Question by Simi Rose: Getting into college (NYU, BU, USC…..)?
Hey you guys! I’m currently a Junior at a Texas high school, and I wanted to ask a few questions…
First, I’ll give you a little of my information:
GPA: 3.37
Current IB Diploma Student
I took a lot of regulars classes last year (I had a hard summer between my freshman/soph year, so my high school counselor “suggested” that I take easier classes…)
This year I am in ALL pre-ap/AP/IB classes.
My schedule this year, and grades:
Pre AP Pre Cal (1st six weeks: 73; 2nd six weeks: 67; 3rd six weeks: 70; sem 1 avg: 71; 4th six weeks: 81)
IB English III (1st six weeks: 81; 2nd six weeks: 84; 3rd six weeks: 90; sem 1 avg: 84; 4th six weeks: 86)
AP Latin III (1st six weeks: 90; 2nd six weeks: 92; 3rd six weeks: 89; sem 1 avg: 92; 4th six weeks: 84-she lost one of my tests….)
Pre AP Physics I (1st six weeks: 85; 2nd six weeks: 85; 3rd six weeks: 85; sem 1 avg: 82; 4th six weeks: 90)
Honors Aquatic Science (1st six weeks: 89; 2nd six weeks: 86; 3rd six weeks: 84; sem 1 avg: 89; 4th six weeks: 95)
IB Psychology (1st six weeks: 87; 2nd six weeks: 91; 3rd six weeks: 84; sem 1 avg: 88; 4th six weeks: 84)
IB History (1st six weeks: 90; 2nd six weeks: 86; 3rd six weeks: 92; sem 1 avg: 91; 4th six weeks: 84)
So far I have 22 credits, and I know you only need 24 to graduate. By the end of this year, I will have 25.5 and by the end of next year I will have 36 credits…
This is my schedule for next year (or rather the classes I’m taking):
AP Calculus AB (1 credit)
IB English IV (1 credit)
AP/IB Latin IV (1 credit)
IB Biology II (1 credit)
IB Biology II Labs (before school- 0.5 credit)
AP Independent Study and Analysis of Film (1 credit)
AP Literary Genre (1 credit)
IB Theory of Knowledge (1 credit)
IB History of the Americas (1 credit)
After school Speech and Debate (first time joining-on a 5.0 scale-so its honors-and I’ll get 1 credit from it)
I took the SAT in january, but i only got an 1800 (im in classes to improve my score, and i KNOW i can do better-i was really sick the week before and the day of-i was continually blacking out and throwing up and getting dizzy) so i’ve scheduled to take it again, under better circumstances. Plus, since having taken that SAT, ive also been put on medicine for ADD and its helping wonders as well.
I do a lot of community service. So far I have 122 hours. I’m also in Green Club, River Watch, Little Theater Company, Brightoners (we go to Brighton Gardens-old folks home-twice a month during lunch), Cheese Club and Film Club.
I worked for my dad (on payroll) for 2 years (all of 8th grade through 9th), I interned at a Fabric Store this summer for a few weeks, and I babysit.
I recently took a Digital Filmmaking class outside of school, Ive taken a photography class and this summer I’m spending three weeks at an intensive acting camp in Los Angeles (Young Actors Camp). I also am spending 13 days at UC Berkeley for NSLC (National Student Leadership Conference), under the program Journalism and Mass Communication, this summer.
I have a college counselor who is helping me organize everything and apply and all that.
I take the SAT again next Saturday, the ACT in April, and the SAT II subject tests in may.
I also spend a TON of time at my church-volunteering and helping out. Sundays and tuesdays I lead groups for middle schoolers and high schoolers (girls) and wednesday nights I attend the high school services.
I’ve missed quite a bit of school because I get ill frequently and its always really severe, never something simple, but i always get everything made up and get caught up on time, and it rarely hurts my grades.
I’m also hoping to volunteer at the Blanton (art museum) this summer when I get home.
Colleges I’m really interested in:
NYU (applying early decision, probably)
Boston University
USC
UCLA
Pepperdine
UC Berkeley
UC Santa Barbara
UC San Diego
Brown (I might apply early decision here-NYU isn’t early decision restrictive)
U Cal Irvine
U Cal Davis
American University
Penn State University Park
University of Washington (in Seattle)
Georgetown (in DC) (I might apply early decision here instead)
Vanderbilt (though I don’t know for sure about this. And if I did apply here, I might apply early decision, but again, I really don’t know.)
Carnegie Mellon (My cousin went for college, and they begged her to come back for grad school and paid her entire way. She told me that that raises my chances of getting in there, but I’m not sure haha)
Northwestern
Stanford
So, what are my chances at these schools? Which are a pretty good possibility, which are a possibility, which are a reach, and which are out of the question? Please tell me what you think! And no rude comments please…I know my GPA is low, and I know I didn’t do well in Pre Cal this year, but I’m trying.
Also if you know of any other good schools in Cali or New York that I should look into, that I could have a shot at getting in, let me know! Thanks
the 122 hours are for this year alone, and i’m not looking for scholarships. I’m willing to pay full price tuition to whatever school accepts me, so that’s not really a problem.
If you’re willing to pay full price, rather than go on scholarship, doesn’t that increase your chances of getting in?
Best answer:
Answer by richietbak
You’ve got pretty outstanding credentials outside of school. But, honestly, with a 3.37 GPA, it’s a real stretch for you to get into NYU. You’re clearly taking a lot of challenging classes, but that really won’t impress the colleges since you didn’t get very good grades in many of them. Sorry. There’s a lot of smaller schools that would probably be more than willing to give you tons of scholarships due to your large amount of volunteer work and so forth.
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