I did end up getting all A’s first quarter, and that should also be the case for my midyear report (at worst, I’ll have a B+ in AP Chem but I’m working like hell to make sure that doesn’t happen). An update on my awards is that I was selected as the first alternate to the US Senate Youth Program in my state, something I think is a mildly prestigious accomplishment (?). Will be on my RD applications.
Anyways, my main question here is whether I should change my essays/the way I write supplements (because I already started my RD supplements before the Brown decision came out, and I thought I wrote my Brown supplements quite well so I continued writing supplements that way, but they couldn’t have been that good if I got rejected so now I’m conflicted. same thing with my commonapp essay, but times 10 b/c I spent forever and a half perfecting that). I was told both my supplements and commonapp were really good, which is making me even more confused. Another genuine question I have is: Even if I have amazing essays and supplements, does my GPA essentially render my chances of admission to any ivy/t20 null and void? I know the whole thing about not having to go to an ivy, but I really like Yale in particular and now I feel like there’s no way I can get in if I can’t get into Brown ED (with an application I worked on for a very long time, at that).
First…you have no idea why you were not accepted at Brown. The school has WAYYYYY more applicants than admission spots. Plenty of strong students got rejected, just like you.
Second, I don’t think being selected as an alternate to anything will move the bar in terms of your acceptance. If you had been accepted as a participant, that would be worth listing…but an alternate…my opinion…isn’t going to move your admissions needle.
Third…why Ivies and top 20’s? I sure hope you have applied to your safety schools. George Mason University Virginia Commonwealth University UPitt
Hyperselective reaches like Brown are very hard to predict to begin with, and then add in a need for a GPA accommodation, and they become even harder to predict. This is part of why some people recommend against having “dream” schools–it is often putting too much weight on one very unpredictable outcome even for highly competitive applicants.
But the flip side of all that is it really isn’t particularly useful information to learn you were rejected by Brown. That could have happened for any of a long list of reasons, and other very selective colleges could easily do something different.
That said, I do think with your GPA story, you need to embrace the fact it is even more unpredictable than usual. So, yes, maybe no “Ivy” or “T20” will decide to give you the necessary GPA accommodation. But maybe one or more will.
So Brown not doing that–even assuming that is what happened, which is not a safe assumption–doesn’t prove no one will. But it might not be one of the colleges that play football with Brown, or one of the private research universities that US News particularly likes. Or it might. You didn’t know before, and you still don’t know now.
Brown is not only hard to get into, but admissions decisions may appear quirky and unpredictable. I know students who got into Harvard but not Brown.
Vassar and Wesleyan are good suggestions. Look at Clark U. In fact, check out the Colleges that Change Lives website.
Did you do a music supplement with recording, music resume and music letters of recommendation? Only do it if talent justifies of course. For BA programs, the recording can be one solo piece cued to the best three minutes (ask the schools).
I would streamline your accomplishments and emphasize things out of school. CC essay readers can review your essays.
Very common to not get into Brown. Don’t take it to heart! Time to think about other schools, and you have a good head start on that.
I agree with the comments about unpredictability and needing an AO to select your app for admission with a lower than typical GPA. Adding that your class rank is not helping you either.
Could a t20 AO still admit you? Sure. Is it likely? Probably not.
Do you have any acceptances yet? What EA apps do you have in? Did you get in any apps to the schools that offer big $ for NMF?
You are a strong student and I see no reason to doubt the quality of your app based on what you’ve said. You can discuss with your HS counselor, but if you’ve had others look over your essays, I would not seek more feedback on them. Too many cooks and all that.
You will succeed wherever you go to college. I understand this process is emotional, but keep moving forward. You have a lot to offer and that doesn’t change if some schools don’t choose your app for admission. Good luck.
While you sound like an amazing applicant, the reality of being only top 25th% in your high school class (unless you were coming from a very competitive magnet school or a top prep school) is likely to sabotage your chances at a T20, especially if schools abide by the spirit of the Supreme Court’s decision re: affirmative action. Honestly, before that decision came out, I think you could have had a shot anywhere, because of your high ACT and high AP scores supporting the fact that you are capable of excelling at even tippy-top schools.
So, IF you have the opportunity to do so, you might need to weave into your application, somehow, your experience of race and how it has (presumably adversely) affected your educational opportunities thus far. Many schools have not only offered, but have mandated an answer to this question, so as to identify promising URM candidates without looking at race alone as a criteria.
If the feedback regarding your essays was that they were very good, they probably are. Just make sure that every application includes the signaling allowed by the Supreme Court (how your experience of race has affected you), and make sure that you apply to your in-state flagship (U Va) and a second in-state public safety, then all the reaches and matches you want, and a safety you’re sure you’d want to go to. Be sure to make a financial safety, too.
You’ll get in someplace good. You really do have a very impressive record - many schools will want you!
Yeah, I’ve already been accepted at GMU and UPitt! Decided not to apply to VCU, these two are enough safeties for me I think. Also, I understand that being selected as an altternate for something is usually not something worth listing, but specifically for USSYP that’s considered a pretty high achievement from what I’ve seen (as only 2 delegates and 2 alternates are selected from hundreds of applications across the state). I’ve been told that it’s recognized by admissions offices, so while I might not list it in my main 5 awards I’ll probably just add it in additional info!
Also, I know it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get into an ivy or t20–I just want to know if I have a chance.
Thanks for the advice! I do have a music LOR from my orchestra director, but I’m not sure if I’m talented enough to warrant submitting a supplement (especially for violin because there are so many cracked players out there lol). Perhaps I’ll try it out, I have a few solos I could use.
What do you mean by streamlining accomplishments? Do awards from debate competitions and college board count as outside of school, or no?
Thanks for the advice!! Yes I’ve been accepted to GMU, UPitt, and Fordham so far (big NMF money school). My other EA apps are VTech, UMich, and Northeastern. Really banking on RD right now for everything else!
Yeah, I’m very cognizant of the problems with my GPA and class rank. The thing with my situation, though, is that I attend a magnet school part time (take STEM and research courses there), and it is quite competitive I’m pretty sure. Because of its part time nature it doesn’t really get national recognition, but its recognized definetely across VA and maybe the DMV area. But the flip side of that coin is my diploma granting institution would be my ‘normal’ high school that I attend for my humanities and electives, and so I’m ranked against students who do not attend the magnet school (which is known for grade deflation, while my normal high school is known for grade inflation). All of my B’s on my transcript come from the magnet school (I’ve only gotten A’s in any other courses, save for 10th grade PE which I somehow scored a B- in…).
I’ve seen the school profile my school sends to colleges, and while it does talk about my magnet school and its part time nature, obviously it doesn’t expose itself for grade inflation or mention that the magnet school has grade deflation, and I don’t think it’s fair for me to ask my counselor to put that in her recommendation, because it is frankly a subjective observation (no matter how many people state that it’s true). Any tips on how I could mitigate this nuance, or should I just leave it and hope for the best?
I was also told that my high ACT and AP scores would help me—without affirmative action, is this still the case?
Yes, I definetely did talk about my race and how it impacted my life experiences in my supplements, and briefly mentioned it in my commonapp (not too much, though, as I didn’t want to make that the focus). Hopefully that can help.
Yep, definetely applying to UVA, though I’m scared I won’t get in there either—top 5% of the class is basically auto-admit if you submit a decent enough application (in-state specifically), though UVA themselves won’t admit it. Everything else is a throw up, and it’s basically impossible if you’re not top 10%.
Do these schools meet the budget that you and your parents set?
The Fordham NMF award is not automatic, it is competitive and awarded at the time of admission…did you receive this award?
The full-tuition Fordham Scholarship is awarded to entering traditional first-year students for a maximum of eight fall and spring semesters (four years). Applicants designated as Semifinalists by the National Merit Recognition Program or Scholars by the National Hispanic Recognition Program, National African American Recognition Program, National Indigenous Recognition Program, or National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program are eligible to be considered for this scholarship. Recipients will exhibit excellent academic performance in a highly demanding curriculum, and present exceptional personal characteristics, commitment, leadership, and/or service. Typically, 3% of our admitted students are recipients of this award. Notification is made at the time of admission.
The fact that you did not get into Brown doesn’t mean you still cannot get accepted to other Ivies in RD. Have you considered Cornell?
“Also I’m applying as a cognitive science + public policy/international relations/econ (depends on school) double major, that interdisciplinary interest really comes through in my application i think. interested in working in science/tech policy, probably will minor in cs or data science.”
You sound like a good fit for Cornell as Cornell has 7 undergraduate colleges, and a lot of their majors are interdisciplinary. Furthermore, their contract colleges have much higher acceptance rates than their business and engineering schools.
I would get a second and maybe a third opionion on your essays and see if there are any rooms for improvement.
Oh, now I get it. I was puzzled by the lower class rank, with such a great ACT and AP scores. You have to bring this out in your essays. Perfectly respectable to get an occasional B in a tough STEM magnet program, while getting A’s in your regular public school.
Well, the consolation is that you have wrung a lot of learning out of your high school education, no matter the effect on your GPA. This is something that your guidance counselor needs to emphasize in her cover letter, that you have challenged yourself by attending this highly rigorous STEM program with grade deflation, and that you have done extremely well there, that you would be considered tops in rigor, and that had you not gone to the STEM, you might have been first in your class at your home public school.
You have no clue why you were rejected. But in most cases, it’s likely not due to an essay.
I’ll just say this - make sure your essays answer the prompt.
Brown’s supplementals won’t = those at other schools.
Ps your chance me says nmsf so is it NMF ?
Tulsa is free with nmsf and other schools like Bama are aggressive with NMF. Bama is 5 years tuition, 4 years housing. If you end up at a GMU or VCU, that might be a better option for you. Fordham is a great NMF money school as you noted but not everyone gets like at the others. Have you gotten the NMF award ? If not then heed my suggestion on these two or others that are similar. UMaine, UTD and more.
Tulsa is a GREAT smaller school. Always has had a great name.
Yeah I know Mich isn’t good with aid for OOS–just wanted to see if I’d get in and I’m applying to a lot of scholarships right now, so if that works out I might be able to go
