<p>I am in an interesting position right now as far as my future goes.
I’d appreciate advice/recommendations.</p>
<p>I am going into my senior year and am planning on taking a year off following graduation. My question is whether I should apply to only a few reach schools that I could defer from or if that is completely foolhardy. I do want to go to college, but I want to attend a place that has a reputation for intelligence. I am wondering what kind of schools I could expect to get into now compared to after my year off. </p>
<p>Here’s the life story: </p>
<p>Gradewise:
Sophomore year I did badly, getting 3 C’s. At this time however, my personal life was shot to hell as my dad was undergoing intensive medical therapy and
I plan on writing my college essay talking about how I changed it around and learned to enjoy the challenge of pushing myself to see how well I could do and ignored the distracting realities of my life. </p>
<p>Junior year I began to epitomize the idea of an upward trend and believe I can maintain highest honors (all A’s) throughout Senior year.</p>
<p>I took AP bio and US and received 5’s on both. I also got a 760 and 780 on the SAT II’s in those subjects. </p>
<p>I took the SAT I once, without preparation and received a 1940 new (600 M, 690 R, 650 W 12Essay). </p>
<p>I believe I can increase to at least a 1350/1400 on the next testing with mucho studying.</p>
<p>What I do EC-wise is really my strongest suit. </p>
<p>Resume:
9-10 – Teen Advisory Board at local library
9-11- Varsity Swim Team (will have to stop this year b/c knee surgery)
9- Cross Country Varsity
10-12 Teen Youth Forum
9-12 Self employed landscaping job
9-12 Soup Kitchen Volunteering
11-12 Tutoring at Arts Academy (3 times a week/1 hour)
11-12 Tutoring at Math and Science academy ( 2 times a week/ 2 hours)
11-12 Habitat for Humanities (President senior year)
11-12 Biodiesel Research Manager (I attend a magnet school and we received a 19,000 grant from Toshiba devoted to turning algae into oil)
11-12 Kids for Kids
11- Homelessness research/Interviews (co-recipient of a grant to conduct it)
11-12 Literary Magazine
11-12 Editor of School Biodiesel Magazine
11-12- volunteering at an inner-city Girls and Boys club 3 times a week afterschool
10-12- Library Committee at Church</p>
<p>Move on PAC volunteer in 2004 election
3rd place in a regional trivia competition on the brain
UConn Chemical Engineering Internship Summer ‘06
Accepted to a Leadership academy that paid for me to attend an outward bound program in Colorado and taking part in a year long service project with it.
One of founders of an online website that links non-profit agencies with youth web-designers. </p>
<p>So right now I’m considering just blowing off applying to all schools but a couple reach ones. I’m wondering what a “realistic” reach is for me. If I don’t get into any of them, I’ll conclude my senior year with the grades I should have been getting all four years. I also could retake that SAT in June, at which point if it hasn’t happened already, would be at least a 1450. That summer I am going to Uganda for a week to assist an infectious disease doctor who has a clinic there. (Already have that connection, not some dream) I will most likely win the regional brain competition this year and the international finals are in Australia, which should be paid for me by a grant. Placing high in that is very unlikely however. </p>
<p>For the year off, I’m playing off personal connections, one a close friend and another that is working with me on the web-design project in order to get a job at a private school in Costa Rica as a teacher’s aide. This is not as unlikely to happen as it seems and I would come back fluent in Spanish. </p>
<p>I’m wondering how much that year and 6 month’s would actually help me. I imagine that it would greatly increase my competitiveness but I am weighing this against the possibility of never coming home from my travels. </p>
<p>I know this all comes off as rather self-aggrandizing and longwinded, but if you made it to the here, congratulations. Maybe you can make more sense of my life than I can.</p>