I’m a sophomore and I’m really worried about my chances of getting into college??? I’m not interested in most of the Ivy’s just because I don’t feel as though they’d be a good a fit for me, but I would love to Barnard, which is on or nearing that level of competition. I had a bad Freshman year due to being awful at math, esp Geometry, but my gc keeps reassuring me that it’s ok to have one bad grade freshman year. Still, Barnard is super competitive, and I’m worried about my chances.
If you chance me/give me advice, I’ll be sure to do the same to you! 
Background: Sophomore from MA. White female (middle eastern/european) in a predominantly white town that is middle class. Mother is an immigrant from Turkey. LGBT+. Income 200k+. Suburban public school. Only one kid has gone to an Ivy in 10 years. Another one got accepted to Harvard a couple years ago but deferred in favor of the military. Prob majoring in English Literature w/ minor in Art History and Ancient/Classical Studies.
Reach Schools: UPenn (my mom wants me to apply lol), Barnard (my DREAM school), maybe Columbia since it’s related to Barnard, Tufts
Target: UMichigan, Kenyon, Oberlin, Trinity College Dublin, Emory, Wellesley
Safety: Emerson, UMass Amherst
Rank: 25 out of 350 (trying to get it up desperately!)
Unweighted GPA: 3.9 out of 4.0, 4.01 out of 4.3
Weighted GPA: 4.4
PSAT: 1400 w/o studying. 740 for R+W and 660 for Math. Currently studying for it so I can get a good score lol
Freshman Year:
Honors Modern World History (A)
Honors ELA 9 (A)
Honors Bio (A-)
Honors Drawing and Painting (A)
Honors Geometry (B-) (ik ik I’m really bad at math and my teacher was absent a lot bc of her son; not her fault AT ALL tho)
Computers (not offered at Honors level) (A+)
French I (not offered at Honors level) (A)
Intro to Journalism (not offered at Honors level) (A+)
GPA: 4.19
Sophomore Year:
Honors Chemistry (A+)
Honors French II (A)
Honors ELA 10 (A+)
Honors US History I (A+)
Advanced Drawing and Painting (A+)
Algebra II (A+)
GPA: 4.4
Projected AP’s:
US History
Bio
Language
Art History (taken as self-study, not offered at my school)
Studio Art: 2D
Literature
Psych
(taking every AP available at my school except Calc, Physics, and Chem. We cannot take APs before junior year at my school)
Will also be taking (probably) pre-Calc, portfolio art, Honors French III, Honors Calc, Honors Creative Writing, Honors Physics, probably Digital Art and Speech+Debate (?)
EC’s:
Art Club (9-present)
YESS/Environmental Club (9-present)
Newspaper (9-present)
Creative Writing (9-present, co-founder and head of)
EVE (basically a feminist/social justice club) (10-present)
NAHS (10-present, founded the chapter at my school)
Student Leaders (essentially our Student Council) (10-present)
WJMC: Attended last summer, member of their Youth Advisory Board
New England Young Writers Conference: Will be attending as a sophomore, meant for juniors
Young Writers Workshop at UVA: Attending this summer
Grubstreet YAWP Fellowship: Attending this summer
Upcoming Internship @ NGO for Domestic Violence
(Also on Varsity Track and XC freshman year, as well as JV Softball, but I quit so idk if I’ll put it on my app)
Volunteer/Community Service: 60 Hours currently, will have around 100 by the start of junior yr
Local Softball League
Local Animal Shelter
Local Hospital
School
Recycling/Environmental Advocacy
Awards:
AQ Foundation in Literary Arts
A lot of Regional Scholastic Art and Writing, including gold keys, for both art and writing
Exhibited at a local university 2X
Exhibited at an arts college
Published in a local newspaper 5X
Published in an Anthology for Boston-area teens