Admission chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>I'm a senior this year.
4.04 weighted GPA, 8/405 in my class
Scores of 5 on AP Biology, European History, English Language, Psychology; 4 on US History, and an unfortunate 2 in Calc AB</p>

<p>My courses this year:
AP Government
AP Statistics
AP English Lit.
Honors Physics
Physiology/Pathophysiology II
Medical Microbiology/Hereditary Medicine
Scientific Research and Writing
Keyboarding (I know that's slack...I need it to graduate)</p>

<p>Junior Year courses:
AP Calc AB
AP US History
AP Psychology
AP English Language & Comp.
AP Biology
Physiology/Pathophysiology I
Dual Enrollment Emergency Medical Tech.</p>

<p>I'm in an Academy type program within a public school for students interested in health sciences, so I take courses like Pathophysiology and Microbiology in addition to regular high school classes. I'm also a VA state certified EMT.</p>

<p>I have 200 or so hours volunteer work teaching horseback riding to elementary school aged children (including 100 with mentally handicapped kids) and now do so for pay. I'm a camp counselor during the summer.</p>

<p>I'm varsity captain of my school's Scholastic Bowl team (also called quiz bowl, college bowl, etc in other places) and will be joining (and likely captaining) the debate team this year.</p>

<p>I'm on the city's Mayor's Youth Council and attended by invitation a meeting with the Governor on the state of high school education. Last summer I attended the Governor's Foreign Language Academy for German Immersion.</p>

<p>I do have 2 rather serious holes in my record - a C in Calculus my junior year, and a few Bs (and one C) in credit courses I took in middle school (algrebra-C, Earth science and geometry-B)</p>

<p>My grandfather was Princeton Class of 50-something...1954, I think. </p>

<p>Anyway, my question is, do I have a chance of getting into Princeton?</p>

2

<p>sats? sat iis?</p>

3

<p>right, I forgot! Sorry, still new at this.</p>

<p>SAT:
800 verbal
680 math
710 writing with a 10 on the essay</p>

<p>I plan to take the ACT and 3 SAT subjects (biology, math 1, and literature) in October.</p>

4

<p>switch your math and verbal scores and our sats are very similar.</p>

<p>i think your chances are pretty good, actually. You obviously have some "passion" for what you do. If you intend to go into medicine as a career and write a good essay around that, then you would seem like a great candidate. Although, i don't know for certain if your grades will bring you down.</p>

5

<p>Princeton recalculates your GPA removing anything prior to Sophmore year as well as removing weighting, so your pre-highschool credit courses will carry little to no weight.</p>

6

<p>i know this seems away from her main post but would say over 1000 hours of community service/with essay look strong on a normally "ordinary" essay. Im not sure how most accepted students are towards community service hours so any input is greatly appreciated</p>

7

<p>If you're any good at math (and you certainly don't seem bad--you're taking Calc next year), I highly recommend taking the Math II. It's graded on an easier curve and it looks better.</p>

8

<p>I strongly recomened the Math II over the Math IC. One question on the Math IC can ruin damage your score, and 2 ruin it.</p>

9

<p>I think your chances are average. You might get in and you might not, but I don't think you have any sort of hook that would make an admissions officer really want to admit you. </p>

<p>I noticed your legacy status. Does anyone know if having a grandfather, aunt, uncle, etc. who attended carries the same weight as a parent?</p>

10

<p>grandfather would be the same as parent. others wouldn't count, really.</p>

11

<p>Jon, I took calc as a Junior and got a C...I'm absolutely AWFUL at math.</p>

12

<p>Definitely take Math II. Princeton will take the score much more seriously. If you still think you want to take Math I, then go buy a review book that covers both tests. Take a practice test for both Math I and Math II. If the difference is really dramatic, then you could take Math I, but if the scores are relatively close, you should take Math II.</p>

13

<p>Oh, and I suppose I should add...he isn't my mother's real father. My grandmother remarried when my mom was 10. He basically raised her and is the only grandfather I ever really knew.<br>
Granted, they don't ASK if he's a real blood relative...but is it really lying if I don't say he's a step-grandfather?<br>
Little moral dilemma...</p>

<p>AND good news for me! I was named 'Presentation Activities Coordinator' for the Medical Honor Society and Co-chair of the Staff Relations Committee.</p>

14

<p>which looks worse, a decent score on math 1 or a less successful score on math 2?<br>
Or what if I didnt take a math SAT II at all and opted to take a history...?</p>

15

<p>Taking history would be fine, just make sure your 3 subjects are in different areas. A decent math 1 score would look much better than a lower level 2 score because everyone knows that math 2 is curved way up (although it is more advanced material, so it does show initiative taking the level 2).</p>

16

<p>given my past difficulties in math, does it not show initiative to attempt a math subject test at all? that's kind of what I'm going for...that even though I'm hopeless in math, I never give up trying. that's something, right?</p>

17

<p>It's easier to get a decent score on Math II than Math I.</p>

18

<p>At my information session, I was told that they like to see you stretch yourself, and when it comes to the Math SAT II, they said that Math Level II is the stretch they are looking for in most cases. If you have absolutely no interest in math or science and want to major in English or something then just don't take the Math SAT II at all.</p>

19

<p>and as for the question of my dubious legacy relationship...?</p>

20

<p>Call the admissions office and ask. If their policy is that only direct descendents are legacy then you would not want to put your grandfather down.</p>