Are my schools realistic?
Hi, I'm a senior applying for college with a 5.07/6.0 weighted gpa, with a competitive class size of 900 students at a public school in Texas. I am ranked 90, at top 10%. I think this is pretty low, but my rigor compensates well compared to the students in my class: (13aps, 8 honors, 1 dual credit class, no regular classes in my core classes, just required electives). But, I have a low SAT score (1100) because I haven't studied for it. I have some solid ecs with a common spike in research and medicine/stem, and volunteering in nonprofits (500+hrs), I also am a varsity tennis player for 3 years, and play tennis around 15hrs a week.
Major: economics
Hooks: Hispanic minority, Female, First gen.
Background: 1 working parent (college education), 1 nonworking parent who is not US educated, both are immigrants, family income: $90,000, family of 4, oldest sibling.
senior courseload: AP stats, AP cal AB, AP Macroecon, AP english lit, AP spanish lang, clinical hospital shadowing program (competitive).
My current list: UNC chapel hill (EA), University of Virginia (ED), UT Austin (EA), University of Florida (EA) , Purdue University (RD) , University of Georgia (RD)
Please let me your thoughts!
I think UVA and UNC are likely a reach. These are highly competitive schools and the SAT will count a lot. "Test optional" may be true for admission, but most require it for scholarship consideration. I'm assuming with your family situation that you won't be able to swing out-of-state tuition with no scholarship.
That said, play with the chancing calculator on this site. Apply and see what happens. The worst they can say is "no," and if that happens, don't worry - they say no to most people.
If possible (I know time is short with the early action/early decision), but study for the SAT. Buy a book or take a course, and get your score up. Your GPA tells me you know how to study and this would be a worthwhile endeavor.
I think that you can get it if you apply test optional, but ur app is confusing because you're an Econ major, but you do research in STEM. I think you have a good chance if you apply as a STEM major then switch majors.
If you can get your class ranking up to the top 6%, you can get auto-admission to UT. That might be a little difficult at this point, though.
I disagree with @TigerAlum on retaking the SAT, I would normally second that but don't know how you're going to raise your score when the last one before December is tomorrow, and all your apps except Purdue and UGA are due by November. I'm sorry but this is an oversight on your part if you were banking on raising it, it's too late for that now. You have some chance of getting in test-optional, research score ranges and figure out where you should send or withhold your score. For econ, I think it would've been better for you to have social sciences/business-oriented ECs like DECA, since it's not a STEM major. Would you mind telling me what you mean by "EA" for UF, though? I thought there was only one RD round, due Nov 1.
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
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