<p>Extracurriculars(I'm not entirely sure what applies here so some examples may not):
-I started at QB(I don't know if that counts as leadership experience) on my high school varsity football team for my freshman and sophomore years. (we made it to regional finals my freshman year and state semi's my sophomore year)
-I currently am running my own guitar teaching business.
-I am involved in my area's music scene, playing predominantly with my band at venues in Northern Virginia, DC, Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia.
-I have appeared in regional (print & television) as well as some national (print) ads.
-I was on an episode of Law and Order SVU
-I have made money and won awards for drag racing at my local track(I know this might not count, thought I'd list it just in case)</p>
<p>Also, I attended one of the top 50 high schools in Newsweek's list of the top 100 high schools in the U.S. for my first two years. I have been home schooled since.</p>
<p>Here's my prospective list of colleges:
NYU
UCLA
U.T. Austin
Columbia
Cornell
USC
UVA
Virginia Tech
U.C. Berkeley
University of Florida
Florida State
University of Miami
Arizona State
Georgetown </p>
<p>I am an actor, musician, and a model and, in a perfect world, I would be located in either New York or L.A. so if anyone knows of a good school that I haven't thought of in those areas, I'd love to hear about it.</p>
<p>By the way I am a senior this year and I live in VA.</p>
<p>If your GPA only includes your first two years of HS, this could be a problem at the most selective schools on your list, since your test scores will be rather mediocre at those schools. Your EC’s is where your strength is, but whether it’s enough to make up for your stats, I’m not sure.</p>
<p>NYU- high match
UCLA- low reach
U.T. Austin- high match
Columbia- high reach
Cornell- high reach
USC- low reach
UVA- high match (because IS)
Virginia Tech- low match
U.C. Berkeley- mid reach
University of Florida- match
Florida State- low match
University of Miami- high match
Arizona State- safety
Georgetown- low reach/unpredictable</p>
<p>My GPA is a combination of the two years I was in traditional high school, some home school classes I taught myself, and some dual credit classes taken at colleges in NYC and VA. Financial aid is a little tricky for me because my father is fairly well off but, due to a few disagreements, he doesn’t want to pay. Since financial aid is based off your parents income, I’m pretty much screwed ( I ran the numbers through this “EFC calculator” and it says my parents are expected to pay at least 100,000 a year before I can get any aid). And as for the SVU episode- I was the lover of a married woman (easiest $2500 I ever made-like 4 hours of non-stop making out with this hot milfy chick) . The episode was about this really competitive school for junior high-aged students and this one girl (her real name was sarah something) that kills another one so she can be the valedictorian.</p>
<p>Your grades and test scores aren’t increidble, but you seem like a very interesting person, running your guitar business and all. How many high schoolers run their own business? Do your best with your classes and grades and at interviews, and you have a shot.</p>
<p>Do you have any AP classes? that can help with some of your reach schools…
Another thing that will help is a strong essay. Talk about your experiences, but focus on one subject, this should also help you with your reach schools.</p>
<p>NYU Match
UCLA Match - but I have relatives near by not so good of an area
U.T. Austin not familiar
Columbia tough reach top 10% of my school got rejected
Cornell reach
USC semi reach because you are out of State
UVA good backup b/c in state
Virginia Tech semi match
U.C. Berkeley semi reach out of state again
University of Florida not familiar
Florida State not familiar
University of Miami not familiar
Arizona State not familiar
Georgetown semi reach, your ECs should help you</p>
<p>UVA would not be considered a back-up for the op. His GPA and scores would not put him at the top of the in-state applicant pool.</p>
<p>Are you looking to study theatre or music in school, or keep it as an EC? I think you mentioned a possible business major on another thread… At NYU are you applying to Stern, Tisch, CAS, a different college at NYU? Your chances will vary based upon the competitiveness of the college you are applying to within NYU. </p>
<p>If you are concerned about paying for college you may want to add George Mason to your list. Your in-state costs will be reasonable, you may be able to commute from home (?), and you could possibly continue teaching guitar, playing in the metro area, continue with acting and modeling work to help subsidize tuition and living expenses. Your GPA and test scores should be more than competitive for George Mason.</p>
<p>Another option could be to move to NYC, live and work there for a year, and then apply to CUNY as a city resident. VERY reasonably priced, and would allow you to continue to pursue acting and music in the city if this continues to be a goal. I believe the honors college at CUNY is supposed to be very strong.</p>
<p>true… and I may be wrong about your ability to receive in-city tuition rates at CUNY if your family still lives in VA. I just asked someone for clarification on the FA thread.</p>
<p>It does seem that (1) Trying to mend fences with dad (2) identifying in-state schools that are not as academically competitive as the ones on your list, may be good ideas to explore.</p>
<p>If you are interested in the arts in VA… VCU and JMU are good schools to consider (VERY different in terms of location and environment). If you think you may end up needing to live in NOVA and commute, George Mason has connections to professional theatre in DC, I believe. You could also look at other schools in NOVA and DC that would be affordable if you commuted from home.</p>
