Chances?? with low GPA but high SATS, extra curriculars etc...

Chance Me / Match Me
1

I am a rising female senior. I have a projected GPA of 3.7 and will have completed 6 APs by the end of senior year.
I had all honors classes junior year except for one AP (Psychology) and am taking 5 AP classes senior year (Lit, European History, Statistics, Latin V, Biology).

I got a 5 on the AP Psych test.

-SAT: 2190 second try
SAT II:
World History- 740
Latin- 780
Biology- 720

-Work Experience:
Animal shelter volunteer, logged 300+ hours
Employee at town pool summer 2014
Employee at local animal hospital since fall 2014
Intern for 2 separate candidates of state elections. Did campaigning, canvassing, and phone calls.

-Clubs
DECA 2014-present
President of our chapter of HSDA (high school dems of america- nationally recognized)
Vice President of Latin Academic Team
also participate in two other non-national clubs.

-Sports:
Freshman Crew(rowing)
–>placed/medaled three times in the season

-Other:
National Latin Exam Cum Laude 2012
National Latin Exam Cum Laude 2013
National Latin Exam Maxima Cum Laude 2014
National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude 2015
Gold Medal Etymology Exam 2015
Gold Medal Latin History Exam 2015

Part of National Juniors Classics League
–> Latin Academic Team distinguished in Certamen 2015

-Writing:
2nd Place in ARI Essay Contest 2014
Norman Mailer Non-Fiction Writing Finalist 2014
Scholastic Gold Key Poetry Art and Writing Awards 2014

-Teacher Recs:

  1. Amazing one from teacher I have known for 3 years now. She is a very good writer and makes her students shine in her letters.

  2. Great letter from uncle who has been a professor at Carnegie Mellon for 30+ years.

  3. Back-up letter from employer at animal hospital. I have a very good relationship with him and he provided insight on work ethic and motivation.

I have the finances to fund myself for OOS tuition so that is not a problem.

I understand my GPA may make most if not all of these colleges out of reach, but I would like opinions on my chances at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Asheville, UC-SB, UC-SD, Tulane, UWashington, University of Alabama.

I am not sure if I should be considering all of these reaches based on my stats. Any insight would help! Thanks!

2

UCSB may work but why would you want to pay $55K per year as an OOS?

There is no financial aid for OOS students at the UC’s. Thats $220K for 4 years, that’s just bat crazy! You wouldn’t be able to establish residency because you would be coming to California for your education and that keeps your fees as OOS for all four years. What is your major?

UCSD would be a reach because of your GPA and SAT.

3

Is your GPA unweighted?

4

your SAT is not “high” but it is not bad. UCSB seems like a match, UCSD looks like a reach.

5

^^^ A 2190 SAT is in the 98th percentile, that’s pretty high.