I plan to keep on studying. I actually know a few people who had a lower SAT score than that and who got into NYU. (They had 1900’s and 2000’s). Usually NYU tends to take a good number of students from my school. Thank you for the advice though.</p>

18

<p>You could get in to the Ivy’s. It’ll just be very hard. They’re a reach for anyone. But by all means apply if you want to.</p>

19

<p>You seem to be on the right path for Fordham and NYU, as my stats were similar and I got into Fordham and NYU’s LSP. Fordham is an awesome school, and even though I’m not going there, I love it! Once thing they stress is that your recommendations be of quality, not quantity. Dont send in more than 3.</p>

20

<p>You sent in three? How many have to be from teachers?</p>