Current junior with a 4.0 weighted gpa , guess is uw is around a 3.6-3.7 . He has a 1220 sat score , taking agin this weekend and at least once or twice more if score is not over 1300. He visited pitt , and it is currently his first choice .
He has decent extra curricular as ( nhs , beta club , key club , track and soccer ) , been highly involved in 4h during summer time for past several years … so lots of volunteer hours ( not sure how much pitt looks at ec’s And volunteer ). I know his sat should be higher . He will most likely major in psychology as he is interested in law enforcement and would like to eventually join the fbi . We are out of state ( Virginia ) and fortunately will not need financial assistance .
Would love anyone’s insight . What should he do as I know he really loved it there ( even on a rainy cold day ). Thanks !
Overall, getting into the Pittsburgh campus as a Freshman is probably going to be a reach. However, if he’s willing to spend his first two years at a branch campus then the branches are probably good safeties to consider. My recommendation would be for him to apply very early and take advantage of their rolling admissions. He can list the Pittsburgh Campus as his first choice, then pick branch campuses if he’s willing to attend one of them. He should spend a lot of time working on the essays, since Pitt really does look at them. I’d also recommend that he take a rigorous course load for his senior year and be prepared to submit mid-year grades if Pitt asks for them.
According to Pitt’s Common Data Set for 2017-2018 (http://pre.ir.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Pittsburgh-Campus-CDS_2017-2018.pdf), Pitt ranks Class Rigor, GPA, and Standardized Test Scores as “Very Important” for admission decisions. The application essays are considered “Important”, and things like EC’s are “Considered”. The stats for the Pittsburgh Campus were:
- [] The middle 50% SAT scores were 620-700 for Reading/Writing and 620-718 for Math.
[] 81% of students admitted had an UW GPA of 3.75 or higher.
It’s hard to tell your S’s class rigor based on the weighted an unweighted GPAs, since every school has a different way of weighing scores. However, the two are so close to each other that it makes me think that your son may not have taken many AP or Honors classes (or that he got a mix of As and Bs in them).
The numbers from 2017-2018 are probably a bit lower than for this last admission cycle, and there’s a good chance that next year’s admission cycle will be even more competitive given the overall trends. The CDS doesn’t break out the stats for the different colleges though - you apply to specific colleges at Pitt. I’s possible that the scores for Dietrich College of Arts and Sciences have lower stats than the average, but I doubt it’s by very much.
@shortnuke thanks so much for your response . I appreciate it . Not sure he would be interested in the other campuses as the Pittsburg vibe is what appealed to him… not sure if he would consider 2 years at a different branch . I am hoping his sat score can go up . His math is within range ; his verbal score is weaker . He’s a pretty good writer so I think he could do well on the essays . He had taken all honors classes freshman and sophomore year and has 4 Ap classes this year( English, calculus, physics , history ) and an ib class in Spanish 5, next year he’ll have 3 Ap classes ( English, stats , government ) and ib Spanish 6 . He’s been taking a 2 block criminal justice class that he really loves and will take next year. He’s very passionate about what he wants to do . He has gotten a combination of b’s and a’s. He’ll apply super early with rolling admission . Not much more he can do . Thanks again !!
Try the ACT. From what I understand, it is more “learning based” meaning it is closer to a normal curriculum, and he may test better. It is worth a shot.
Agree with @Hope2beapittmom . Some students do much better on the ACT than the SAT. Also, since Pitt superscores the SAT I would highly recommend that your son focus his test prep on the English portion if his Math score is already in range. Getting above 1300 (or an ACT score above 30) would significantly improve his chances. My D was accepted to Swanson with a 1380 SAT (she had a 1410, but I realized later that we hadn’t sent that score to Pitt when she applied).
9 AP/IB classes will certainly qualify as a rigorous course load, so that will help. Do you know how many students typically apply to Pitt from his HS? If Pitt is familiar with the school, I believe they will take into account the school’s reputation - so if the school is known for being tough on handing out A’s, the B’s in his record should be viewed in the appropriate context.
It sounds like he has a great foundation for his essays. I highly recommend that you have him read some guide books for writing application essays. “College Essay Essentials” by Ethan Sawyer was the one D used (Kindle version available he prefers eBooks). The book provides some easy to follow exercises designed to help the student determine the best structure for their essay, plot out the content, and then review and revise to make it stand out.
@Hope2beapittmom Good recommendation . However , he took the act first and did not do well . Sat is definitely the better test for him.
@shortnuke thanks for all your wonderful
Feedback . He is focusing on the reading part of the verbal part ( he did much better on the writing portion than the reading ); also, they’ve been prepping in Ap English for the Ap exam so he’s been getting extra help there as well. Even if he could pull up 50 points that would be great and maybe just 3o in math , he could hit 1300. I believe some students from his school have applied to pitt in the past ( don’t think many, though ) so maybe they know a little bit about his high school . It is one of the higher ranked schools in the Richmond metro area and highly ranked in Virginia so hopefully that helps a bit . Ap classes are not that easy .
Thanks she the recommendation on the essay book . I’ll have him take a look at it .
Thanks again !!
If he’s trying to apply to the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, I wouldn’t see how he wouldn’t get in–coming from someone who got in with a 3.4 GPA, 28 ACT (but super low math score–22) and no AP’s. I know people here that got in with lower–Pitt isn’t as dramatically competitive as people claim it is. 1250+ should be a goal for SAT. Have him apply early (August/September) for best chances.
Thanks @outtahere2017 . That sounds much more encouraging . I keep hearing different things so it’s hard to know for sure . I’m hoping his sat goes up this weekend so it gives him more of a possibility . Glad to hear that students with even lower scores for in … he will definitely be applying early . ( and yes ,’it’s to the arts and science ) . Thanks again
He could also look at IUP, good criminology program.