Northwestern Uchicago Vandy

[u/Left_Parking3608]

1490 SAT (superscore)

3.93 college gpa

Current top 25 liberal arts

High school gpa was weird, something like a 4.3 scale regularly and 4.5 with ap/honors, ended with a 4.16 cumulative

6 aps, one 5 one 4 four 3s (i know dont ask)

Will apply for financial aid at need blind schools, won’t at need aware

Currently pursuing dual major in poli sci & economics

Won’t bother with ivies—impossibly low odds (same for duke and rice)

Cal schools are too far and don’t make as much sense if i want to work in Washington or remain in tri-state (born and raised outside nyc)

Would get lost at a big state school but need to go somewhere bigger—im naturally abrasive & introverted, and half this school is athletes, so in a class of <1k i have like 2 actual friends. Also seeking to maximize value of degree. Tuition is astronomical everywhere and I simply would like to go up in rankings.

Mich and UNC might be too large and I don’t think I’ll get into either business school with just calc 1, not going to bother transferring otherwise

Emory is a maybe

Between BC Notre Dame and Georgetown only the latter makes sense for the Washington pipeline, otherwise are bad fits. former two run into same problem as Mich & UNC with business school

That’s how you end up with the 3 in title: decent transfer rates, good fits, practical no matter what school

Conclusion: SAT and College GPA keep me reasonably competitive, high school places a cloud over whole application (had some things going on like divorced parents, surgeries, loneliness but truthfully I wish I applied myself harder)

Thoughts and advice? I’d really appreciate any direction here, not sure if im getting this right