So I’m a Junior in high school, currently a Dual Enrollment student, taking 2 AP classes, and no extra curriculars to date. My dream school is NYU, I have 4 AP classes to my transcript including the ones of this year they include: AP Euro, AP World, AP English Lang, and AP Spanish culture. my weighted is above a 4.0 and my unweighted is between 3.3 and 3.4. Have not taken any SAT’s but my PSAT score sucked any advice?
This depends on which school and major in NYU you will be applying to, but in general,
Your unweighted GPA is too low. If you’re aiming for Tisch, an audition-based program in Steinhardt, or possibly LSP, you may have a chance, but with a 3.3-3.4, it’s safe to say that you need to get your grades WAY up, as much as you possibly can, before you apply. For NYU CAS or Stern, your unweighted GPA needs to be at least a 3.7-3.8.
Your course rigor seems fine. However, if these AP classes are lowering your grades, take fewer AP classes next year or even drop some. Getting a C in an AP class is worse than getting an A in a regular class.
Since you don’t have standardized test scores yet, it’s hard to judge. Aim for at least a 1400 on the SAT. I recommend taking the ACT as well; some people are significantly better at the ACT than the SAT or vice versa. You’ll want at least a 30 on the ACT to be within NYU’s typical range.
I’m most worried about the fact that you’re a junior and have no extracurriculars. Even an applicant with a 3.8 uw gpa and a 1500 sat may be rejected with no extracurriculars. Joining a whole bunch of clubs or sports late junior year or senior year makes it look like you’re only doing it to impress colleges, so I’d stick to a few that you actually like instead of doing just everything. Volunteering counts as extracurriculars. Intern this summer or find a job if possible.
Basically, unless you get really good extracurriculars really fast, get your GPA up from a 3.3-3.4 to a 3.7-3.8, and get a 1400+ on your SAT, NYU will be out of range for you.
I’m also applying to a bunch of other New York schools including SUNY at Stony Brook, Saint Johns, and Pace. Will the extra curriculars really determine whether or not I get into these schools? On top of that I live in Florida, and I know they look at weighted typically in-state will extra curricular affect my chances in Florida schools too?
Extracurriculars will be a large part of your application regardless of what school you’re applying to or where it’s located. Of course it’s not the ONLY thing that matters, but since your grades are a bit low for some of the schools you’re applying to, you will need great extracurriculars to boost your chances.
Thank you so much for the advice, I’ll get to work on these things ASAP.