<p>So one of my closest friends, he is current Junior and will be applying to schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT (other top tiers as well). We were talking about his course rigor and he wanted to know how would his course rigor be looked at.</p>
<p>He has taken 15 Honors classes so far including Junior year. Doing more next year. He has done many on FLVS, when many kids have done 21 classes by then end of their Junior year he has done 26, and he may do additional FLVS courses over the summer.</p>
<p>He is a straight A student 4.00UW, and his weighted GPA is like 4.6ish and is in the Top 2%.</p>
<p>EC's are AMAZING things like (NAACP, Native American Rights Fund, American Red Cross) There are many more but that's just a couple.</p>
<p>Community Service is AWESOME too, he works with kids that have Hodgkin's lymphoma and many other serious illnesses at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Florida (Google it if you want more info).</p>
<p>He has NOT taken ONE AP class because his parents cannot afford the $87 dollars per test, and he talked to the school they offered to give a $30 discount cutting it down to $57. However, his parents still could not afford it because both of his parents work within the same company, and their company is making cuts (layoffs). So, his parents are trying to conserve money, because they are unsure if they're on the chopping block. </p>
<p>He has very impressive credentials, and he seems like a very strong candidate. These schools do take into consideration his financial situation. However, I’m sure they’ll wonder why he didn’t take the AP classes anyway, even if he didn’t have money to take the AP tests? I don’t know how its like in your school, but in mine we take the AP classes for free and only pay the $87 if we intend to take the AP test for college credit. While his financial situation stopped him from taking the AP tests, nothing stopped him from taking the AP classes.</p>
<p>I think he has amazing chances regardless, he certainly exceeds every academic challenge he has faced. His Native American blood helps too, as I believe he falls into an URM. Anyone correct me if I’m wrong?</p>
<p>In any case, be sure to tell him to explain his financial situation when filling out the applications for every college. College Adcoms understand times are rough, if anything his financial struggles make him a better candidate. They want people from every walk of life.</p>
<p>Your ‘friend’ doesn’t sound like a real person. ‘Amazing’ things like NAACP, Red Cross blah blah. Being a part of those organizations doesn’t make one amazing. What ACTUAL THINGS has he done? How has he changed the world, or even just that group, by being a part of it? </p>
<p>Worrying about how many honors classes one has taken is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Fact of the matter is, if he really does have a 4.0UW, 4.6W, top 2%, and is 1/2 NATIVE AMERICAN, I would bet money that he will be accepted to anywhere he chooses. He’s probably one of the top Native American applicants in his high school class, and will be able to go to college where he chooses. </p>
<p>To be honest I think your ‘friend’s’ accomplishments sound like a list of things you want to accomplish before you apply (which is fine, I’m sure many CCers have made chance me threads with fake statistics). </p>
<p>Anyway, just focus on getting good grades and actually making a difference in the world with your extracurriculars. When app time comes around, get great recs (which should be no problem assuming everything else went according to plan), and write a PERSONAL, moving essay. </p>
<p>At my HS (same one my friend attends), if we don’t take the AP test it counts as an Honors credit. </p>
<p>To amartinsu13 I wish I had a 4.0, I have a 3.94 DAMN PHYSICS. In NARF he has helped raise money and built care packages to send to reservations across the US. With the American Red Cross (I can attest to this I am in the same club) we have raised money for the Haiti Earthquake, and currently raising money to send to Japan and building care packages containing essential items such as non-perishable food items (canned food drive), water bottles etc… and this weekend we’re holding a car wash with all the earned money going to the relief effort in Japan. </p>
<p>P.S. he is the only Native American in our school, which is predominately white and black and Asian.</p>
<p>Wow the lack of knowledge of Native American admissions is astounding. Being NA is not a ticket to acceptance. Anyone can claim it; but you have to be able to substantiate it. Even then, it isn’t a ticket for admission, as you have to be very qualified too. The OP’s friend seems like he’d have a good chance.</p>
<p>lack of knowledge about native american admissions? are you kidding? if this native american kid does have those academic stats, he WILL be accepted. i would be ‘astounded’ if he wasnt. im not saying any native american with decent grades and sat scores will get accepted to top schools, but in THIS GUYS CASE (4.0UW, top 2%, assuming similar SAT score), he would definitely be accepted.</p>