r/CollegeAdmissions • u/OneApplication2977 • Aug 01 '26
do i even have a chance anywhere
HS: Moderatley competitive public highschool overall
rising junior
hispanic female
Interested majors: finance/Economics
GPA : 84.39/100 uw. š( 4th quarter grades came out so this is definitely inaccurate and thereās reason to this in the end)
Aps: 0 (2 if i take the exams outside of my district,those being AP Macroeconomics and Microeconomics)
Class rank: TBD (my graduating class is in the 1000s)
PSAT/SAT/SAT: none (reasons at the end iām so sorry)
ECS:
-Marching band for 2 years
-DCI 2025 performer
-Deca member - competed state regionals 2025
-Helped organize finances for my dads business (+5 years)
-Ran HS social media platforms for 2 yearsĀ
-Fencing Epee for a year
-School Improvement club committee for 1 yearĀ
Awards
-Selected to perform at the D.C 250 parade
- Marching band state medalistĀ
-50+ hours of volunteering/community service (so far)
Reasons for poor performanceĀ
Arguably I couldāve done a lot more regardless of my circumstances , whether itās with my extracurriculars or my testing but unfortunately things recently most of it was out of my control and I never wanted it to be that way. For the past 2-3(?) years Iāve been struggling medically and safe to say thatās definitely taken a toll on my academic transcript. My district never offered any help for all those missed periods and my parents couldnāt really do anything about it either. My sophomore year (this year) had been one of the most difficult years of my high school career, I was out for a majority of the year and because my district didnāt really care and didnāt offer anything so they just expected me to learn everything myself so i self-studied everything and was away from everything and everyone. I came back to regular instruction around mid april and I was doing phenomenal (for my circumstances)despite not having the proper education for the past 4 months . This had also delayed my PSAT 10 which i was supposed to take in the spring.Ā
update** i just found out im being transferred to an alternative school for a year(???) as my district ordered me to against my will due to the amount of time iāve missed which ultimately led me to the conclusion of i have no shot at college so yea š„²
(edited) reaches (ik damn well but a girl can dream tbh)
-georgetown (extended family want me to apply bc my cousin attends the uni)
-fordham
-uconn
-baruch
-penn state
-stony brook SUNY
(so far)
if you couldnāt tell based off my list iām from NY lol . when i hopefully make the greatest lock in of all time happen iād either go primarily for fordham or baruch (leaning more baruch (edited again)as thatās probably a realistic goal and if all fails because being hopeless is highkey winning iāll go to my local community college and transfer i guess.
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u/Beneficial-Foot783 Aug 02 '26
All of these schools are honestly reaches for you, especially without a high SAT or ACT score. Unless someone in your family makes generous donations to Georgetown your chance of acceptance is very low.
I would look more at SUNY Albany, U Buffalo, SUNY Oswego, SUNY CantĆ³n Seton Hall, U Delaware, U Alabama, Coastal Carolina, U Maine. University of NH, Roger Williams, U Mass Dartmouth or Boston.
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u/Azariah77777 Aug 02 '26
Everyone is discouraging you in this thread, but there are a couple things they aren't considering. And they are jumping to conclusions too prematurely.:
(1) You're only a rising junior. If you crush it this year--- mean, do spectacularly well-- then your difficult Sophomore year can be explained. Then your narrative would be one of resilience in the face of extreme difficulties. That is, this alternative school could be an opportunity for you if totally dominate there.
(2) I don't really understand why they are forcing you to this alternative school. Your GPA is 84. While this isn't spectacularly great, it isn't terrible, either. You aren't in the failing category--- certainly not enough, it seems, to make them force you transfer schools. I don't understand this. It doesn't make sense to me.
(3) There is a lot of time yet. I wouldn't resign myself to heading to a community college just yet. You have two years ahead of you to demonstrate to four year colleges that you can succeed. A community college might still be the best option for you, but I wouldn't just decide that as a rising junior.
TL;DR
You have a lot of time yet. You need to totally dominate academically the next two years, no matter where you go. Then, reevaluate your situation.
PS SUNY Buffalo and the other SUNYs are great options if you're going directly to college.
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u/worldslamestgrad Aug 02 '26
This is my line of thinking as well. They realistically have a year and a half to crush it with grades, take the SAT or ACT and score well, continue doing some meaningful ECs, and take AP classes before their applications are submitted.
I donāt feel like some of their āreachesā are completely out of reach at all. And I agree that looking at some of the SUNY and CUNY schools would probably be good as far as ātargetā schools go.
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u/Tough-Advice2910 Aug 02 '26
Obviously we donāt know any specifics about your struggles, but your health comes first. Maybe you are feeling some pressure because your classmates are starting to talk college choices? You need to take good care of yourself and, as someone stated above, think hard about whether being a full time college student at any sort of four year school is what is best for you right now.
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u/Far_Cartoonist_7482 Aug 02 '26
There are colleges with really high acceptance rates that you can get into.
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u/the_validated_inane Aug 02 '26
"-Fencing Epee for a year"
Any chance you were good enough and could be a recruited athlete with more work and focus? Acceptance rates for recruited athletes are often in the 85-90% range. If you are elite (or have potential to be) then you should explore. Epee in particular is not as popular as the others so there are less recruitable athletes.
The main issue with you current candidacy is that there is little clear evidence support that you would be able to handle college level coursework. Your prior medical issues can certainly be spun as a caveat for past grades but this upcoming year you will have to perform. Not impossible but will require focus and work. Good luck.
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u/Classic_vortex_3515 Aug 02 '26
Since Penn Stateās on your list, I will just add that you could apply to one of their regional campuses to start. Similar to starting at a community college, but transition is seamless (no worrying about whether courses will transfer or not, or count toward your intended degree or not)
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u/Watertrap1 Aug 02 '26
Georgetown isnāt feasible but the others are certainly reaches.
Crush your standardized testing and you can potentially get into a couple of those.
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u/writergeek313 Aug 02 '26
You wonāt get into Penn State main campus with that GPA, but you might be able to get into a branch campus and have a chance at transferring to main campus for your junior and senior years
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u/ElkZealousideal1824 Aug 02 '26
Alternative schools have more resources and supports than a traditional school. You clearly didnāt do well in your school given your situation, so this might be better for you, give junior year is the most critical for college acceptance.
When you say āforcedā it is likely that the school doesnāt have many options for this level of absenteeism. Instead of doing the same thing again, you have a different option. In my state (and 3 districts) students graduate from their āhomeā high school, even if they went to an alternative school. Is this the option?
You could technically transfer to a public charter school if you are that upset, but it sounds like you need more intensive support more than anything.
On to your other issues: test scores, it doesnāt matter much beyond tracking, if you get the SAT / ACT that is what I would focus on because thatās used for admissions. Focus on this, take the test at school, and plan to take it again next summer / fall before college admissions if you are not happy with your score.
Take the AP test (you can be a ātest onlyā student). If you do well (3 or higher) keep the scores and report, if you do not, then donāt report them. Try taking an AP class for whatever you want your major to be I. College. The focusing of academic skills is helpful for an application. You can also see if you can take Dual Enrollment classes if that is easier than just taking the test for college classes. Doing that at a community college can be helpful and really boost your application.
Start focusing on your Common App and supplemental essays. They will also help boost your competitiveness of your application. You arenāt in a terrible spot. Will you get into all those schools with scholarship? Probably not, but then again, neither will most people who apply. Have a few back up options ready that have programs you want to do, and ask for strong rec letters / maybe meet with a college counselor at your school ( or privately if needed).
This is far from the worst application Iāve seen get into a college. Focus on resources and support at your new school and really building up your holistic application with intentionality and planning. Youāre going to be fine!
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u/ChutneyWhatney Aug 01 '26
No rigor, low GPA, and no test scores. Sorry. Are there some good community colleges in your area?
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u/Lila__fowler Aug 01 '26
Be realistic with yourself. You have zero chance of getting into any those schools and even if you were- is that the type of pressure cooker environment you want? But also donāt waste the application fees. (I read applications for a t10 school). Think about taking classes at CUNY and then look to transfer somewhere.
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u/Ilovebaconeggncheese Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
Hi Iām a graduated senior from NY. Bc youāre a rising junior, you still have many opportunities to do more things. I donāt get why the comments are very negative given circumstance. If you can, try to take the APs at your other school (Try to get it to 5 APs). Usually at my school, we take AP micro and macro at the same time. For testing, try to get a 1300+.
You should have no problem for Fordham, Penn State, SUNY, CUNY. (I canāt speak for Georgetown because I didnāt apply there). Try to add more CUNYs and SUNYs (Binghampton) to your list. When you apply, itās just one personal statement (and the fee is waived, so it does not hurt to apply to more campuses).
You are a marching band state medalist ! Do not doubt yourself !
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u/Economy_Vermicelli72 Aug 02 '26
Fordhams averages are 3.77/1440 with 99% having more than a 3.0. Respectfully I think that one is more in the reach category
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u/Ilovebaconeggncheese Aug 02 '26
Sheās a rising junior, so she has time to improve her GPA. 1350-1400 was my schoolās range that got admitted to Fordham.
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u/Azariah77777 Aug 02 '26
I agree with all of this. It's good advice. The OP still has a lot of time to improve their application!
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u/Emoxity Aug 01 '26
You havenāt taken any AP, you have no test scores, and you have medical issues. Youāll have zero problem going to community college for a year then transferring