<p>I'll probably make a chance thread later on, but for now I'll just give you the basics:</p>
<p>Male
-4.0GPA
-Will have to taken 5 AP'S entire HS career (School only offers 7)
-Marching Band all 4 years
-Numerous other honor bands, clinics, jazz band, quintets, a myriad of TAPS duets performances on special holidays.
-Played JV/Varsity Soccer freshman year
-In NHS, Beta Club, and several other organizations
-I Volunteer for 3 hours every Sunday night for a children's organization. (For 3 years)
And so on and so forth...</p>
<p>Now, since applications are due by Oct. 31 (to be considered for President's Scholarship, it doesn't hurt) I'm having to jump on the ball and start my application. Do you know of any good suggestions on what I should add to my app to make it stand out more? And for this year they are only making you write 1 essay, but I have no idead on what to write! Here are the prompts:</p>
<p>1.)Discuss a cultural, social, political, or intellectual topic that you have explored beyond school and explain how it has shaped who you are today.</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>2.)If you were to delay going to college by one year, what would you do with that time? And, what would you hope to gain from that experience?</p>
<p>Dang, forgot about those lol. I'll just say they are not worth mentioning. Due to my school's lack of knowledge about about standerdized tests I didn't know you go prep for it. I am taking the ACT in Septemeber, though, and I have been preping for that. I've been averaging a 30~32 on practice tests.</p>
<p>Well I was sure I wasn't, but I had heard that some people that apply early sometimes get an acceptance letter way before regular decision? Can anyone verify this?</p>
<p>yes, you may get your admission packet much earlier. sometimes they do presidential scholars semifinals acceptance on a rolling basis, so you may get a response very quickly (I dont know if this has changed in the last 3 years),</p>
<p>The essay is not very important. With a 4.0 gpa (I assume thats the highest?) and a 30-32 ACT (dont submit your SAT scores) I assume you will be pres. scholar semifinalist, in other words will be accepted. Are you in-state?</p>
<p>stimpsonjkatz: Actually, I think the essay might be important. I got in with less than a 3.6 gpa and ACT math/english scores of 33/34, which they converted to 740/770. I know I might have gotten in solely on my scores, but I know people with 4.0's and like 1900s who've gotten rejected. Unless they REALLY weigh scores heavily, I think the essay does count for something. And I'm out of state also.</p>
<p>The essay is definitely looked at. If you can show passion in your essay, it can make up a lot for scores. EC's are also weighed pretty heavily, even when picking semi-finalists. Also, if you apply for the PS by October 1st, you will find out if you are a semi-finalist much earlier than if you do by October 31st. Its a new thing this year.</p>