Background: I am an Asian American girl from Southern California from an IB high school with grade deflation
Stats:
gpa - 3.85 uw /4.3792 w (6 Bs)
16 AP/IB classes, 2 honors, 3 dual enrollment
act - 36 one sitting
sat - 1410 one sitting (dont plan on taking it again bc of my act score)
International leadership role, class president 3 years, state political org leadership, started no profit and am a girl scout gold candidate
no contests won and no scholarships to my name
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110k family income
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my gpa is extremely subpar for an asian-am applicant which is making me extremely nervous. I have been unable to function for the past few weeks with fear for senior year. i am very done with high school and am wondering if anyone can give me a prestigious college that might except me ed?
thanks cc<3
p.s. i understand any top 40 school is me shotgunning but yolo
Thank you!
I hope to double major in government or peace and conflict studies and women/gender studies or create my own interdisciplinary major.
No budget but hoping to receive aid.
I do prefer a medium-sized school in an urban or suburban setting, but I am not too picky about location nor size. I do hope to attend a private school and I’m not the biggest fan of greek life (although Dartmouth happens to b my dream reach school, indecisive is my middle name!).
My mother has been very adamant I apply to Vandy ED as their avg. UW GPA is a 3.7 and it is SUCH an amazing school, and applying there would still be shotgunning… but I just can’t see myself in what I consider the South… Which I understand is a very privileged reason for not wanting to attend such an amazing institution but I have not been able to see past it and connect with the school. …
Thank you for commenting, it truly means so much.
What does this mean? Have you used the NPCs to see if you would possibly qualify for FA? Are your parents willing/able to spend $70,000+ per year?
Did you explain to your mom that you don’t want to apply ED to Vandy?
Take a look at Barnard. You can also take classes at Columbia and the social lives are very intertwined.
Some other schools to look at are Northeastern, BU, Georgetown, the U of Rochester (not sure about the major), GW, and possibly some of the LACs (not sure if they are too small for you…Barnard is different due to its location and relationship with Columbia).
Your ED philosophy is really not the best. You need to do the research and find a school that is a fit for you. Why is Dartmouth your “dream school?”
All schools will look at your GPA within the context of your high school Are you in the top 10%? Does your HS rank? Your 3.85 there could be excellent (top 10%) or it could be simply good (say top 25%). Your guidance counselor will put YOU in context on his/her recommendation.
That said, if you are looking for an urban setting consider: Brown, Penn, George Washigton, Boston University, Columbia (or Barnard as @twogirls suggested), or Fordham or Boston College (both Jesuit). Some are high reaches (for everyone), some matches. Fordham closer to a safety - but would offer excellent internship opportunities for your proposed majors.
If Dartmouth is your dream school, but all means apply ED - but only if you are absolutely sure and if you can afford it based on running NPC. Have you visited Vanderbilt? Of course, the pandemic makes it next to impossible to visit anywhere. You are at preliminary stage of applying right now. You can keep it on the list for now to appease your parents. Will you be applying to any UC schools? Would be wise to do so as you never know.
It’s better to think of GPA and test scores as a hurdle, and once your score is high enough you are fine. Yes, you will be competing against other Asian American for spots, but it will be the ECs and essays that make the difference. Stop worrying about your GPA and start on your essays. I would write the “why Dartmouth?” one first to help you understand what you are looking for in a college.
btw, every HS has a school profile sheet they send with your applications. Google your HS name and school profile and see if you can find the one for your HS. It should have average UW and W GPA.
This tells me your GPA is better than you are giving yourself credit for. Follow the advice given and look up your school profile to see where you stand in the context of your class. Your 36 ACT score is incredible, don’t discount that achievement. Take a deep breath and don’t stress about senior year.
Were you able to visit any schools before campuses shut down in March? Have you tried any of the on-line virtual campus tours? I think you need to focus on fit. What about Dartmouth attracts you? It is in a rural location, has a strong Greek presence and is on the smaller side. I get the sense that none of these qualities appeal to you, so there must be something else about Dartmouth that you like. Try to find schools that offer those qualities. Please speak to your parents about affordability. You need to nail this down before considering ED as an option.
Spend time this summer working on your essays. It is crucial to be able to show who you are and why you are a great match for the colleges that you choose to apply to.
If you truly like Dartmouth, and would like to consider similar colleges, look into Colgate, or maybe a NESCAC. This would heighten your chances of getting into a top ~50 school.
I’m curious how Dartmouth is the dream as it doesn’t seem to meet any of your criteria that you listed in post 2? They also don’t give merit based aid.
ED is for an absolute first choice place. If you need money, you probably don’t want to apply ED anywhere. You want to be able to compare the aid packages.
You do not need to attend a top-whatever institution to have success in life. What, exactly, is it that you think you can only get at a “prestigious” institution?
@sirinxyz Research Colleges That Change Lives. Reed and Whitman up north are included. The Claremont Consortium hosts Harvey Mudd and Pomona College, among others. Good luck.
The subjects you are interested in and possible desire to create your own interdisciplinary course suggest Gallatin at NYU as an option. I think you’d have a decent chance ED with your stats. I don’t know that it meets your other criteria though (apart from not much Greek life) - being part of a big, urban college with often poor merit aid.