<p>I'll start by giving GPA and SAT and other things that may have affected my admissions:</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.6
Weighted GPA: 4.2
AP Test Scores:</p>
<p>Language and Comp-5
US History- 5
Music Theory- 3 (really hard test)</p>
<p>SAT:
Verbal-780
Math-770
Writing-690</p>
<p>SAT 2's:</p>
<p>Lit-740
Math 2-750
US History- 780</p>
<p>Senior Year Courses:
Japanese 7-8
Music
International Relations/AP Government
AP Calculus AB
AP Psychology
AP Biology
AP Lit</p>
<p>Race/Gender:
White/Male</p>
<p>Extracurriculars (spelled incorrectly probably):
Squash: 4.0 level player, but i didnt push it as hard as a could, I wasn't trying to be recruited (biggest mistake)</p>
<p>Some volunteering at a local hospital, and instrumental music</p>
<p>Brief bio: I attend a good public High School in Southern California.</p>
<p>The actual colleges: </p>
<p>'Dream Schools' (read: no chance of actually getting in but would be nice if they randomly decided to accept a range of GPA's)</p>
<p>Columbia- rejected, wasn't really surprising, and knowing what I know now, it wouldn't be my first choice like it was at the beginning of the process (their squash team seems a little underwhelming). I think I applied as an Anthropology/ Cultural Studies Major</p>
<p>Williams- Knowing what I know now this would have been my first choice at the beginning, they have a great squash coach/team, and excellent academics obviously. I was rejected and I applied as anthro/cultural studies</p>
<p>'Reach Schools' (read: I think i worked hard enough to get in, but it didnt happen for me):
UC Berkeley- I was rejected initially and on appeal, I'm a decent writer, and I thought my letter appealing my rejection projected honesty and dedication, without complaining, but it didnt work out.</p>
<p>Haverford College- Knowing what I know now, this is the place I wish I was going next year, more than Columbia or Williams, more than Berkeley. The squash coach and the people on the squash team are really cool. I did everything i could just to get on the waitlist (using a family connection, meeting the squash coach, visiting the campus, etc), yesterday i received mail telling me they didnt have any space, im so disappointed and kind of defeated because I really tried to get in here.</p>
<p>UCLA- I didnt want to go to UCLA, way too close to home, but ill put it here because it qualifies, I was rejected, and im a little upset because other people at my high school go in who I felt were less qualified. However, I would not go to UCLA even had I been accepted, so good call from them to not accept me.</p>
<p>USC- read UCLA, same deal, other less qualified (imo) people at my school were accepted.</p>
<p>UCSD- I didnt really think of this as a reach school, i honestly thought I was assured acceptance, but I was offered the waitlist, whcih i passed on because San Diego is in SoCal, and I visited it and its kind of lame.</p>
<p>Safety Schools (I got accepted at these schools, and I knew I would):</p>
<p>UC Merced- surprise surprise
UC Riverside-see merced
UCSB- too many frat boys sorority girls, could have been fun, but not really my thing
UC Davis- Lovely campus, the nicest of the UC's, I visited and the town is really weak. I think i would only survive frosh year because thats the year you live on campus.
UC Irvine- ew, this school will ruin your life seriously, its like going back to high school, i know soooooo many people going there and i just smh and smile at them and tell them theyll have a great time, who am i to step on their dreams?
UC Santa Cruz- very beautiful campus, has all the great student housing options that Santa Barbara has, but with hippies (I like hippies) instead of the bro's. This is most where Im registered at, though I still have some time to decide on...</p>
<p>University of Oregon- i have till the 23rd of may to make up my mind, and i will probably visit on the 22nd. I hear conflicting things (hopefully someone can clarify): some people say U of O is on the up and up, buying good professors and recruiting good students. Others say its really not that great and that its 111th ranking in US News/world report says it all.</p>
<p>Summary: I am deciding between Santa Cruz which I like, and Oregon which I also like (no visit yet though), at both I would be looking to try to transfer somewhere else after frosh. Im just not satisfied with either. Major worries for santa cruz are that ill become a complacent slacker (you saw my grades, im not an amazing student, i get A's and B's in close to equal numbers, and santa cruz has a lazy culture in some respects) and that ill ruin my chances of getting a transfer somewhere. Also very important (perhaps more important than UCSC vs U of O), I wasnt accepted from the waitlist at Haverford, however what if someone who they did accept doesnt choose to attend/isnt able to attend, wouldnt I be a possibility for getting a spot if that happened? What can I do to even get a plausable shot of still being accepted there, because Haverford is where I want to be next year in all honesty. Thank you so much for reading all of this, and I look forward to all comments suggestions and questions.</p>
<p>I have enough money saved up (thanks to my grandmother, my parents were no help, but then thats probably normal) to have more than enough money for any UC/ out of state public school. At a private school I have enough money for 3 years, and I figure I can get a part time job to help pay for the last year (work all four years). My major would be something in the social sciences like anthropology, economics, statistics, or sociology. Im not sure what i want to do with my life, but working for an NGO in a third world country or becoming a constitutional lawyer are careers that seem attractive to me.</p>