Unique Situation/High SAT low GPA - What to do ?

College Search & Lists
1

Hi, I am a senior at one of NYC’s top public high schools.
I have a pretty unique situation and no idea what to do with it. I expect my SAT score to be 1560/1600 after the October 1st test (On 3 of the official College Board practice tests I took I scored 1560,1580,1580) but my GPA is only 3.3. I moved to States from Poland 1 month before my freshman year started as a permanent resident (green card) and because of my original way of learning the language (I memorized a couple dictionaries by heart and learned grammar from a textbook) I had difficulties understanding spoken English which caused learning problems. My grades show a pattern of improvement over time (from 3.0 freshman year to 3.5 junior year). I took 3 AP’s and I’m taking another 3 this year. I don’t have impressive “official” EC’s - 1.5 years of wrestling (first JV then Varsity), 50h of volunteering and I was a member of 2 student clubs. Most of my free time was spent either working to help support the family or fulfilling my passion (trading financial instruments).

My questions:
1.Do I have a shot at the best colleges (Ivies) and how to improve my chances of getting in ?

2.I wrote my common app essay on how I learned english on my own, my academic passion, my determination which led my family to move to USA, spending every afternoon for many months translating all the official forms and documents for my parents who didn’t speak English and ultimately getting into one of the best high schools in NYC.

Even with only that my essay is way above the word limit so I don’t really have space to explain why I performed so badly in high school. How should I communicate to the admission counselors that it was my situation and not me being a slacker that caused my grades to be what they are (should I sign up for an interview or can I write it in some sort of a supplementary essay) ?

  1. If Ivies are not a realistic goal then what is ? I'm looking for colleges that would provide me with 100% of demonstrated financial need (family makes under $30k a year) , have a strong finance program (My ultimate goal is a career in investment banking but I'll most likely take prereqs for med school just in case I don't land a job in IB) and that are reasonably close to NYC (by reasonably I mean within 1000 miles from NYC). I'm currently looking at Lehigh Uni, Boston College, UNC and Vanderbilt.

4.Does being a white foreigner from a country that sends very few students to the US make me an URM ?

Thank you in advance for your help, I really appreciate it.

2

Not a unique situation on these forums.

Look for colleges that like test scores. Lehigh might be one. Louisiana Tech may be another.

3

It doesn’t take more than a few words to say, “as my English skills improved, so did my grades.”

However, if you cannot fit that in your main essay, the Common App does have an optional spot for “is there anything else you want us to know?” that you could use instead. If you choose to use this option, keep it short and sweet.

Make sure that most of the schools on your final list accept 50 percent or more of their applicants. Schools with higher acceptance rates are more likely to let a strength in one part of the application compensate for a weakness somewhere else. It is ok to have 2 or 3 more selective schools on your final list, but don’t make them the majority.

4

Vanderbilt. They love high test scores. Also try University of Chicago. They love a good story (and high test scores).

5

If you are in one of the best schools in NYC then talk to your very experienced guidance counselors about likely options.

No

6

You have a unique story; itll help you when you apply

7

Northeastern! They love high SAT scores. But you have to actually score high on an official test first.

Your guidance counselor needs to send a letter of rec and this would be a good place for an explanation of special circumstances.

But you really need to take the actual test before you can rely on high scores to offset a very low GPA.

I’m not sure I consider your story that unique in the context of Ivy admissions. Maybe if you score 1560+, the imbalance with GPA will be at least interesting.

8

1.Do I have a shot at the best colleges (Ivies) and how to improve my chances of getting in ?

=> very unlikely. focus on other universities first, then if you have time in December add Ivies.
Due to your language prowess, I would encourage you to apply to Middlebury and Georgetown as reaches.
Make sure to take SAT Subject tests.

2 How should I communicate to the admission counselors that it was my situation and not me being a slacker
=> sign up for interviews everywhere you can.
use the “Additional information” box to explain your background and what’s not covered in your essay.

  1. If Ivies are not a realistic goal then what is ? Northeastern, Tulane, Wash U love high test scores. Top 20 LACs - beside Middlebury, Davidson, Carleton? Vassar is especially good with EFC 0 applicants.

I’m currently looking at Lehigh Uni, Boston College, UNC and Vanderbilt => good possibilities, albeit reaches.

You need matches (acceptance rate 40%+) and safeties (SUNY Geneseo + St Lawrence?)

4.Does being a white foreigner from a country that sends very few students to the US make me an URM ?
No.
Are you a boy or a girl?
If a girl, definitely apply to the SevenSisters colleges.

9

Lehigh, UNC, and Vanderbilt are all excellent options. BC could be possible, but I doubt it.

10

Look at Stanford University,Northwestern,University of Virginia,Yale,Skidmore College,University of Notre Dame, and Trinity College(CT.) to name a few. All of these colleges will meet 100% of need. Use a Net Price Calculator to see what a particular college will cost your family.

11

Stanford, Yale, et al with a 3.3 GPA?

12

With low GPA coming from one of NYC’s toughest high schools, he really doesn’t have much of a chance at Yale, UNC or Stanford. There will be plenty of competition from the same school, students with both high test scores and grades. He’s probably in Bronx Sci, Stuy, or Brooklyn tech as these are schools where you rely on a single test to test in. With lower grades he wouldn’t have gotten into Townsend Harris and others that need good grades and don’t rely on the standardized test. Most of the students at those three big schools are recent immigrants or first gen, so that makes his story less unique. These three testing schools alone have about 11,000 students or about 4000 in his graduating cohort. The top 1% of those students are about 400 all of whom will be applying to Stanford, Yale, Princeton and UNC, UVA, Northwestern, Harvard with perfect GPAs, scores, and activities. I doubt that UNC and UVA would provide OOS financial aid that he needs. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

He needs to step outside of the box a little and look at schools that will tolerate a lower GPA.

Vassar is a good suggestion as a male, Connecticut College, Trinity College, Skidmore, Maybe UChic is quirky enough to look at him more closely, Grinnell, Colby, Bates, Occidental, Hendrix, Clark University, Clarkson U, Centre, Hamilton might be persuaded because he has a good writing story and they’re into writing, Union in NY, Muhlenberg, Pitzer,

But maybe the clincher would be the Macaulay Honors College–that provides 100% tuition, room and board, and sometimes a small stipend. You also get special classes and seminar and research opportunities. Note that there’s an early application deadline for that program. You also will need to choose which CUNY college you’re applying to. I’d choose one that others might overlook, like Staten Island.

http://www.macaulay.cuny.edu/

13

Don’t use the essay to apologize. Use the essay to make a positive introduction of yourself. The text above the word-limit will get cut off.

Explanations about extenuating circumstances about your GPA should be addressed in the supplemental info section, or explained by the Guidance Counselor in his/her rec.

Strategically, you mighy consider taking & submitting the TOEFL. It’ll serve to underscore that you’re a new English speaker, without you having to write a long-winded explanation.

Being a recent immigrant isn’t unique. And being an immigrant from Poland certainly doesn’t make you a URM (black, hispanic, native american).

Cut the Ivy worship, and your life will be a lot simpler.

Google: CTCL.org

14

Right, go back over that essay and pull out every extraneous word or phrase,every unneeded detail. This is not where you give every aspect of your bio. The top colleges are looking for the attributes they value (and the ability to edit down to what’s relevant.) And the guiding notion is, “Show, not just tell.” That means, the narrative lets readers see those attributes, for themselves, and your growth.

At a top NYC hs, your GC is your best guide. And, he/she is who can explain background, if so inclined. Run the NPCs for each of your possibles.

The impact of a 3.3 depends on what courses and how strong you ultimately became in those related to your potential major. Many kids applying to the top schools have 4.0. After that, there’s more they look for, including how you pursued your interests, on what level, depth and breadth. Plus what else you got involved in.