Hi, I’m a rising senior in high school in North Carolina coming from a big class of around 770 people. My class rank as of now before the end of junior year is 240.
My weighted GPA is: 4.0625
My unweighted GPA is: 3.58
The AP classes I took:
AP Human Geography
AP Psychology
AP Computer Science A
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Statistics
I’m definitely taking AP Calculus AB and BC next year but I’m not exactly sure which other ones I’m taking because my counselor messed up my schedule.
ECs/Honors:
Future Problem Solving- 1st Place International 2017 , 2nd State Place 2017, 1st Place State 2018 - Elected President
DECA- 5th place state (finalist), Overall test finalist international 2018
Camp S.O.A.R. Volunteer
National Honors Society
Intern at City of Charlotte Innovation and Technology Department (Summer 2018)
SAT Score: 660 Math, 690 Reading- 1350 Total Score, I am retaking it in August.
My top choice schools are: UNC, NC State, Virginia Tech, NYU, and Clemson.
My intended major is Computer Science, Business, or Engineering. Please let me know if you need any more information and let me know what schools match my profile and would be good for my majors. Also let me know what my chances are at Clemson, UNC, Virginia Tech, NC State and NYU.
It is pretty unlikely that I will go to NYU but it has always been a school I have always wanted to go to. It is really expensive but every other school I can afford. I think a huge thing I was looking for was for someone to say what my chances would be for these schools.
UPDATE: My unweighted GPA just came in for the end of junior year and it is actually a 3.54 not a 3.58. Also this is my final GPA before applications and final class rank.
If you like New York City, why not apply to Fordham?
All the schools you list are reaches, meaning odds are, you won’t get in, but it’s still worth trying because you do have a shot.
In other words, you need to find two safeties and 3-4 matches.
Suggestions would include UNCW, app state, UNC Charlotte, UNC Asheville, College of Charleston.
You should apply to smaller, private universities like Elon, because they’d be able to take your excellent ECs into consideration. At most large state schools, it’s a numbers game - GPA, sat score, rank.
Other possibilities could include Eckerd, UTampa, Warren Wilson (a work college), Guilford (safety) …
UNC - Low reach
NYU - Low reach
Fordham - High match (would be…)
VA Tech OOS - High match (Engineering, a reach or low reach…)
Clemson OOS - Match
NC State - Low match
I would definitely add a safety. Maybe East Carolina or Coastal Carolina.
I would not apply to a school you can’t afford without taking on too much debt, so be sure to run the NPC before applying.
A match means your odds are about 50-50; a low match means your odds are better Jan that, a high match lower than that without being a reach.
A reach means odds are against you. A low reach means not likely but you have a shot.
You should look at Naviance for your school to see how your stats compare with UNC and NC State applicants who’ve been admitted from you HS. Should give you a good sense of where you stand.
Your rigor and test scores are in range for UNC but I think your GPA is on the low side, especially coming from Charlotte area. I know less about NC State but it’s getting harder to get in each year. That said, if you are pursuing CS and really can demonstrate a lot of passion and some accomplishments, I think NC State is a good option for you and their CS programs are top notch.
You know this, but pick your teacher reqs carefully and have a solid draft of an awesome common app essay by end of summer.
Agree overall you’ve got a good set of reach colleges and need more match/safeties. At Indiana you’d be a geographic diversity pick. Maybe Purdue, tho engineering would be more reach I think.
Since you like Clemson, what about Alabama or Auburn?
Yes, App State is a great college in a great town. I wonder if it’s getting more ‘discovered’ by OOS students. If not, prolly just a matter of time. I live in NC too and it’s very popular choice at my kids’ school. In fact, more kids going there this year than anywhere else!
Auburn and Alabama aren’t really schools I would want to go to, I want a more diverse school. I know Clemson isn’t diverse at all but there is just something about being a tiger that is so exciting to me.
I’ve not heard anything about CS at App State so I’d suggest digging into that. It’s certainly not what they are known for.
It’s interesting to me that you’re interested in both Clemson and App State as their campus cultures are pretty different. I agree that Clemson is probably more diverse (and less conservative?) than Auburn and Alabama. App State of course has its hippie / earthy vibe. Kids who go there tend to love it!
I suggest looking to see which UNC campuses have the strongest programs in CS outside of NC State and UNC for affordable good match / safeties, as well as maybe a few OOS state schools. And run the net price calculators for any privates you’re interested in and discuss paying for it with your parents.
Yeah I’m not super interested in App State or anything I think someone just suggested it above. The only UNC school I would really want to go to is Chapel Hill honestly, maybe Wilmington but that is a stretch.
Hello! I am a rising senior in NC as well. I think UNC is def a reach for you but I think that you could get into NC State and VT. Clemson is also a good choice. With your GPA being a lil low for UNC, I would suggest that you look into other schools like Elon (ik it was already mentioned), University of South Carolina (they have a cool deal with tuition for NC residents), and maybe University of Georgia (good academics and sports). Your test score is fine in my opinion for schools like NC State. If money is a big factor in your college decision, you would probably get a good amount of money from HPU and smaller schools. I think you should look into the University of Miami too (it is very pretty, great academics and sports!). I also love NYU and if you want to be in NYC, I would also look at schools such as Fordham and St. Johns. Fordham is very cool and I think you would get in since it is less selective than NYU. Have you looked at schools in the D.C. area? You might like UMD, American, GW, or George Mason (Mason could be a good safety). Hope this helps!
UNC is the hardest school to get into of all of the NC schools so you might want to broaden your horizons a bit. I agree naviance is a tool you should definitely use.
Right now, your stats give you a 55% chance at NC State. UNC is about 2%. UNCC is 69%. Another consideration is Alabama and Oklahoma State. Your stats would actually get you a nonresident tuition waiver scholarship, which puts it at the same cost level of NC. I would avoid out of state unless you can get it pared with a scholarship.
NC schools will be a much better deal for your than out of state (public universities). NC State would be a good school for you for your intended majors. @peyre1 Not sure what “cool deal” you mean with UofSC. It can be a good deal if you are a strong student. All OOS students that are in top percentage of applicants are given tuition waivers but that’s not just NC students. OP, that would get your cost down but not lower than in-state schools.