Do you think I have a good chance of getting into these colleges?

Question

I am in the 11th grade.
My grades: My GPA ranges from a B to an A-
In school I do not do any sports, but I am in the French Club, the Book Club, The Bio-Chem Club, Environmental Club, and National Honor Society. Also I am in a school club that opposses using drugs. I have also been volunteering at the local hospital since the summer vacation before 11th grade and I plan on volunteering this summer and during 12th grade. In the 9th and 10th grade I took almost all honors classes and in the 11th and 12th grade I have taken the highest level courses I can take. I also have a job at the library. And eventhough I was born in America, I have been speaking Hindi since I was little.

So...Do you think I could get into these colleges:
-Boston University
-Boston College
-Columbia University
-Cornell University
-New York University
-University of Pennsylvania

What else can I do to improve my chances of getting into a good school?
Also, what else is on a college aplication?

I am also going to take classes at a college this summer.

I took AP United States History this year(it is the only AP class my school allows 11th grade students to take.)
In 12th grade I plan on taking AP Microeconomis, Physics II, and English.

Answer 1

your best shot is at boston u, but without a clear GPA and test scores its hard to tell. You should look at more schools that are less of a "reach". But great job so far.. adn keep up the good work

Answer 2

Yes, you've got a great start! Make sure you keep your grades as high as possible. Also, do what you need to do to get good SAT and ACT scores. It's never too early to start taking it, and you really can't take it too many times. Your score will only improve the more you take it because they'll take your top scores for each section. (I took it five or six times...seems obsessive, but my score drastically improved over all of those times...it's just called working the system to your advantage.) Also, take on some leadership positions in those clubs you're in.

The applications mostly consist of the technical stuff, like your name and personal information and all that. Also, you'll need some personal references. Can include teachers or other adults in your life that know you and can vouch for how cool you are. The other part is key; it's the short answers and essay kind of questions. Here, they'll ask you things about yourself and your personal experiences. And this is where my best advice comes in.

These kind of questions are the place where you can set yourself above the crowd. The thing is, there are a lot of students who have a B to an A- average, are in some clubs and have good scores on the standardized tests. The key is to do something that makes your application stand out from all of these. It's important to be well-rounded, but to make yourself stand out, you need to add some depth of character to that. You can do this by giving yourself a focus and being specific. It'd be great for you to figure out what it is that you enjoy most, and do it passionately and well, whether it is a volunteer activity or one particular club. This will give you something to write about. Something that drives you...you know? Start thinking about how this activity has affected you, or helped you learn or become a better person somehow. These are the things you'll be asked to talk about. They want people who can offer something special and unique to their student body. Your enthusiasm will come through as this something special if you have something that you're passionate about and you answer the questions honestly...they'll envision the way that your enthusiasm can enrich their campus life. And that's good.

Those are just things I figured out watching my two older sisters go through the college application process and then doing it myself. I hope this helps!

Answer 3

You are not in too bad of shape, actually. Work hard at moving that GPA closer to the A-, but the two things that are missing here are your test scores and your writing ability. ACT/SAT scores count toward your acceptance, and most applications have essays that you need to write. So make sure your writing skills are up to par. Other than that, you sound like you have a fair shot at any of those universities, especially University of Pennsylvania. The private schools are harder to get into than the public ones, generally speaking. I advise that you go to the websites for all of them and get specific information on what they need. You may also consider calling their admissions offices and talking to an admissions officer. They can help you out better than anyone here can. Good luck!

Answer 4

With a good SAT/ACT score, you should be in good shape for Boston University or NYU.

Also, I would give you about a 40-50% chance at Boston College and a 10% chance at the others. I would be able to better help you if you had ACT or SAT scores. Without these, you can't really gauge these things accurately.

Answer 5

Most of those schools will not look to closely past your GPA once its beyond 3.3. (i.e. 3.4 or 4.0 won't matter much). They will look at SAT and ACT scores (make sure to take the ACTs too). The extra cor activites will help you. But what makes the most impact is your entrace essay and you should try to schedule a meeting to walk through the unversity and interview there.

Your essay needs to take into account your grades, your attitude, your activies, and what you want to accomplish in college. If you simply say you want in a good college, they will not take you. You ahve to say how THAT college will fit your future plans. Which means in turn, no one written essay and modify the school name. Find out what that school offers and what they are known for and exploit that in your application by showing how you fit with that.

Answer 6

It kind of depends on how good your test scores are (SAT/ACT, SAT 2, APs). My brother is a senior this year. He was really into science (and one of the top in the state). And even though he did not apply to these colleges, he got into some really awesome ones (MIT, caltech, princeton). It seems that you like science too (environmental club, bio-chem club). And you speak a foreign language (gujarati for me). And you volunteer. Assuming good test scores, I think you have a very good chance of making it into these colleges. not that im really an expert. try collegeconfidential.com.

Answer 7

Essay, essay, essay. I transferred to a university after one semester of community college and my GPA was a 2.0 even though on their website they claimed I needed a 3.0 or higher to be eligible to transfer. Not only did they let me in, but they gave me their largest scholarship at that. I think it's due to the essay I wrote, although I also had a decent SAT score.

Answer 8

Well you won't get in on a sports scholarship. L O L
But my boyfriend went to Boston College and he was not into sports either. He had grades similar to yours. So, I think you would have a good chance to go there.

Answer 9

You must be American so don't take my answer as any kind of help but your grades sound good to me, so all I can offer really is my best wishes with that

Answer 10

You're doing a great job preparing for college. I think you'll get into all of them. Good Work!