Chance me to NYU ED2 + other colleges despite uncompetitive GPA [NJ resident, white male, 3.1 UW GPA, 1600 SAT/36 ACT, for Economics]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

  • US Citizen
  • White male
  • Upper-Middle Class
  • New Jersey
  • Large public school
  • No hooks

Intended major: Economics

UW/W GPA: 3.1/uw 4.6w (massive upward trend)

Courseload: 9 AP

Rank: None (school doesn’t do them)

ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1600/36 (studied really hard)

Awards

National Student Leadership Conference
Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Silver)
Leadership in Community Service Award
National Economics/Personal Finance Challenge Finalist
International Economics Olympiad Finalist
Wharton Global Youth Business Program
FBLA Investments and Securities (States/Nationals)
Marching Band Group II Open (Nationals)
Debate Team Championship (State)
National Music Honor Society/Business Honor Society (School)

Extracurriculars

  1. State-ranked Saxophonist: Member of the New Jersey All-South Orchestra and Jazz Band. 1st chair in the Chamber Ensemble. Also auditioned for New Jersey Olympic Honors Band
  2. Marching Band/Jazz Band: I was a member of my school’s nationally-recognized Marching Band. Last season we won States and Nationals, and I was appointed drum Major going into the next one. I was also 1st chair in my school’s competitive Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble, the most prestigious music ensemble in my school
  3. DECA/FBLA: I was a member of my school’s DECA program and a leader in our FBLA program. One year, I won Nationals at FBLA under the Investments and Securities catagory, and was appointed to a leadership position
  4. Varsity Debate Team/Model UN: I participated in my school’s Varsity Debate Team and Model UN organization. I joined those clubs because they were related to the career paths I was considering persuing
  5. Founded a Finance Club: I co-founded and served as an analyst in a finance club at my school that helps beginning investors. It now has almost 200 members, and we participate in the Wharton Investment Competition
  6. Founded a 501c non-profit organization: Over the summer I founded my own charity for Leukemia patients. Through various fundraiser events, community meetings, and reaching out to other organizations, we raised upwards of 200k.
  7. Eagle Scout/Community Service: I was a boy scout for 10 years, and I was my troops Patrol Leader, and for my eagle project I organized a blood drive that saw 500 participants. I also earned over 200 hours of community service on my own initiative, through serving in my schools Hero Club and volunteering at the Red Cross
  8. Passion Project: For my passion Project, I made a blog analyzing the economic impact of COVID-19 on the business world, and how several industries have been evolving in a post-pandemic environment, and what the future of economics could look like
  9. Research papers: I have had several economics-related research papers published and cited by noteworthy publications
  10. Lifeguard: I was an EMS certified lifeguard for 3 years. I was trained by both Ellis and Associates and the American Red Cross

Essay/LOR/Other

Personal statement: I wrote an essay about how I spent time in Jamaica over the summer as part of a service project, and how it broadened my cultural horizons, increased my understanding of the values and hardships of various cultures, and motivated me to have an impact on the world and my community around me

Additional information section: I talked about some of my personal struggles that contributed to my low gpa such as the pandemic and loss in the family, but I made sure to focus on my personal growth (massive academic upward trend) and talk about how my GPA wasn’t indicative of my worth ethic

Letters of Rec

  • Guidance counselor (10/10)
  • Marching Band Instructor (9/10)
  • Wind Ensemble Teacher (8/10)
  • Economics Teacher (7/10)
  • FBLA advisor (8/10)
  • Boy Scouts Instructor (8/10)

Colleges (I made this list with my counselor)

Safety: Rowan University, Seton Hall University, TCNJ, NJIT

Target: Rutgers-New Brunswick, Penn State, Fordham, Syracuse, American University

Reach: NYU ED2, Northeastern

I really hope I can at least get into NYU’s liberal studies program and transfer later, but if not what are my odds with the other colleges?

2

Is there a reason you tagged “transfer”? Was that a mistake?

You’re a good test taker. How did you do on the PSAT? Any chance that you might be a National Merit Semi Finalist?

3

Didn’t the NYU ED2 decisions already come out?

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You should have heard from most of your safeties and targets, plus NYU ED2.
We can help you establish ROI if you indicate where you’ve been admitted and (tuition, fees, room, board) - (grants, scholarships)= $ for each.

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Are you currently a HS senior?

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I am assuming you are a current junior. If so, then why ED2 instead of ED1 for NYU? I think ypur list is good. I would add in a couple of hail mary reaches. Your massive upward trend, your superb standardized test scores, your terrific ECs, all make you an excellent candidate. Let your guidance counselor tell what happened in 9th grade.

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7

Did you earn your poor grades freshman year? If so, you may want to research which schools throw out freshman year grades (though this might be a bit misleading since many schools use GPA to make an initial cut). Assuming you are a junior and haven’t submitted applications, this may help you revise your list. Here is one list (but confirm for yourself).

Again, assuming your weak grades were freshman year, you may want to go through the exercise of calculating your GPA without those grades. Based on the rest of the data you provided, you might find that you are a stronger candidate than you think, especially with perfect standarized tests and high number of APs. Who knows, you might want to add CMU, Johns Hopkins or Princeton to your list of reaches (all mentioned in the attached article).

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No I’m a Junior ED2 is when I plan on applying

9

Oops that was definitely a mistake

10

I removed the “transfer” tag.

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11

Why ED2? Do you have another school in mind for ED1?

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I’m a junior

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So you really think I have a competitive shot? I know they got like 120k applications last year and I just don’t want to get weeded out early on

14

Please re-read @JackH2021’s post. This is what they asked and said. You have not answered the question which will influence your chancing and matching.

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15

Congratulations on amazing scores and impressive ECs. The greatest likely determinant of your application results are an unknown…your remaining academic grades junior year and the first semester of senior year.

For a student like yourself with presumably an upward trajectory and great scores time is your friend if you continue to get good grades. ED may be a challenge as schools could want to see the upward trend confirmed by deferring you.

I do think the ball is (metaphorically) in your court. Keep up the great work but you need to push hard now to make up for a slow start that so many smart kids like you experience. All the best.

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No, it was a little rough in sophomore year too but for my first semester Junior Year I got all A’s with mostly AP’s

17

How do I become one

18

My prior comments become even more applicable to the importance of keeping your grades upward trending.

Just as important, start considering who will be the teachers you will ask to write your letters of recommendation. Their views will be highly considered by admissions people given the inconsistency of your academic record.

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19

What was your PSAT score.

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20

Are you planning on applying ED1 somewhere?

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