Question about acceptanceAnswered
My 9th grade marks were-94%
And 10th grade-89.4%
And I don’t have great Extracurriculars but aiming to get into Columbia,Cornell and nyu .
What should I do ? Should I focus on extracurriculars or my marks or on both?
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3 answers
Columbia, Cornell, and NYU all have very similar attitudes about extracurriculars;
Yes, they stand out and look good, but the most productive and profitable ones are the ones that have clear achievements and merit, such as clubs in your planned field of study, or groups that have awards or competitions connected, tangible prestige. Also, note that less is more here. You can only have so many extracurriculars, but all in all, colleges will look at your grades just as much, if not more, than any extracurriculars, and even if you do 10 or more clubs, picking a few well-chosen, look good, beneficial clubs is better for your apps. Also, be sure to not neglect your marks! Good grades will get you on their radar, and extracurriculars will help you stand out among all the other good grades.
Right now you are below the average GPA for Ivys and Elites and Top Liberal Arts colleges. If you get straight As in the 11th grade and 12th-grade first semester, you might qualify. You are okay for NYU.
Since all Top50-100 schools use a holistic approach toward evaluating you as a worthy candidate to join their campus, you have to do everything at once. You need the highest grade, course rigor, intellectual vitality, high-tiered ECs, amazing essay, top recommendations, evidence of great personal character evidenced by your leadership roles, community service, volunteerism, and work experience.
Grades are the foremost factor for admissions, though not the only one. You should aim for 90+ at the very least because the colleges you're aiming for are T20s. When you will apply, you'll have your 11th results as the most recent transcript for applications. If colleges see an improvement, it makes a positive impact on the application. I'm not implying your current stats are bad; it's just that they're not good enough.
For extracurriculars, you can take up a sport, art, music, dance, debate, or anything like that. Pick a couple of them and stay consistent. Don't try to do a little bit of everything; that'll be counterproductive.
Hope this helps!
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