Chance me please!! Brown, Columbia & NYU :)

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Hey guys! Sorry this is so long but I really do want an accurate and brutally honest opinion about my chances of getting into Brown, Columbia, and NYU. I feel like my family members and fellow peers who aren’t applying to competitive universities don’t understand what a slim shot it is, so they “yes” me to death because of my grades, ECs, and test scores without considering that there are thousands of other applicants who are just as qualified. So yeah, if you read the whole thing, thank you and please be honest! A little more background: IB candidate, private prep/boarding school in New York City, female.

Academics:

GPA - Unweighted: 3.75
GPA - Weighted: 4.57
Class Rank: top 5%
Class Size: 65

Courses in 11th grade:

IB HL Language and Literature, IB HL History, IB HL Biology, IB SL Visual Arts, IB SL Economics, IB SL Math Studies, IB HL Film, independent study of Kabbalah (detailed below).

Scores:

SAT I Math: 650
SAT I Critical Reading: 760
SAT I Writing: 800

taking the ACT and the SAT subject tests for Literature, US History & World History in June

Extracurriculars:

12th gr:
Will continue:
MUN
Student Ambassador
Kabbalah
Prom Committee.

Will officially be inducted into National Honor Society (special circumstance).

11th gr:
Model UN
Student Ambassador
Publishing a novel - I wrote a novel for NaNo WriMo in November 2014 and am in the process of getting it published by Little Brown.
Independent Study of Kabbalah - the study of Kabbalah is an ancient wisdom that teaches the true nature of fulfillment and how to receive it. In my independent study thesis (receiving English and Religion credit) I am examining the ideas behind Kabbalah as well as the cultural and religious connotations it possesses. In order to aid my research, I attend a Kabbalah class 2x a week.

10th gr:
Student government
Food club
Literary magazine
Prom committee

9th gr:
Food club

Leadership positions:
Student government grade representative - responsibilities include gathering questions/concerns from peers and presenting them at meetings, planning school events, initiating fundraising opportunities and ensuring that the school community is comfortable and happy.

Founder/president of Food Club - a club designed to educate students about the customs and cuisines of other cultures through informal discussion, guided tours of appropriate facilities (restaurant kitchens, museums, etc) and sit down meals.

Student ambassador - responsibilities include acclimating new students, giving tours of the school facility, answering questions about student life, being a “buddy” to prospective touring students, volunteering at school-hosted events, and having a generally friendly disposition in order to help new and foreign students adapt smoothly.

Head intern at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting - responsibilities include administrative duties, web design (HTML & Javascript coding), managing social media, assisting actors w/ running lines, running errands and set design/costuming.

Athletic Status:
Advanced tennis, private lessons.

Volunteer/Service Work:
Tutor with Reading Partners - a nonprofit organization geared to help underprivileged students who are behind in their grade level with reading, writing, and comprehension skills.

Internship at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting

Trip to Haiti (one week) - helped underprivileged and at-risk communities, volunteered at schools and nurseries, volunteered in animal shelters, rebuilt homes, picked up trash, etc.

Honors and Awards:

Various Model UN awards:
Outstanding Delegation (x2), Distinguished Delegation (x1), Honorable Mention (x1), Position Paper Award (x1)

School Awards:
11th gr: High Honor Roll, short narrative selected for publication in “The Bullhorn” (school magazine), work used as an “exemplar” example at other IB schools.

10th gr: High Honor Roll, Certificate of Academic Achievement in Honors American History, Certificate of Academic Progress in Pre-Calculus, Certificate of Academic Achievement in 1970s Literature.

9th gr: High Honor Roll, Certificate of Academic Achievement in Honors Literature, Certificate of Academic Achievement in Biology, awarded “Student of the Week.”

College Summer programs:

Stagedoor Manor - performing arts training center

Young Writer’s Workshop at Bard College at Simon’s Rock - 3 week writing workshop

Colleges of Interest:

College: Brown University, Choice #: 1, ED/EA: Yes, Athlete: No, Legacy: No, Status: Will Apply
College: New York University, Choice #: 2, ED/EA: Yes, Athlete: No, Legacy: No, Status: Will Apply
College: Columbia University, Choice #: 3, ED/EA: Yes, Athlete: No, Legacy: No, Status: Will Apply

2

If you’ve signed a contract with Little, Brown to publish your novel, these three universities and many, many others would welcome you with open arms - the other stuff wouldn’t really matter. Your editor, agent or publisher should be able to put you in touch with the appropriate professor(s) at the university you wish to attend. Best of luck.

3

That’s so unbelievable to hear! I’m a little concerned though if the novel isn’t published by the time I apply to colleges in the fall. Would just the fact that I’m in the process of getting it published be enough?

4

Apply ED to Brown

5

It depends on what you mean by “in the process.” If it is an unsolicited manuscript sitting in a publisher’s slush pile, that’s probably not going to help you much with the college application process.

On the other hand, If you are teenager whose agent is close to actually signing a deal to finish your novel for Brown, Little that’s an historic event that would elevate you to a highly coveted applicant. I think the only teens to sign with Brown, Little in recent history are Kaavya Viswanathan and Malala Yousafzai. Kaavya went on to Harvard and Georgetown Law school and Malala won a Nobel Prize.

6

I have what I guess you could call a family connection with Little Brown, so I know it isn’t just sitting there, but on the off chance that something goes wrong, they don’t like it, etc I’m looking into a few other publishing houses too - does the name matter a lot?

7

Signing a book deal with most ANY traditional publishing house like Little, Brown is an extraordinary accomplishment.

8

Apply ED to Brown if finances aren’t an issue as it’s your top choice.

Otherwise:
Brown: low reach
Columbia: reach
NYU: match

Best of luck with the novel as well!

9

Thank you all! Originally, I began to write the novel for two reasons: my love of writing and the fact that I felt like all of my extracurriculars were tantamount to that of my peers, so I figured it might separate me as an applicant to top universities. A family member of mine is an actress and recently published a book with Little Brown (check it out, Born With Teeth by Kate Mulgrew). She read my first draft manuscript and showed it to her literary agent, who tells me I have a shot with Little Brown (and a few smaller, but still relevant publishing houses), so that is currently in the works and we are making progress.

10

Sounds great. I think a book deal with a press release would be a game changer.

You might also consider submitting your novel for National awards here:

http://www.youngarts.org/apply
http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/

If you’re a junior, the awards would be announced too late for your fall applications - but if you won in January, you could submit updates to the colleges.

My daughter won a YoungArts award for her novel and listed it on her college application. She’s a freshman at Brown - maybe it helped her get in - I don’t know.

Best of luck.

11

I will definitely check those sources out - I’ve heard very, very good things about YoungArts from friends who won awards for music & theater so I’m a little frustrated I didn’t submit my work sooner, but late is better than never, so we shall see what happens :slight_smile:

12

Also, you might look at Barnard. If you’re interested in studying theatre, ALL undergrad Columbia University theater classes are taught at Barnard. I think dance as well, but I’m not sure.

Our niece recently graduated from Columbia, and she recommended Barnard instead of Columbia because of better administrative support, more course flexibility, generally better housing and more student camaraderie.

My daughter was in a play with a Columbia student, and he told her if there was any way possible he would rather be at Barnard.

Best of luck

13

You pretty much already know the answer to your own question, and you have access to GC’s that are cream of the crop. Whether the book deal comes to fruition or not, you are certainly competitive with the other students who are trying to get into these schools.

My only suggestion would be to at least consider looking at a few schools outside of New York/New England. For someone interested in writing, Kenyon and Sewanee would be two to look at. Yes, they are small, rural and not as well known, but you can get a fabulous education there and it would be a different sort of experience for you.

BTW, I’ve admired your relative, who was married to one of our Ohio politicians and who has been active in charitable work here. I’ll take a look at the book!

14

Good suggestions @MidwestDad3.

University of Iowa also has an excellent undergraduate writing track. http://www.english.uiowa.edu/undergraduate-program/creative-writing-track

The Iowa Writers Workshop is a a hotbed for talented young writers.

15

@MidwestDad3 Yes, Tim Hagan - I remember him fondly, he’s a wonderful guy. Coincidentally, my aunt’s younger son attended Kenyon and had a great experience there. I’ll be honest in saying that a small LAC isn’t what I had in mind, especially having grown up in a large city with parents who both attended larger, more historical institutions (Harvard & Yale respectively). However, I try to keep an open mind and will at least ask my cousin about his experience at Kenyon.

@arwarw I’ve heard great things about the writing program at U of Iowa! My college counselor said it would be a good safety to put down, but was almost worried that it was TOO safe in comparison my statistics - she figured that the school might not admit me because they’d know it was my safety as I’m slightly over qualified. Is this a common practice?

16

@arwarw Forgot to add - Barnard is up there on my list as well as my CC said it was a match for me. My list so far (in order of preference);

Brown
Columbia
New York University
University of Pennsylvania
Wesleyan
University of California Santa Barbara
William & Mary
Barnard
Fordham
Rutgers
Sarah Lawrence (safety)
The New School (tentative safety)
U of Iowa (tentative safety)

I’m going to check out Kenyon - if you guys have any more suggestions for me please let me know! I love learning about new schools.

17

U of Iowa is a state school, and couldn’t care less about yield. Apply now, and you could probably get an acceptance in hand by late summer or early fall. However, the creative writing track is competitive, and you don’t apply to that until your junior year there.

Have you visited W&M? It is a smallish, somewhat remote LAC. Instead, you might look at UNC Chapel Hill - a good writing program and a really nice theater, on a much larger campus.

Otherwise, I like your list. Have you seen the new dorms at Fordham LC?

Are you set on applying ED to Brown? Barnard has a much higher ED admit rate, but a low RD admit rate.
If Columbia is your close second to Brown, I would take a hard look at Barnard, before passing on their ED round.

18

@arwarw W&M is a pick from my mom, and I agreed to check it out just so that she would stop asking. I don’t know a lot about it because it isn’t very high on my list. Hopefully a visit & info session will teach me more.

I live in NYC, so if I went to Fordham I probably wouldn’t stay in the dorms - I’d get an apartment. However, the dorms at LC ARE pretty okay, so it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

And yes, set on ED to Brown.

19

Like everyone else said ED to Brown is your best chance- but the GPA is too low. Can you still retake the SAT?

20

@puzzled123 I can retake the SAT, but I’d be sending out my scores blindly, so I would find out what they were when colleges did. I know my GPA is a little low, but it isn’t final for this year - the class I really struggle in is HL Bio, but if I get one or two more As in his class my GPA will be boosted to a 3.8 or 3.9 :slight_smile: