<p>But I applied ED I to Lehigh University. I know that I’m pretty much in the bottom / mediocre part of the applicant pool, stats wise. </p>
<p>My essay: Pretty good, based on how I didn’t know my parents and stuff like that. How they did drugs and whatnot.
My recommendation: From my teacher who has known me for years, so that should be good.
I have an extra recommendation from the Executive of Marketing of my current job (White & Case)
My grades: 3.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale…our school on does weighted.
My SAT Score: 1130 on two sections (550 CR 580 Math) and 1680 on three sections
I took honors math every year for Math, my school doesn’t offer any AP classes, so all my senior classes are honors.
Four years of work Experience:
At my school, we work 1 day a week and 4 days a week we go to school + summer they hire you if they like you.
Putney, Twombly, Hall and Hirson LLP 5 months
New York Supreme Court - Appellate Divison 5 months
Arquitectonica (Architecture Firm) 10 months
White & Case LLP - Past 2 years, currently work there as administrator of their Website, the lawfirm is world renowned with dozens of lawfirms all over the world with over 2000 lawyers. I currently administrate the website (whitecase.com)</p>
<p>Community Service:
I worked at Momentum Soup Kitchen, a kitchen specially for people with Aids or HIV positive, as well as the homeless for two years.
I also worked at a Senior Citizen home for the past year, helping them out.</p>
<p>Summer Experience:
I applied for a program and accepted to a Student Health Internship Program for medicine where I got to work at Harlem Hospital for 40 hours a week, for three weeks in assosciation with studies at Columbia University’s Medical School. I worked with students in Neurology Department at Harlem Hospital for around 20 hours of those 40 hours per week. (So it’s sorta part of my work experience as well)</p>
<h2>I did research on Stroke in African Americans and Latino, as well as did the best and was able to give a presentation at Weill Cornell Medical School on my research.</h2>
<p>I visited Lehigh through being accepted to Lehigh’s Diversity Achievers Program and spent a two days there with the admissions people, as well as got a tour. They were unable to do interviews as the tours were going on at the same time.</p>
<p>As you are aware, your stats are a bit low, however, you will never know unless you apply. You have appeared to beat a lot of odds with regards to your past and I congratulate you on your achievements to date. </p>
<p>Reading between the lines, it seems that you are coming from a disadvantaged background, perhaps as a first generation college student. If that’s so, you have a decent chance of ED admission because of your work experience, leadership, and community service to complement a solid, though not stellar, academic background. </p>
<p>Economically disadvantaged/URM/first generation college students don’t have to quite live up to their more privileged counterparts because they often come from a background that does not support higher education, test prep, and outside enrichment. The odds are against them, yet they still excel. The known cultural bias of the SAT makes those scores less important. What will be important is how well you challenged yourself with the opportunities available to you. Lehigh wants students who rise to the top, even if that top is pushing you down.</p>
<p>Since you were accepted to and attended the Diversity Achievers Program, it means that you have strong enough qualifications to have a shot. Lehigh could really use students like you – people who are engaged with the world while still maintaining good grades. The only question is how many other people from the DA Program are applying. Admissions has to make some tough choices among equally qualified applicants.</p>
<p>I think you have a great chance of getting in. Colleges are looking for well rounded kids…not all kids that have 2300 on their SATs. </p>
<p>My son had a 4.0, and his SATs were around your scores and he did People to People and Habitat for Humanity and had great recommendation letters and he got in for the Engineering program and he is loving Lehigh.</p>
<p>So I would do the ED and see what happens. You won’t know until you try. It’s better to try and fail than not try at all. And you might be greatly surprised. Lehigh has a great endowment and if you get accepted, you most likely get a full ride.</p>
<p>Have faith and trust yourself. You sound like you are going to be an amazing adult with a great heart.</p>