<p>I'm only a sophomore, but I have constantly been thinking about colleges lately for some reason. I have one ultimate dream school, and that is NYU.
I did not do so well freshman year, due to personal and family problems- but to me it is no excuse. By the end of junior year, I plan on having my GPA at a 3.4, maybe a 3.5. I have wonderful extracurriculars, I am capable of writing a compelling and moving essay, and I can think of a few teachers who would be glad to write me a terrific recommendation. I know it's early for me to thinking about college, but I have been working so hard to pull my grades up. I have changed for the better and have become very well rounded. I do community service on a weekly basis, and am very involved in supporting the Alzheimers Association. (my grandfather is suffering severely from the disease). Since the beginning of freshman year, I have held a job at a clothing store. Each week I work roughly 12 hours, and I plan on working until I leave for college! It is my goal to get into NYU. I want it so badly! Do I have any chance!?</p>
<p>I forgot to add that I am currently taking Honors and AP courses, and will continue to do so!</p>
<p>anyone????</p>
<p>JM, in general I would think that your increase in grades after your first year would look good to many colleges. Also, many colleges will look also at your ecs, recs, etc (besides the grades). Just continue what you are doing, getting your grades up and taking the harder courses. Also, start studying or try to take an SAT prep course when available. It really is very helpful. The SAT study guides books are helpful also. Do you know what you want to to major in at NYU? Some schools (like Stern) are harder to get into than others. I would definetly try though and also line up some other schools that have what you are interested in.</p>
<p>thank you! :)
Starting this fall I am going to be taking a weekly Princeton Review SAT Prep Class at a nearby school. I would probably major in Journalism.</p>
<p>JM, other schools to maybe look at would be BU, American, George Washington, Maryland and Syracuse. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks so much poi :)</p>
<p>77 views, and only one person replies!?</p>
<p>it's really early to be thinking about this.</p>
<p>what are your SAT stats?</p>
<p>Yeah, it's really early for you to be making chances threads. ECs, SATs, and Senior GPA factor into the equation too. You sound like you're on the right track, though.</p>
<p>not to discourage you, but ill present you with my own situation with nyu, aka what as my dream school:</p>
<p>i applied early decision, hoping to increase my chances of admission. i had a 30 ACT which is typically just fine for early admission, many extracurriculars, great recommendations, and i thought my essay was great (i was applying to be an english major; i can write a compelling essay). the problem was my gpa...i had bad depression during my freshman and sophomore years, my GPA was about a 3.1. i did recover and worked my a.ss off junior year, averaged a 3.6-3.7, which raised my GPA to about a 3.3.</p>
<p>still was rejected though. the experience was devastating for me, i was positive i was destined to go there and live in new york city and that the rejection was completely derailing my future. so, with all that explained:</p>
<ol>
<li>dont get too wrapped up in one school. i had been obsessed with nyu for 5 years before i applied this year and it had way too much influence on my life. when i did get rejected, i thought my life was over so from my own experience, i would suggest looking at other options as well and finding something you like at least almost as much. for me, i just got into mcgill in canada, which worldwide is even more reputable than NYU and in a distinctive city as well (also MUCH MUCH cheaper), and im pretty excited.</li>
<li>with that said, i dont mean i dont expect you to get in. you're a sophomore so you still have ample opportunity to improve upon yourself. just keep in mind that you should absolutely work your hardest, and sometimes that wont even be enough for NYU (they are extremely traditional in their requirements, unless you are a minority or something); at least in my case it wasn't.</li>
<li>i will say if you were able to bring your gpa to a 3.5-3.6 and produce the sort of application that you described, you would definitely have a good shot depending on which of NYU's schools you choose to apply to. also stay involved in your activites and maybe join another significant one if your schedule allows. try to visit next year and make your interest well-known there, particularly if you have the same feelings as you do now.</li>
</ol>
<p>so there's my advice, hope i helped & best of luck.</p>
<p>Maybe you could make a list of all the things you like about NYU and then use the list to look for other schools with similar characteristics. It's rather dangerous to put "all your eggs in one basket" since there are so many factors outside your control that impact the admissions decisions. </p>
<p>peanutbutter: sorry to hear about your experience but McGill is supposed to be really cool and exciting.</p>
<p>peanutbutter, I'm sorry you didn't get in =/, but I really hope you love McGill!
It is true that I shouldn't put all of my eggs in one basket, and I will certainly apply to more schools than just NYU.
What does it take to gain admission into NYU? Does someone have to do something or accomplish something that sets them apart from others? What is NYU looking for exactly?</p>
<p>Everything is so confusing!
Thank you guys so much, I really appreciate the help!
Anyone else who wants to comment, feel free :)</p>
<p>I am part of an award winning yearbook staff at my school, and by senior year I hope to be an editor-in-chief, and I'm also part of my school's TV station!
I'm definitly getting involved, but not too much that I'll become overwhelmed.</p>
<p>If NYU doesn't end up being the school for me, a good school that is in a very urban setting would be awesome.</p>
<p>bump please!</p>
<p>On the NYU website under Admissions they have some average statistics for admitted students including GPA and SAT scores. That would give you an idea of what to aim for. For an urban setting you could check out Boston. I found a website about Boston colleges at Boston:</a> America's College Town.</p>