Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

Just warning you, this is gonna be a LONG one...

I've posted here before, but I recently received a copy of my high school transcript (what it is as of now, anyway, sicne I'm a junior) and I'm curious as to what everyone thinks my chances are for getting into NYU. I'd be majoring in Music Education, maybe with a Performance track, with a possible minor in Theatre Arts or Theatre Production or something. Here are all my stats:

(All classes are regular unless they are marked otherwise. All honors, IB and AP classes are unweighted.)

CLASS AVERAGES

Freshman year:
Spanish: 89
Drama: 96
Honors English: 91
Health: 92
Honors Math A\B: 80
Biology: 87
Global History: 86
Chorus: 94

Sophomore Year:
Spanish: 96
Honors English: 90
Math B: 85
Chemistry: 85
Global History: 85
Chorus: 98
Music Theory: 99

Junior Year (so far):
Communications: 95
IB English: 94
IB Theatre: 93
Pre-Calculus: 86
Chorus: 96 (This is because of the 89 1st MP because of lesson mix-ups, it's been straight 99's since then though)
AP\IB US History: 77 (This is because of the 59 I got on the midterm, but if I get above an 85 on the Regents [which is a given for any AP\IB student] the lowest MP grade will be dropped, which in this case would be the 59)
Psychology: 98
AP Spanish: 88


So the GPA (About 90 unweighted) is what's gonna hurt me most. I'm a good essay writer so my essays will be fine, I know my recommendations are going to be stellar [not trying to be conceited or anything, this is what my employer, directors and teachers have told me ], and here's my community service, extra-curricular, standardized test scores and other information:

STANDARDIZED TESTS

SAT II's: Literature 610; Math IC 690; Writing 750 (I might take these over even though they're not bad)

PSAT: Verbal 57; Math 67; Writing 75 (Verbal + Math = 1240)

REGENTS GRADES:
Global History: 91
Earth Science: 89
Biology: 87
Chemistry: 72 (as you can see, Science is not my forte)
Math A: 97
Math B: 91
Spanish: 96
Music Theory: 96
English: 99

Now for the extra-curriculars and community service and other stuff:

FRESHMAN YEAR:
Comedy Troupe (writing, improvisation and performance group) - member
GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) - member
Pathways (9th grade literary magazine) - staff
Art Club - member

Community Theatre - Once Upon A Mattress (ensemble)
Volunteered at two separate day-long festivals for about five hours each with a local newspaper

NYSSMA - Level IV (My first year), 24\28

Over the summer: USDAN Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (musical theatre major--Music Man, Ethel Toffelmeir; Creative Writing minor), job at the nearby library which was a horrible experience and I probably won't even mention it when I'm asked about my work experience

SOPHOMORE YEAR:
Comedy Troupe - Assistant Director
GSA - member
Book Of The Month Club - Member
SADA - member
ITS (International Thespian Society) - 10th Grade Representative
Peer Mediation - member
Buddy Program - member

Community Theatre - Music Man (ensemble)
Breast Cancer Walk
I organized this time capsule project with two other people (we uncovered a time capsule that we had buried at our K-2 school in 1993)
One of two student representatives on my school's Human Development Committee

NYSSMA - Level VI, 96/100

Over the summer: USDAN (musical theatre major--Annie Get Your Gun, ensemble; Tap dance minor), About 30 hours at a local nursing home, job at 7-Eleven

JUNIOR YEAR:
Comedy Troupe - President\Director
GSA - member
ITS - member
Peer Mediation - member
Book Of The Month Club - member
Buddy Program - member
Tri-M (Music Honor Society) - initiate\member
Spanish Honor Society - member
School Drama (Midsummer Night's Dream) - Props
School Musical (Les Miserables) - ensemble (March)
Leadership Group
One of two (acutally, the other one doesn't go anymore, so I'm really the only one) student representatives from my school for the district's Human Development Committee, and I occasionally help with the Suicide Prevention Committee as well
Chamber Choir
Caroling Choir

NYSSMA - Level VI (May)
One of three picked from my school to compete at a monologue competition (March) with an original monologue
Participating in a Spanish poetry contest soon as well
I'm gonna be in Who's Who Among American High School Students, but I hear this counts for crap, so whatever...
I'll be making a speech at Drug Prevention Night...I was actually picked for that Human Development Committee after the superintendent heard me make a somewhat impromptu speech at this last year...

Community Theatre: Fiddler On The Roof - Lighting
Damn Yankees - Lighting (April)
Breast Cancer Walk
Pay It Forward (might not even mention this, it was only an hour long, one day last year...I made a bunch of PBJ sandwiches for a homeless shelter

This summer I'll be taking classes at an acting academy in NYC, working, and doing some sort of volunteer work, but I don't know what yet.

If there's ANYTHING I forgot, though I don't know how I could have, just ask. If something isn't clear, ask, and I'll explain it.

So what do you think...could I get into NYU? What would be better for me\easier to get into, Steinhardt or Gallatin? What could\should I improve? What's good? What's bad? Let me know.

Thanks!

By Matth (Matth) on Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 09:40 pm: Edit

Tisch does not offer minors in any of its programs so you would not be able to minor in theatre arts or production. Work hard to pull up your GPA. I'd retake the SAT II's even though NYU doesn't require them,your marks are low for kids who get into NYU who take them. Your e/c's make it look a little like you've written down anything you've ever done. Too much. For instance, the Breast Cancer Walk. Did you just participate in it? Did you organize it? If you were just a participant, this isn't something to put as an e/c. It's more worthwhile to only list the things that you had sustained and committed involvement in. Otherwise it makes it look like you've joined everything just to put it on a resume. Focus on any longterm e/c's you've had. Find the link on here to the NYU2008 livejournal and you can see some acceptees' stats which will give you an idea of what is needed for each college.

By Blinkeve1826 (Blinkeve1826) on Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 10:32 pm: Edit

Well, I pretty much did write down everything I've ever done. If you look at the list again, most of the things I listed ARE long-term EC's. Besides 9th grade, which was more of my exploration year (figuring out what I wanted to join and what I didn't have an interest in), most of the things on there are things I have an interest in and have done for most of high school. The things on this list I am most committed to are Comedy Troupe, GSA, Tri-M, Chamber, Caroling Choir, Book Of The Month Club, the Buddy Program, NYSSMA...I could keep naming them, but I'd just be rewriting most of the list. Obviously I'm not gonna include things like SADA on my applications, which I was in for a year, and the Special Olympics, which I didn't even list here (I forgot I even volunteered for it until now) but most of the other things I'm in I'm very involved in.

Do you have to organize or run something just to show that you feel passionately for it? I'm just a member of the Buddy Program, I don't RUN it, but I'm very passionate about the cause and about what the group does. Just because I didn't ORGANIZE the event doesn't mean I shouldn't consider my role in it important. I hear something like 10,000 people showed up for the Breast Cancer Walk. Is running the event the only way for my participation in it to be meaningful?

I forgot to mention a beginner's drama workshop I'm holding at the local library, which I'm running and directing myself (so obviously this has more importance than GSA for me because I don't run GSA, right?) Sorry if I'm coming off as bitter, but I work pretty damn hard for nearly all of the clubs I listed. It may look like resume fluff, but if I'm asked about any of them during an interview you better believe I have some interesting stories and things to say about most of them.

I did ask for what's good and what's bad, so thank you for your input. But for everyone else reading this, keep in mind this is just a "master list" of almost everything I've done.

By Matth (Matth) on Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 11:02 pm: Edit

Look, as you said, you asked for advice and I gave it. If you didn't want the perspective of someone who's been accepted to NYU, then you shouldn't have asked, my friend. Writing down every single thing you've ever done is not going to do you any good. Participating in a Breast Cancer Walk is an admirable thing but it isn't an extra-curricular activity. Participating weekly for a year or two in a club, band, etc. is the type of thing you should list. Not a one time event that you took part in. My suggestion is to choose the ones that are most important to you and to concentrate on them. The application will have a limited amount of space to list them anyway. Plus you'll have to indicate the hours spent on them. And as far as discussing them in an interview, that won't be possible because NYU does not offer interviews as part of its admission process.

By Chen (Chen) on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 12:17 am: Edit

You can list one-time ECs on your activity, but I wouldn't do it for the Breast Cancer Walk unless you organized it. Participating in a Spanish poetry contest? My English teacher once said taht you may put down that you were a participant in English essay/poem contests, but I think that counts for nothing in the long run. Unless you were selected, don't put that down even thought I don't think you were going to. Your other ECs seem to fit.

By Blinkeve1826 (Blinkeve1826) on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 12:33 pm: Edit

Matth, as I said and will repeat again, I'm not going to put all of this on my college applications. And I know the Breast Cancer Walk isn't an extra-curricular activity--if you noticed, I lumped everything that wasn't a numerical average or a test score into one section at the end of my post.

Participating weekly for a year or two in something makes it resume-worthy? Okay then, here are those activities I participated in weekly:

Comedy Troupe
Art Club
Pathways
Community theatre productions
Chamber Choir

Some clubs meet once or twice a month. That doesn't mean I don't do plenty of work for them as well.

Book Of The Month Club
GSA
ITS
Peer Mediation
Tri-M
Spanish Honor Society

Should I not put down the honor societies because they don't meet weekly? I'm the president of one of the clubs that meets monthly, but does that mean I didn't do any work for it because it's only once a month?

Then there are those things which require an enormous amount of dedication but don't run for the whole year:

School drama (I only spent two weeks with it, but those entire two weeks were spent doing my job for the drama)
School musical (Everyday after school for a few hours, but it's only for about three months)
Caroling Choir (do people carol during October, or April? No. That's why my participation in this was only for one or two months.)
NYSSMA (Months of preparation, but NYSSMA itself is only one day.)
Buddy Program (which only operates when there are new entrants in our school)

Most of this is common sense. One could look at my college application, see the school musical, and know that even though I didn't work on it the whole year, it was a big commitment. There are exceptions to what you said, my friend.


Chen: I agree with you completely about the Spanish poetry thing, I only put it down because I think I actually have a shot at winning it. I got an honorable mention in ninth grade but I wouldn't even bother putting that down. If I don't win this one, you're right, I wasn't going to put it down. Thanks for the input.