<p>I'm a junior from NYC...</p>
<p>-URM (Hispanic)
-low-income, dad's on disability
-I go to a really competitive private school
-my GPA freshman year was a 92.6, sophomore year my family went through some hard times that brought my GPA down to an 88.5... my GPA right now is about a 90, but I'll definitely get that up before the end of the year
- I haven't taken the SAT yet (taking it in May) but I scored a 1900 on my PSAT (91st percentile)... hopefully this means good things. My SAT IIs so far have been meh... 690 Writing and 620 Lit (which I am retaking).
- I'm currently in AP US History... next year I'll be taking AP Art History and AP English Literature (our school doesn't offer AP English Lang)
- I'm very proud of my extra-curriculars... many of them are culturally/politically oriented. I'm VP of Students for Social Awareness, President of the Anti-Tobacco Coalition, on the chair of Respect and Diversity Club. I've also been on the Debate Team for 2 years... I'm in a lot of other clubs, but they all have a theme of social activism. No Honor Societies or anything like that.
- I consider myself a really strong writer... I've been published in a few small publications
- I expect to have great recs, great essays, etc. It's really my GPA I'm quite worried about.
- I plan to major in Political Science and Slavic Languages & Literature.</p>
<p>Schools I'm looking into:
U Michigan
NYU
U Chicago
U Penn (I'm legacy here)
Brown</p>
<p>Help please! I'd really like to know if I have a shot at any of these schools!</p>
<p>Ok, being a low-income URM definetely gives you a great boost, since adcons agressively try to encourage students like you to apply. Attending a competitive private school also helps--a "school report" is enclosed with your transcript and counselor rec. and this says the graduation rate, what colleges ppl. from your h.s. end up going to, # of AP classes offerred, etc. When they see that you attend a rigorous h.s. with lots of academic high-fliers, they might forgive a slightly lower class rank or GPA.<br>
Make sure to explain the "hard times" you went through with your family during sophomore year in your essays, interviews, etc., so they know that the 88.5 isn't the result of slacking off/laziness. A 90 is a solid GPA at a challenging prep school, so keep up the great work. What GPA are you aiming for by the end of junior yr.? And if your school ranks, approx. what is it so far?</p>
<p>1900 would be a below average test scores for the schools you are applying to, but the adcons MIGHT let it slide since you are low-income. A typical score at those schools would be 2100+. Don't worry, with more practice your score is sure to improve (there was a 210-pt. difference between my 11th grade PSAT and SAT score) Brown doesn't put as much emphasis on standardized test scores, which would be to your benefit. Your SAT II scores leave much room for improvement though (Lit. is considered one of the harder tests to prep for). Btw, the schools you are applying to require 3 SAT IIs, which other one do you plan to take?</p>
<p>If your h.s. has more AP classes available, you should certainly take them, only 3 by the end of senior is not enough for such competitive schools, and you will be competing with applicants who've taken 8-10 AP classes. AP Art History is considered a pretty "light" AP class to many adcons, and is not likely to impress them that much.
Decent, but not jaw-dropping ECs. Your committment to social awareness make you a good match for schools like Brown and NYU, which are both very politically conscious and diverse schools. Also, be sure to check out Oberlin (known for political/social awareness and has a slavic studies program) and Sarah Lawrence (very open-minded/activist and writing-intensive school, you said you were a very strong writer).</p>
<p>Here's my Saftety/Match/Reach breakdown for you...
UMich:S (according to their profile on collegeboard.com, their acceptance rate is 62% and minority status is listed as "important" admissions factor)
NYU:M
U Chicago:M
Penn: M b/c of legacy, S if you apply early
Brown:M/R</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>How do you go to a "really competitive private school" if your family has low income. I'm not trying to snide but it seems as if you are missing information.</p>
<p>Maybe he goes there because of a scholarship or voucher or gift from a genrous relative? Just guesses...I also raised an eyebrow at that!</p>
<p>I'm able to attend because some of my relatives chipped in. Do you think this will look odd to colleges? I can tell my GC to write that in her rec.</p>
<p>Oh, and I'm a she, BTW.</p>
<p>It might not be a good idea tell you're GC to include that information.</p>
<p>Lol...sorry about that, astrid. :p</p>
<p>If you mention in your interviews/essays that you are low-income, and then the adcons see what h.s. you attend, they might think you are lying. I think it would be in your best interests to tell your GC that the reason you can go to that prep school is b/c your relatives chipped in. Make sure she adds that in your rec.</p>