Chance or Match a Finance Major [3.04 GPA, 1550 SAT, TX]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • Female, Asian, Texas, Competitive school, No hooks

Cost Constraints / Budget
No constraints. But only willing to put in high costs if a school is truly worth it, hence the polarity you will see below

Intended Major(s) Finance. Accounting or Econ backup (Ideal is Wall Street placement in IB but very likely won’t be happening)

GPA and Test Scores

  • 3.04 UW, 3.7 W (Intense caregiving, physical health, and mental health have all played into my subpar GPA. Written in additional info)
  • SAT: 1550+

List your HS coursework

  • Fresh: Honors Art, Honors Bio

    Soph: Honors Art, Honors Chem, AP Psych, AP CSP

    Junior: Honors CS, APES (Did not get any of the rigorous courses I requested)

    Senior: AP CSA, AP Micro, AP Macro, AP Gov, AP Stats, AP Precalc, AP Art History, Accounting CTE (Already finished some thru correspondence with 95+)

Awards

  • AP Scholar Award

Extracurriculars

  • Turned -20K$ profit algorithm trading program into +90K$ profit project
  • Taught business fundamentals to children in rural India
  • Leadership in Business Law Society
  • Tutor for SAT Math, Accounting, CS
  • Research: Stock market and volatility risk assessment
  • Research: Interviewing finance professionals
  • Personal Art Business
  • Other ECs: Swim (Non-competitive), Chess (Small non-official competitions), Art

Essays/LORs/Other

  • Personal and supplemental essays amazingly highlighting my growth in perspective and leadership, I trust that my LORs will be great as well

Schools
Hoping for an acceptance into UTD or A&M and transferring, as my SAT score is much higher than their averages. I don’t know what other colleges would fit into this category

I’m aware I’m likely not getting into any top colleges. But still I want to shoot my shot. We can only pay higher tuitions if the school is truly worth it, hence the polarity:

OSU Fisher, PennState Smeal, IU Kelley, SMU Cox, Fordham Gabelli, UT McCombs, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Boston College, NYU

Applying ED for a hollostic school; NYU?

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Have you already submitted your app to TAMU? What school did you apply to? Would you consider any TAMU campuses beyond college station?

Aside from UTD, I don’t see polarity on your list, I only see reaches. The real talk is that your profile isn’t at the level of the typical admit at the reach schools on your list. Even with the context of the challenges you faced in HS, your test score won’t make up for your grades and rigor. Of course, you can send in some apps to reach schools, but do have realistic expectations of the low likelihood of admission.

What is your class rank? Do you have any grades lower than B’s? If so, how many and in what classes?

Lastly, you mentioned physical and mental health issues. You don’t have to share the details of that, but in your additional info explanation make sure to address where you are now, and where you expect to be in a year with respect to those challenges. Good luck.

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The college where you get accepted, do well, and get your degree is the one that is worth it…in my opinion.

Your school counselor should explain this in their letter, in my opinion. And these issues need to be resolved.

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I’d check out Syracuse University as a potential option. The Whitman School of Management offers nine undergraduate business majors. Your 1550 SAT composite is very competitive for SU. Consider applying early action for early access to scholarships.

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Id look at Bentley or Fairfield- fabulous business schools with great outcomes (look it up!)- your GPA is low for Fairfield especially, but as a Jesuit school they may be a bit more holistic AND both are way way more regional than those in your list- meaning TX may give you a bit of bump. But if you want to end up in NYC, those are great places

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Bentley appears in this analysis of Wall Street and IB feeder schools, for example:

Top Feeders to Wall Street

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Maybe Fordham happens. Maybe ? Why not City College or Rutgers. Not saying they happen.

You might look at Arizona State and see if there’s a transfer option into the IBIS program. I don’t think the program would take you first year. The school would though.

You might look at the investment banking academy at U of Alabama

Ultimately, your SAT and I don’t know what 1550+ means - have you taken it ? But it doesn’t overcome your grades.

Bentley above mentioned - for a full pay - is another worthy option.

Bryant and U Denver might be two more.

Good luck.

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I believe it!

They have only 17 kids from TX though

Fairfield has almost none from
Same source - which even if off by a large factor - may help poster a bit if they care at all about geographic diversity (not sure they do but guess they might)

My kid applied to Fairfield and found data from
Fairfield once that confirmed nearly all
Kids from my/nj/cy/ma

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You may want to look at Seton Hall as well, although it too will be mostly students from the area.

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For A&M I’m planning on applying to A&M Mays.

That’s what I meant by polarity, I understand that these are reaches but I’m trying to shoot my shot. Apart from reaches I am also looking for other colleges who would accept me, but I’m not that unsatisfied with UTD

My school doesn’t share ranks, and I had maybe 4 grades under Bs during my starting HS years

Thank you for the response!

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Health issues have been resolved, with just managable caregiving now. And my grades are much better this year. My school counselor dislikes me and I’m unsure if I’ll get a good LOR from her. Hence why I’m mostly explaining for myself in the additional info

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Thank you so much!

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Thank you for the advice! About my SAT I have taken it scoring a 1550 but am trying to reassess for possibly higher

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You should get that app in ASAP. When do you plan to submit?

I understand wanting to apply and try, but 8-10 reaches seems like a lot.

In order for posters to suggest other schools, we would need to know your budget for college…what can your family afford to pay per year without taking out anything more than the $27K in total undergrad loans?

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I don’t see anything to gain by going higher. I think your decisions are the same at 1550 asc1580 etc. 1550 is already exceptional.

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Can you articulate what you want the “worth it” school to do for you? What would it give you that your safety school would not?

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I plan to submit late September when my SAT scores come back; I’m trying to score higher on SAT

For regular schools at my range, 40K/year would be ideal. For high end colleges, no limit

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I just mean if I luck out and it is a much higher ranked college for my major. With a higher likelihood of entering Wall Street

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By the way, what reach colleges would you say are worth it?

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Lots of higher ranked schools aren’t placing people on wall street. That’s why some makes upthread were mentioned.

It’s hard to get an IB job from any school but lots of schools place in investment firms.

Higher rank isn’t necessarily what you need though.

Go back and see some of the names mentioned. They were for a reason. But even a U Houston will place - locally - as you know lots of IB type jobs have gone to Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville etc.

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