I’m also applying to UNC Chapel Hill, Syracuse, The New School, Barnard, Questbrige Programs, and the University of Sourthern California.
After my second time of taking the ACT, I scored a 28 again. I was hoping for a 30. On the March SAT I scored a 1220 and I’m taking it again in October.
I’ve been feeling really hopeless lately and this is just another low blow, because NYU is my dream school, probably the only place I want to go.
My class rank is a 32/399 so that’s the top 7-8% (my school is extremely competitive). My unweighted GPA is 3.917 and weighted is 4.792. My junior year I took 4 APs and this year I’m taking 5.
I’m an AP Scholar with Honor and have earned the Presidential Service Award twice. I’m treasurer of my school’s National Honor Society, Mangaging Editor of my school’s newspaper, President of an Arts Service Club, President of an STD/STI Awaredness Club, I’m in my school’s Wind Ensemble, and I work a part time job at the Child Watch in a YMCA.
My intended major is Media, Culture and Communication through Steinhardt (I’m also applying to CAS) and would like to double major in journalism.
Your W GPA is quite good and so is your rank, but your SAT score isn’t impressive. That would be a 1700 on the old scoring. It’s way below NYU’s 25% rank score and average score, which are 1900 and 2000 respectively. A 30 on the ACT would be better, as NYU’s average ACT score is just that. Since it is your dream school, I suggest you go for ED.
Pretty much the same goes for USC, which is a university that admits high scoring applicants the most, accepting applicants who score around 2000 and above. Your ACT is also below its average, which is a 31.
Accidentally posted it right away without finishing, so here is the continuation:
Syracuse is a match, based on other applicants who have been admitted on here. For The New School, I think the same applies. I don’t know for Barnard or UNC Chapel Hill though.
You have good ECAs, so I wouldn’t worry much about them. If you could get your ACT to a 30 or your SAT to a 1370, I would think that you have a better chance. Keep that GPA up too.
Your grades are exceptional. Your ACT score is exactly the 25th percentile for NYU so you aren’t way off. In other words, 25% of NYU admitted applicants scored the same or lower than you on the ACT. It’s going to be tough to get in, but not impossible. I’m applying ED to NYU too, it puts you in a much smaller applicant pool and increases your chances slightly. Just so you know, it’s not too late to take the ACT again, though the scores will not be in on time for ED. I got a 27 on my first ACT, but after spending time studying I raised it to a 31. Overall, NYU may be a reach school for you (as it is for me because of my lower grades), but it is not impossible
Syracuse, The New School, and maybe UNC Chapel Hill are supposed to be my safety schools. This is really saddening because NYU is the only school I want to go to. I wasn’t planning on applying ED to NYU, but maybe now I should. I’m just afraid it will be too competitive.
@caylaclem24 Hey don’t be disheartened. Your GPA is excellent, along with your class rank, and your awards/ECs are great as well. Your ACT score is a bit on the lower side, but it shouldn’t stop you from applying. I’m not too familiar with NYU, but as @johnc17 said, you can still retake the ACT in time for RD. So I guess the decision you’ll be making here is whether to apply ED with your current score, or RD with a possibly improved score. I say that’s a decision you really have to make for yourself.
Also, I know exactly how it feels to want to go to one school and only one school. I really REALLY want to go to Berkeley, but I’m prepared to go to other UC’s where I would still be happy and have a great education. I know it’s hard when you have your mind set on a school, but getting rid of the mental block just makes the whole process a lot less stressful. Have 3 or 4 top choices where you would love to go, and realize that not getting into #1 means you’ll still end up at 2, 3, or 4 where you’ll thrive just as much. Sorry, this probably sounds really cliche, but I think it’ll help you a lot.
If you do decide to retake the ACT, let me know if you want tips and I’d be glad to help! Sorry this became kind of long/rant-ish, oops. Best of luck to you!
I didn’t consider taking the ACT a third time but I now think I will and prep more intensely (I usually don’t have time though unfortunately). I may apply ED II to NYU which is due January 1.
This is really saddening because NYU is the only school I want to go to. I wasn’t planning on applying ED to NYU, but maybe now I should. I’m just afraid it will be too competitive.