Chance me/Match me: Psychology or Sociology major; 3.7 UW GPA, applying TO, VA resident

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US domestic: Permanent resident in US
  • State/Location of residency: VA
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Secondary school, AAP School, graduating class of 750 students.
  • Other special factors: I’m not sure if I’m considered first gen because my parents have gotten bachelor’s and above, however, they never went to a college in the US. (Went to university in China)

Cost Constraints / Budget
<$45,000 per year

Intended Major(s): Psychology or Sociology

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: High school does not provide, I believe when I last calculated it, it was 3.7-3.8 UW
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.06
  • College GPA: 3.0 (due to DE only if the university adds it)
  • Class Rank: N/A (they don’t do that at our school)
  • ACT/SAT Scores: Going test optional

List your HS coursework

  • English: English 9 HN, 10HN, and 12 HN, AP LANG
  • Math: AP Stats
  • Science: AP Bio
  • History and social studies: World History 1 HN, World History 2 HN, DE US History, DE US Government
  • Language other than English: Japanese 1, Japanese 2
  • Visual or performing arts: Band all 4 years including marching band
  • Other academic courses: AP Psychology, Psychology, AVID

Awards

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

Worked at a non profit organization summer of junior year for 168 hours (6 hrs 5 days a week from June 15 to July 24)

Was in a volleyball team for my community for 2 years and helped set up a fundraiser for them (8 hours)

Volunteered for a music volunteering program at school for 15 hours

Trained a new hire at my work place

Has had a job as a crew (all rounder, worked as cashier, prepared food, expo’d, closed, opened etc.) since sophomore year. The first job lasted 8 months (January 2025 to August 2025), and the second job lasted for 5 months (March 2026 to July 2026).

(Do competitions for marching band count? If it does, we’ve had 40+ consecutive superiors and won first place in competitions. Our band has around 150-200 kids)

Clubs: Didn’t do much. Was in Marching Band for 4 years, Flute Choir for 3 years, and a music volunteer program for 2 years. I joined the Digital Art Club this year. Most things have to do with music.

Essays/LORs/Other
Getting a letter of recommendation from my physics teacher who taught me my junior year, really sweet guy who used to be in the military. Got close with him and talked to him about my letter in person so there was more detail.

Getting a counselor letter of rec. too, not too sure how to feel about it since my school made me switch counselors recently and my last counselor I was super close with and even cried in front of her. So uh only doing counselor rec because it’s required for W&M.

Schools
William & Mary (ED I)

Virginia Tech (EA)

UVA (EA)

JMU (RD)

GMU (RD)

VCU (RD)

I’m not someone who’s very smart so yes my stats aren’t that great lol I just want to know if my stats are way too low for my top choices. Specifically W&M, but I understand if its way too high.

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Not sure where in Virginia you are located. You should also consider the community colleges with guaranteed transfer option to UVa & other in-state universities.

NOVA Guaranteed Admission Agreements

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Have you had pre calc?

You can calc your UW GPA - so don’t guess - it’s an actual #. Take each grade (minus PE) and give yourself 4 for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C. Add the points. Divide by # of classes. That’s your UW.

Assuming you’ve met minimums academically, you know you’ll get into JMU, GMU and VCU. Check the in state costs but should be ok. Why no Mary Washington or CNU if you like W&M?

If you want an out of state safety that will beat costs, look at Salisbury in Maryland.

It’s hard to chance you on W&M, UVA and Va Tech but awards are overrated. It’s what you do - not who recognizes you. You don’t get an award for walking dogs at the shelter or cleaning up the park on saturdays, etc. or moving shopping carts in from the grocery store but they are great ECs. And you had a job and were in band - so no awards needed.

Good luck

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You won’t be considered “first gen” by the vast majority of universities.

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Don’t forget, you are a salesperson. People say - no I’m not - but we all are.

The product is you. Yes, you have to sell you.

Look at your 2nd-4th word. “Didn’t do much.” Then you followed up with something that’s time consuming, grueling, and requires patience, teamwork and responsibility.

Don’t sell yourself short.

It’s about quality, not quantity.

Your ECs are fine for any school - it’s the academics I can’t really rate based on your description.

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Before I deliver my sermon, first the required part:

W&M, VTech: match
UVA: reach
JMU, GMU, VCU: likely

Nothing you didn’t know already. So you’re gonna be fine.

But @yqkuu, I don’t know who you’ve been listening to but this is a giant crock of sh*t. You’ve done very well in high school, and have lots of great activities. So stop telling yourself this, and stop listening to people who are telling you this.

Also, your list has only public universities in VA. How did you arrive at these 6 schools? Being a perm. resident w/ a budget of $45k/yr, you likely have many options at great colleges across the country – hopefully ones where you’ll be surrounded by students and professors who will make you feel great about your abilities & interests. I encourage you to look beyond these six universities.

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Apply EA everywhere you can.
Your GPA is very good. Yes W&M is hard so depending on where you live it’s either a reach or a low reach even with ED.
Being in AVID will be noted since it connotes students they want to reach/admit.
You’re part of the band so if it’s excellent it’s also thanks to you - definitely include it.
Having a job is also a strong EC.

Can you run the NPC on these schools
American University
W&L (Washington&Lee)
(and W&M if you haven’t yet)
Are all of these affordable? Is one cheaper?

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AWHWH THANK YOU I’ll definitely try to look into more that’s mainly why I want to go to w&m since I feel like I’ll actually enjoy it there :')

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yeah they’re both 60-70k+, would be far too much money for me BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH

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do I calculate based on junior year grades?

and thank you, honestly just hoping to end up with a stable paying job no matter the college oh and unf I haven’t done pre-calc since I did ap stats instead

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only problem is I lowk don’t want to stay at home

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AWW THANK YOU SO MUCH :frowning: I guess I’m just worried since so many people around me are hella smart

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thank you!!

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You still apply to least a couple of local options as safeties but also to make your parents think you want to stay at home :slight_smile:

Remember, your parents will always control the budget until you are completely self-sufficient.

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I’VE SAVED UP 20K FOR COLLEGE ATM AND PARENTS HAVE 40K FOR MY COLLEGE I’LL BE WORKING IN COLLEGE AS WELL i’m also applying to a community college just in case so dwdw

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Your parents still control 2/3 of the budget. :slight_smile:

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haha yeah ik that but I’m trying to pay it off myself as much as I can!! That’s the budget they’re keeping it within though that’s why no out-of-state schools

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Luckily, you’re located in Virginia where good college options are aplenty!

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Thanks - I was wondering if you’d qualify for need based aid or merit aid (each college has its own way of calculating financial aid, that’s why I listed these two, W&L has generous full need aid and AU has a diversity of merit awards that you may have a shot at).:person_shrugging:It was worth a try.

Ok, then your best bet is your in-state universities indeed. And you’re fortunate to have lots that are excellent and cover many different academic levels.
Make sure to find two safeties you like and, beside applying EA everywhere you can, apply to their Honors colleges to be with stronger students and have some perks (often, better dorms and/or better advising and/or special scholarships and/or special classes.)

I second CNU+honors.
Richard Bland is a community college with dorms that prepares its students to attend W&M. Worth considering.

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9th, 10th and 11th

Not having take pre calc will likely preclude you from some or maybe all. Not sure.

Maybe put in CNU, Radford, UVA Wise, Longwood. Salisbury is in budget but if your folks have $40k and you have $20k, unless they contribute more every year, your budget is much lower than $45k a year. You have $60k but need $180k at $45k a year. W Carolina will be low $20s - another you can look at. Close to Va is Elizabeth City State - same price as WCU. Salisbury high 30s bit with merit.

But you have enough schools in VA that you don’t need to apply outside. If you live within 150 miles of Marshall U, you will get the metro rate so under $30k. It’s in WV.

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