Chance me for top schools: Mechanical Engineering, Math or CS major, Class Rank 3/140, 1520 SAT, NY resident, seeking aid

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

US citizen

State/Location of residency: NY

Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Zoned Public High School

Other special factors: First to apply for private colleges

Cost Constraints / Budget

(High school students: please get a budget from your parents and use the Net Price Calculators on the web sites of colleges of interest.)

20k a year max I can pay, heavy reliance on school/scholarships to pay

Intended Major(s)

Mechanical Engineering, or Math and CS double major

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

Note that this isnt my real GPA because I exclude my 8th grade grades from my transcript as they aren’t supposed to be there in the first place. I am contacting my middle school to get them removed.

Weighted GPA: 99.17

Regular GPA: 95.74

Class Rank: 3/140 (should be number 1)

ACT/SAT Scores: 1520 (790 math 730 rw)

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

English: English 9, AP Seminar, AP Lang, AP Lit

Math: Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry & AP Calculus AB, Calculus 2 College & AP Statistics, AP Business Principles

Science: Living Environment, Honors Biology, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Physics

History and social studies: US History, Global 9, Global 10, Gov & Econ

Language other than English: Spanish 1, 2, 3

Visual or performing arts: Art

Other academic courses: Computer Science (College Class)

Awards

Pinkerton Science Scholar Award

NYU ARISE Alumni Stipend

Posse NY Semi Finalist

Extracurriculars

(Include leadership, summer activities, competitions, volunteering, and work experience)

Research at NYU Civil Engineering Lab (researched on whether or not it was feasible for companies to use drones and trucks when delivering packages (measured carbon emissions, milage cost, and total cost when delivering); presented at NYU Tandon and American Museum of Natural History)

Junior Advisory Board Chairmen (Led board initiatives & student-led fundraising. Managed fundraising for Winter Fest & school sales to help fund AP class celebration picnic. )

Young Men’s Leadership Vice President (Directed club operations & community events. Planned Valentine’s Day fundraiser & hosted Matcha Cafe to foster school unity and fund youth leadership)

NHS Scholarship Committee President (Led committee operations & organized academic resource drives. Curated academic resources & scholarship tools to support student achievements.)

Future Innovators in Research and Medicine (Explored different biomedical fields through interactive labs & coursework. Led final presentation at Einstein College of Medicine for 100+ attendees.)

Peer Tutor (Mentored students on academic probation to rebuild and improve grades. Tracked progress, reviewed coursework, & provided weekly support.)

Tennis Varsity 1st Doubles Player (Competed as 1st doubles player for top-15 NYC team. Led squad to undefeated Bronx division title & #1 ranking in Bronx.)

Essays/LORs/Other

Essays: Pretty strong, wrote about how the introduction of my first computer has led me on the path to engineering.

LORs: Strong, have my AP Bio, AP Calc, AP Lang, and my mentor writing a LOR for me

Schools

RD For all besides Lafayette if I go into DAP 3 Posse(ED)

Boston University

CalTech

CMU

Columbia

Harvard

Manhattan University

NYU

Princeton

Stanford

UMich

UPenn

USC

Yale

MIT

CCNY

Binghamton

Stony Brook

UBuffalo

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You might want to clarify this.

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You should get this done as soon as possible prior to ordering official transcripts to colleges. I assume that a class rank of #1 grants you valedictorian status.

Can you share your AP scores? Also, what level of Physics are you currently taking or have taken?

Is Lafayette College your top choice? Also, have you looked into QuestBridge if you qualify?

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AP Scores: AP Calc: 5 AP Bio 4 AP Seminar 3 AP Chem: 2 (i have a reason for this being extenuating circumstances and my teacher just wasn’t good) AP Stats 3 AP Lang 4
im taking regular physics because my school doesnt offer any other physics class. i was supposed to take it last year but schedule conflicts prevented me from taking it and instead i was put into ap chem

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also lafayette isnt nessacarily my top choice but if i get the posse scholarship i dont mind going to that school. also i did apply for questbridge i just have to see if i pass the application stage of it

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That’s good to hear! My only concern is that if you are admitted to Lafayette, you must attend to fulfill ED. That’s one of the things I don’t particularly like about QuestBridge - finalists receive a match in December but they’ll never know if they would have gotten admitted to all 15 schools.

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There are a few schools that require that you report all AP scores: MIT & Stanford. For the ones that don’t, I wouldn’t submit the AP Chem score. Submit all passing scores of “3”, “4”, & “5”. You have a nice mix of scores; you might be able to score an additional “5” on an AP exam next May.

You are currently targeting a list of about 20 colleges. Why not also Cornell University?

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I had cornell before but after the current conflict with the frats I removed it from my application. I understand that these cases happen all across the country, but some impact is better than none

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Okay, so assuming that you don’t get into Lafayette ED & there is no QB finalist match this December.

Boston University (outside of QB), Manhattan University, NYU, CCNY, SUNY Buffalo, Binghamton, Stony Brook - almost guaranteed admits.

U Michigan - Ann Arbor - toss up, could be a waitlist (need-aware for OOS) May want to consider dropping from the list.

Caltech, CMU, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn, USC, Yale, MIT - is this your QB ranked schools list? Are you planning to apply to any of these schools through the regular process in case you are not selected as a QB finalist?

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They are both, if i dont get into QB ill RD for all these schools

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So focusing on just these ten. You have a particular ranking or preference. Like ones that you would apply ED or EA to. Also what are you reasons for applying to each of these?

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Since im very weary on affordability i wont ED anywhere, i will prob REA for MIT and EA for all the schools that have it and RD for the ones that dont

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Let me ask you this - with your budget, who on your list is assured?

I see either schools that you will statistically get turned down to - or schools that may not meet your cost - although I assume Posse means you have full need.

Laf is need aware and was featured in an article the other year that they turned down kids who needed too much so that they could spread their wealth. It’s a great school - and if anyone offers you a full ride anywhere, I wouldn’t worry about what if - I’d take in and celebrate.

Will you qualify for the NY Excelsior or other low income scholarships? If not, how will you afford the last four? I worry because you can afford $20K per year so usually people that can afford that wouldn’t necessarily qualify for a low income scholarship - although I’m not familiar with posse.

To hit $20K, you likely need to go South as they award merit in big ways (hence 2K NY/NJ/CT residents are at Bama) - UAH, Alabama, Miss State. I know you don’t want to hear that - but that’s just a budget thing. W Carolina too. Others like WVU can be high 20s. Some of the PASSHE schools will be mid-high 20s (PA secondary colleges), etc.

So my question is - have you run the net price calculators on all these schools? If you haven’t, you need to as most don’t give aid. U Mich will likely be $80K+, etc. with limited OOS need aid. You never know but - others - like I mentioned, you may not think of in the same vein but they’ll be close to budget and guess what - the same companies hire from both - and they make relatively similar salaries outside, varying for the where, etc.

So given your budget, I have concern with your list. If you don’t qualify for Excelsior, I don’t know anywhere on your list you can afford.

I wouldn’t apply to Yale and Stanford and any other school where you have to submit your AP scores. I know you have reason they’re not all 5s (or mostly 5s) but I think that, and your SAT, will eliminate your consideration. I’d find others that meet need - like a Case Western or Rochester - that are lighter on the admissions. And your three years of language probably dismisses you at Princeton.

Here’s a few NPCs if mom and dad haven’t filled them out. I just have concern given your budget is higher than I’d think a low income student could afford.

Good luck.

Welcome | Net Price Calculator

USC Financial Aid : Net Price Calculator

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MIT has an open, non-binding, and non-restrictive Early Action policy. When looking at admit percentages, there isn’t much of an admissions advantage, so in a way, it’s like a Round 1 & Round 2, with approx. 50% getting admitted by December through EA & the other 50% in March through RD. USC also offers this kind of EA.

Columbia & UPenn only offer Early Decision.

The other schools offer Restrictive or Single Choice Early Action which typically means you cannot apply to any other private universities EA, but policies do vary so check each college admissions website.

I would apply to the SUNY Buffalo, Binghamton, & Stony Brook, possibly all three EA, if allowed by SUNY & not violating any other non-restrictive EA agreements.

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  1. I do qualify for NY Excelsior, if i end up just not getting a good package from anything I will go to CCNY assuming posse doesnt work out

  2. I have ran the NPCs for all my schools but it really comes down to if I can not report my fathers income because I’m not a dependent for him, and with my mom alot of schools will cover a majority of everything.

note: ill look into the schools that you mentioned, thanks for the comment

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You will have to get waivers. The schools will want to include your father’s income. He is responsible for you even if he doesn’t partake.

I don’t know how NY State will see that. You should read the rules and find out in case you don’t qualify for excelsior.

I have a feeling you’re going to end up with nowhere affordable, hence I mentioned the others.

They buy in brilliance like you.

But you should refine your list - as it’s too many essays - I’d lose Cal Tech, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, and Michigan at a minimum. You’re not getting in. Sorry.

Why Manhattan ? Great school - do they have a full ride?

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Does that really matter? If a finalist matches, then the match school is their most preferred school that admitted them. I.e. if they get admitted to their #5 school, then they know that their #1 through #4 did not admit, and it does not matter whether #6 through whatever admitted them.

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All the QB talk is highly unlikely given this - as are most of the NPCs unless the student can get a waiver.

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tsbna44 makes a valid point. If QB doesn’t work out, you may want consider replacing up to half of these choices with alternatives that she suggested. The likelihood of any applicant getting admitted to all ten on this original list of “reaches” is quite small.

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I didnt mean to put MU in the list bc i already got accepted to the school it was me just copying my common app list

I live nearby it tho and its a cool school so i js wanna see if they give me a good package possibly

Also yeah ill try to get the waiver done soon, thanks for that

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