koreanxpanda

gpa: 3.62 @ a top 30 public school in the nation which does NOT rank
but because i qualified for national honors society (only 50 students out of 200)
it means im in the top 25%
act: 31, (32 subscored)
ethnicity: asian (korean)
gender: f
income: 53k -> EFC= 1600
national honors society, spanish honor society, mu alpha theta, youth in government club-> model un, youth legislature,
tons of extracurriculars with music:
flute 10 years- made midstate every year
solo and ensemble- rated superior 5 times for solos and 2 times for duets
section leader in wind ensemble
i participate in the pre college music program at vanderbilt
i've played with the nashville symphony, played for the church
church leader, i was treasurer, and vice president
i was on the interpretive dance team at church and performed in front of several churches
ive played piano for about 11 years
i've done piano guild, played about 20 recitals
50 volunteer hours at a hospital
about 10 with an animal rescue center
about 100 with a burma refugee center which i taught english
also i was apart of a summer institute at the metro public health center where i created a project to fight teen smoking and presented it in front of the board of health
i've been in chorus for about 2 years
and this summer i interned at one of the medical research centers at vandy

college hook: immigrant parents, dad had cancer which led me to my interest in medical research hence the internship, and a drug addicted brother

im wondering if i have a shot at
UPENN
columbia
brown
vanderbilt (ED)
emory
NYU
Boston College
rice

are the ivies too much of a reach for me?
and any suggestions for schools in the north that provide 100% need base aid?

poetgrl

My philosophy is to be realistic AND optimistic..... Reach high and make realistic plans, as well. Your list looks good for you, but you need a financial safety if you aren't full pay, and I could be wrong, but there does not seem to be one on your list. What is your state school?

bulletandpima

I think you have a good list, however, I would say UPenn is a reach, for many reasons, not only the gpa, but the ACT and the fact that you are for them an ORM.

Many kids state they go to a top tier hs, but if it is not one of the top 30 by USNWR, Time or Newsweek, you need to be realistic, that it will not be seen as the top tier. That said it will help if you took the most rigorous course load, and they have a lot of kids historically going to Ivies.

Try Notre Dame, I know it is not in the North, but Rice isn't either. Notre Dame is a needs base school.

One thing to realize is that needs base fa typically comes from their endowments, when the stock market tanks, or alumni reduce the amount they give, the fa because more of loans and less in grants/scholarships. Currently, that is where you are at, universities invest in the market and they have taken a hit. Schools with large endowments do not touch the principal, it is the dividends that pay for the scholarships.

I would suggest you look at your state university to see if you can get good Merit out of them. UT is no slouch of a school. You might want to try for UNCCH or Duke too. They are known for not being cheap wads when the stats are strong.

mom2collegekids

Are you sure of that EFC? It would seem that an income of $53k would have a bigger EFC. Where did you get that figure from?

What are your safeties?

I don't think your "hook" is a hook. Your music is a better hook....especially at Vandy.

vinceh

Your Ivies are all major reaches. Your GPA & estimated class rank place in the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of admitted applicants; Penn boasts 99% from the top 10% and Brown lists 93%. Your ACT is approximately the 50th%-tile at all three schools.

At Vanderbilt your GPA is in the bottom 40% and your ACT is at the 50th%-tile. I think you have a shot ED though I wouldn't be shocked if you were deferred to RD.

Emory, Rice and BC are also reaches though not as far out. Your GPA is the issue. At Emory you are in the bottom quartile and the story is only somewhat better at BC and Rice.

NYU looks like a match statistically, (GPA 50th%-tile and ACT 75th%-tile).

Your awards and ECs are strong but not overwhelmingly superior to the typical Top 20 School applicant. I'd add a safety school or two.

mom2collegekids

^^^

The OP needs at least 2 matches and 2 safeties (which are also financial safeties)


I'm still not sure about that EFC...especially when privates look at more info.

OneMom

What about University of Chicago? They fulfill 100% of need and are need blind. What about Amherst?

mom2collegekids

^^^

does UCh fill 100% of need without any loans? That should be a concern to a low-income student.

hmom5

Bingo.

Below top 10%, at even the very top high schools (and those are not on the lists that rank), any ivy for an unhooked students mostly falls in the unrealistic category. So does Amherst, Chicago and many others mentioned.

A competitive school like yours must have good records of who got i where with your stats. That's your best source of info.

koreanxpanda

do I have a chance at Duke, U of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, or Northwestern?

midwesterner

DId you apply ED to Vandy?