architecture

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm a junior at a highly competitive high school in the Bay Area. I'm planning to go into architecture, and I'm applying to most of the top schools from the latest DesignIntelligence report(Cornell, SLO, Vtech, Syracuse, UT at Austin, Carnegie Mellon + USC for the proximity and Frank Gehry :P).</p>

<p>I've got a 3.7 GPA unweighted, and about 4.0 weighted(although it'll be different based on each school's standard of calculation i guess).
790 Korean SAT, 800 MathIIC SAT, and Physics SAT to be taken in the fall of 2009. I've taken the SAT twice, here are my scores:
1st time:
740 C.R., 720 Math, 770 Writing
2nd time:
690 C.R., 800 Math, 740 Writing
My ECs are 2nd degree Kendo black belt(dont know if thats relevant), Leadership institute in post-9th grade summer, school's drumline for three years, and likely-to-be editor-in-chief+3rd year member of my school's newspaper, but if not, News Section Editor last year, Graphics Editor next year, a couple writing awards with the local newspaper.
I've got plenty of hours of volunteer service built up since my freshman year, and my porfolio is pretty good in the opinion of my sister who's studying Illustration.</p>

<p>I've got a few questions:
1. Since I'm class of 2010, i've got the option: should I send both my SAT I scores or just one? and if just one, which one?
2. What are my chances?
3. Based on what i've seen on other CC posts, I have a feeling most of the responses are going to be "It depends on your portfolio and application," so any advice/recommendations?</p>

<p>sorry for the rather longwinded post!</p>

2

<p>oh wow i just realized my post is actually rather short. Here’s my stats a little more organized.
College Choices
Cornell
Vtech
CalPoly SLO
Syracuse(my sister goes there for Illustration)
UT at Austin
Carnegie Mellon
USC</p>

<p>Biography
2nd Generation Korean, public school in Bay Area(Highly competitive), California
Low-to-Middle Family Income(parents own a candy shop, so it fluctuates with the seasons)
Fell very ill late Soph year, had to stop going to school for a while, still recovering.</p>

<p>GPA/academics
Freshman year: No APs/Honors(school doesn’t provide for freshmen)
Sophomore year: Chem Honors/Precalc Honors
Junior year: AP Calc BC/Phys H/Span H
Senior year: AP Physics/AP Lit + Studio Art(non AP/Honors)
GPA: UW~3.7 W~4.0</p>

<p>SATs
Korean - 790 Math2 - 800 Physics to be taken in fall
1st time SAT I - CR 740 Math 720 Writing 770
2nd time SAT I - CR 690 Math 800 Writing 740</p>

<p>ECs
Kendo(2003-2008) - 2nd degree black belt
Volunteer at a mentally-disabled youth center (2006-2010)
Drumline(2006-2009)
School Orchestra(2007-2008)(Unfortunately just could not get along with the director)
FBLA (2006-2008)
Private Tutoring (2006-2010)
Key Club (2007-2010)
Journalism (2007-2010)
- News Section Head (2008-2009)
- High Likelihood of Editor-in-Chief (2009-2010)
Candy Shop Employee (2008-2010)
Co-Founder of an Art Activism Club(not school-affiliated) (2009-?)
Possible Internship at Gov’t office (2009-2010)</p>

<p>Others ECs:
Leadership Conference (2007 summer)
2007 - Most Improved Percussion Musician at my school(is this even worth putting in?)
2007 - 1st Place Local Newspaper’s writing contest
2008 - 1st Place same contest
2008 - 1st Place award from Scholarship contest with my dad’s Alumni Association (Korean University)
2009 - Will attend national journalism convention - hoping to score at least an Honorable Mention for a Centerfold design i made on Gaza Conflict</p>

<p>Portfolio
a few still lifes, Lots of nude/figure drawing, Possibly architectural work(although I hear it’s not recommended, my art teacher apparently has a packet handed to him personally by a Cornell admissions officer that says any archi-related work is good), a couple art photograph shots, creative pieces(forgot what they’re called hahaha), one(maybe two) self-portraits, other portraits, graphic design from my newspaper.</p>

<p>Recs:
Studio Art teacher
Journalism Advisor
Do I need other recs?</p>

<p>Oh and another question,
Anything else I should add to portfolio?</p>

3

<p>OH and 220 PSAT</p>

4

<p>i’m fairly sure you need some recs from academic teachers
also
you say you’re intrested in architecture but you have quite a lot of different EC’s most of which are not architecture related
i think any related award or ec’s are very important and remember to submit lots of your architecture/art related stuff in the art supplement
also although i think you have an excellent chance for all the colleges you listed, some of them seem more technical and i’m not sure how good you did in AP math
if you did well then that should not be a problem
i on the other hand, have gotten B+'s in AP math so i’m not applying to any technical schools
sorry for unhelpful post, i’m not yet very familiar with colleges</p>