Chance me: very low GPA, high SAT NY rising senior [2.7 GPA, 1550 SAT, no parent contribution, math major]

Chance Me / Match Me
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I forgot to include GPA when I posted this a few minutes ago :skull:

Demographics

  • US domestic (US citizen or permanent resident)
  • State/Location of residency: NY
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Public Feeder
  • Other special factors: (first generation to college, legacy, recruitable athlete, etc.) Not sure if it counts, but a triplet (3 people in family going into college at once)

Cost Constraints / Budget
Parents s can’t pay, so anything that can be reasonably covered with financial aid and a job (ideally <30k/year)

Intended Major(s)
Pure math and pure math only :folded_hands:

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: ~2.7
  • Class Rank: School doesn’t do
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1550 SAT (800 math, 750 english)
  • AP Scores: APES (4), APHUG (4)

List your HS coursework

Overall low rigor (school offers 30+ AP courses)

  • English: standard english 9th, 10th, and first semester 11th grade, english electives second semester 11th and first semester 12th
  • Math: Geometry 9th, Honors Algebra 2 10th, Honors AP Precalc 11th, AP Calc BC 12th, math team elective 9th-11th
  • Science: APES 9th, Honors Chemistry 10th, Honors Physics, unknown science elective 12th
  • History and social studies: Global History 9th + 10th, US History 11th, Gov + Econ 12th
  • Language other than English: Spanish 1-3, 9th-11th
  • Visual or performing arts: Art and Music Appreciation 9th
  • Other academic courses: CS (non AP) 10th + 11th
  • Summer school sophomore year for 1 semester of global history and 2 of english

Awards
-1 time AIME qualifier (aiming for a second time by the time I apply)
-various CEMC honors [hypatia distinction (2024), fermat distinction (2025), euclid distinction (2025), galois distinction (2023)]

Extracurriculars
extracurriculars :
-on the school math team 3 years and city math team 1
-on grading committee for a math competition my school held
-president speedcubing club 2 years, vice president 1 year
-attended many speedcubing competitions sophomore and junior year
-organizing 1 or 2 speedcubing competitions (still in the works)
-voice acting in a few youtube series
-online SAT tutoring summer of senior year

Essays/LORs/Other
Essays are yet to be started
LORs by sophomore algebra teacher and junior poetry (english elective) teacher

Schools

These categories are very likely wrong. Also all are RD.

  • Extremely Likely: UBuffalo, Temple, Albany
  • Likely: UMN (dream school), Rutgers, Hunter, Baruch, NJIT
  • Toss-up: UMass Amherst, UConn, Stony Brook, Ohio State,
  • Lower Probability: Binghamton, URochester, Purdue, UWashington, UIUC
  • Low Probability: BU, UWisconsin, Willian and Mary, UMich, UNC Chapel Hill, UVirginia, MIT (this one is to be the lowest GPA applicant at my school)
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For clarification, were these to remediate D / F grades? And if so, your cumulative GPA uses the summer school grades?

There’s a stark contrast between your GPA and SAT (and AP scores)- are you able to explain the lower GPA outcomes? Has there been an improving trend in GPA over your high school career so far?

I’ll let others do the chancing but note that generally the publics you’ve listed are not great with aid for OOS students and most/all unlikely to hit budget. For those that do give merit, your GPA likely rules this out.

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Do you know why your GPA is so much lower than would be expected with your high SAT? I think it would be good to figure this out. You don’t want a sub 3.0 GPA in college (and you won’t only be taking math courses!)

Your SUNY colleges could be affordable if you can commute to one.

@sybbie719 hasn’t posted in a while, but I’m hoping she sees this and can help with your prospects as a NY resident.

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You can’t go to UMN. I doubt you get in. If you did, it will be well over budget.

You need a community college, SUNY or school like W Carolina or C Michigan that meets budget full price. MCLA will hit $30k for a NY resident.

I don’t think any likely or below you get into. Not sure about the safeties. Looked at safeties Temple likely, Buffalo possible and Albany possible but not likely. Like UMN, Temple is way behind your budget - near double.

Good luck.

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These were for Fs and they aren’t used towards my cumulative GPA as far as I know.

I’m not sure how to fully word it in a way that doesn’t sound like an excuse, but the general idea is that I struggle with turning in homework (or generally just work outside of the classroom). Literally the only reason my GPA is above a 2 is because of in class tests.

The budget I gave is mainly what my parents would want, I personally am willing to go above to around 70k/year max, even if that means taking out some loans.

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That will need to change! College instructors expect your work to be turned in…and on time. You will have things you will be required to do outside of the classroom. It’s the way college is. I hope you can get to the root of this issue…because it has the potential to cause you difficulties in the future.

I think you would be best to try a community college…and prove that you actually can DO the work required to do well. There is nothing wrong with this. Most CCs have articulation agreements with four year colleges. If you do well, your courses will transfer to a four year where you will complete your degree.

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Not reasonable - how will you pay back ? It’d be $2k a month over 10 years for $160k. You’d actually have to borrow more bcuz there’s fees.

Federal loans get you less than $7k per year on average. Private loans - most people which will require a co sign - are high interest and fees.

You need to go where you can afford - and you need to turn in work as assigned. Some classes won’t have but many will.

Loans will get you to Temple but why Temple over an easy to get in SUNU or others I mentioned ??

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This sounds like typical adhd /executive functioning issues. Have you ever been assessed? Have a 504 or IEP?

I tend to agree with thumper that community college may be the way to go,both to start sorting these issues out and for affordability. Yes, I know it probably seems ridiculous that this could be an option with your SAt score, but you need to sort out your problems with turning in assignments.

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I can’t speak for your in state schools, but other than Baruch I think all the other schools will be a reach (low probability). Sorry.

Additionally, since you need substantial financial aid, you should drop all the out of state public schools. They won’t offer you financial aid (with the exception of UVa) and you won’t qualify for merit scholarships.

But if you’re happy with your in state options then you’re going to be fine.

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Stony Brook is pretty good for math. I suggest you add it to your list.

What were your grades in the math courses?

Have you been screened for ADHD?

Are you aware that math in university is mainly about writing proofs (i.e. like USAMO) rather the problem solving style of AMC/AIME

Ohio University has an honors tutorial college where you don’t have any general education requirements except for a single writing class. Other than that, all your classes can be math if you wish.

I really would not bother with MIT

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Per CDS no one (.06%) had below a 3.0 gpa in hs at SB.

So likely a wasted app.

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I am suspecting that boredom might be an issue. However, one problem is that you won’t get to take higher level classes unless you can do well in the lower level classes. You need to find a way to get yourself to class and to get your homework done and turned in on time. Otherwise college or university will not go well and will just be a waste.

One difference between college versus high school: In college you need to get yourself to class, and classes are typically not back to back. You might have a class and then another class right after. Just as often you might have a class, then an hour break, then another class somewhere else. You have to show up.

Also, in college typically there is more homework per hour of class time, or perhaps less class time combined with more homework. You need to get the homework done if you want to do well in your classes.

Maybe the first thing to you to do is to give yourself a challenge: See what you can do during your senior year of high school. Do whatever you can to strive for A’s in all of your classes. Show up. Pay attention. Get all of your homework done early. Start your homework the day that it is assigned, and hand it in early. See whether you can do this for a year. Do this for yourself. Try to prove to yourself that you can do this.

If you can do this for your senior year of high school, then you will be on a path that is much, much more likely to result in success compared to what seems to be happening right now.

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It may be worth asking the counseling office at school if there is any assistance for executive function coaching. One thing we found with C26, that what seems easy/obvious to us (“just focus and work harder”) doesn’t come naturally to neurodivergent students (I’m not saying OP is neurodivergent, but it sounds like they might be - and is a lot like C26 was in freshman year, acing tests especially in STEM but struggling with completing homework and assignments). There are skills you can learn to improve this. If the school doesn’t have this (I’d be surprised if a school resourced enough to offer 30+ APs doesn’t, but they may not) it may be worth talking to parents about getting an EF coach privately.

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OP’s challenge is that they are a “splitter,” and splitters can be unpredictable in the admissions process.

Looking at OP’s stats, the C+ GPA will limit access to many institutions. A 1550 SAT paired with a C+ average suggests that OP is not performing to their academic potential. The fact that OP has failed courses is a red flag, and yes—those failed courses and subsequent retakes are factored into the overall GPA. While standardized test scores reflect a brief snapshot of ability, GPA reflects consistent classroom performance over time.

If the school offers 30 AP courses, that’s not considered low rigor. OP’s academic record indicates they have not taken full advantage of the available opportunities to challenge themselves.

Recommendations: Letters of recommendation should come from junior-year core subject teachers—English, math, science, or social studies. Avoid using recommendations from 10th-grade teachers or elective instructors unless the course was dual enrollment or similarly rigorous.

OP will not meet the criteria for the SUNY Promise program, which guarantees admission to one of nine SUNY Honors Colleges. This program requires students to be in the top 10% of their class. Additionally, OP’s academic profile will likely disqualify them from EOP/HEOP/SEEK programs, which are designed for students who are both academically and economically disadvantaged.

If the family income is below $125,000 and there are three children in college, OP may qualify for the Excelsior Scholarship. However, Excelsior only covers tuition and is a last-payer option after Pell and TAP. Room and board will still need to be covered. Under current student loan guidelines, parents can borrow up to $20,000 per year per child. Borrowing $60,000 annually without financial stability is not fiscally responsible.

OP should build a college list from the bottom up, starting with CUNY schools. Even then, GPA may be a barrier for admission to more competitive campuses like Baruch.

Financial Planning: Have you run the Net Price Calculator for your target schools? Many SUNY campuses may be financially out of reach. It’s essential to include truly affordable options on your list. Based on current data, it’s unlikely that OP will receive significant merit aid from the schools currently being considered.

I fully agree with @tsbna44’s suggestion: consider starting at a community college. Articulation agreements can be a strategic pathway, especially at institutions that offer robust need-based aid.

Suggestions to Deepen the Discussion:

  1. Explore Transfer Pathways: Recommend specific community colleges with strong transfer agreements to SUNY or private institutions.
  2. Academic Recovery Plan: Suggest strategies for improving GPA (e.g., summer courses, tutoring, retaking failed classes).
  3. Extracurriculars & Essays: Encourage OP to highlight personal growth, resilience, or leadership in their application essays to offset academic weaknesses.
  4. Financial Literacy: Offer resources or workshops on budgeting for college, understanding loans, and comparing financial aid packages.
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One thing might be obvious but also might be worth saying. @SJ2727’s approach and my approach can be combined, and perhaps should be combined.

@hignickk I agree with @SJ2727 that you should look for help and that your school’s counseling staff is a very good place to look for help. I think that you also want to try to put together one solid year, or perhaps one solid semester, at your high school. If you can do both, then I think that this could help you quite a bit.

And I do know someone who came back from a similar “first three years of high school” and ended up doing very well. I am not saying that this will be easy, it won’t. But it will be very, very worthwhile if you can do it.

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Op should consider having parents contact district/borough committee o special education to request an initial evaluation for an IEP for senior year ( offices are open over the summer)
One OP is approved for an IEP they will be eligible to apply for ACCES-VR services which can help to offset some of the college cost ( SUNY tuition and fees -any aid, 3000 toward room and board, 500 for books )

Op can use the IEP as an initial document to register at the ifficeif accessibility’s in the event accommodations are needed while ACCES-VR writes up the 504 plan

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Have you ever been tested for ADHD? It sounds like you have textbook executive functioning issues that need to be worked on. My son was diagnosed and medicated for ADHD starting in tbd 6th grade when his math grades started to go down. His teacher said he understood the concepts, but just made very dumb mistakes (we always knew he was ADHD but waited until grades were affected). Smooth sailing until APUSH sophomore year. From then on, great quiz/test grades, short assignments, but a hot mess for longer projects. Missing, missing, missing… Because I was on top of it, he didn’t fail, and initially I thought he was being lazy until we got the school involved. With help, he brought up his grades starting junior year and managed a 3.4. Thank goodness it was sorted out before college, it could’ve been a big mess. I’d look into getting executive functioning assistance.

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You can’t take out more than $5500 in federally guaranteed loans your first year. It increases by about $1500 per year. You must have private parent loans after that.

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I agree that this sounds a lot like ADHD.

Two schools to consider that specialize in it are Landmark College and Beacon College.

You could even go to one for a PG year or for one year, and then transfer if you can overcome it at one of these schools.

I wouldn’t spend the money to go to any of the schools listed if this has been an ongoing problem for you (and I don’t think you’ll get in, either).

I would get a thorough examination to see if you have ADHD or some other executive functioning or neurodivergent disorder. If so, you will need treatment or training to develop skills to enable you to function in a society where doing things as directed and on time is expected, and not doing so will result in flunking out.

If the exam doesn’t indicate that, then I think you still need to identify why you’re not good at turning things in on time, and develop strategies so this is not a problem. College professors will not be anywhere as forgiving as high school teachers are.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I’ve dealt with this with one child. It was painful and expensive and hurt that child significantly. Take some steps now to avoid the flunk out that could be coming

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