<p>I know you people here at College Confidential have seen enough of these threads already and, believe it or not, have also assisted me in narrowing down a list of schools depending on reach, match, and safety criteria. That being said, I would still enjoy a bit of confirmation on whether I actually constructed a good list of colleges or not, and I'm sure most of you won't mind responding to one more thread of this sort.</p>
<p>Anyway, intro aside...</p>
<p>I'm been looking into schools with certain characteristics that meet my academic and social needs. Preferably, I would enjoy going to a school as close to either the Pacific or Atlantic Coast as possible, with a preference for the former since my dad's side of the family lives in California, though the location isn't necessarily a must. In addition, I'd enjoy going to a school with no more than 10,000 total undergraduates on campus, though the cap can be ignored to some extent if there are different colleges (e.g. College of Arts, College of Business, for example) on campus. A location by a major city would be preferable, as I've grown up in a suburb and haven't really gotten to experience the city life that much. Last but not least, the school should have a good academic program, and subsequently, a good pre-med program as well.</p>
<p>Here is a rough list of the schools I've decided on so far...</p>
<p>Reach Schools
- Princeton University
- Yale University
- Northwestern University</p>
<p>Match Schools
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Vanderbilt University
- University of Southern California</p>
<p>Safety Schools
- University of Texas at Austin (guaranteed admission if in the top 8% of the graduating class, which I currently am)
- University of New York</p>
<p>Here are the classes I've taken and currently am taking...</p>
<p>Freshman Year
- Pre-AP World Geography
- Pre-AP Geometry
- Pre-AP English I
- Pre-AP Chemistry
- P.E. Soccer
- Communication Applications (Speech)
- Technology Applications
- Prep ATC**</p>
<ul>
<li>I wanted to note that I wasn't really aware of what decisions I would have to make to ensure that I have a good chance of getting into a top college or university, so I ended up taking the standard honors curriculum. Very few freshmen take an AP class.</li>
</ul>
<p>** This was essentially a class designed to prepare you on choosing a career, though it ended up being a blow-off class. Due to my ignorance as a freshman though, I paid no attention to this fault. =/</p>
<p>Sophomore Year
- AP World History (5)
- Pre-AP Algebra II
- Pre-AP Biology
- Pre-AP English II
- Spanish for Spanish Speakers I-II (our school does not designate this as an advance course for whatever reason)
- Computer Science
- Health Science Technology I
- Health / Woodshop* (each one semester)</p>
<ul>
<li>I was forced to take this class because nothing else was available to me that block. x2 =/</li>
</ul>
<p>Junior Year * (College Confidential definitely help me here)
- AP Biology (5)
- AP English Language and Composition (5)
- AP U.S. History (5)
- Pre-AP Pre-Calculus
- Pre-AP Physics
- Spanish for Spanish Speakers III
- Health Science II: Hospital Rotations</p>
<ul>
<li>I self studied AP Psychology (5) and AP Environmental Science (4)</li>
</ul>
<p>Senior Year* **
- AP Computer Science A
- AP Chemistry
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP Calculus BC
- Health Science III: Pharmacy Technician (P.Tech certification class)
- 2 dismissal blocks (i.e. I don't even have to be at school)</p>
<ul>
<li>Our district recently implemented a new schedule that severely limited my options this year in terms of which classes I could take. Though it may be hard to believe, there was no other AP class that I could take during the dismissal blocks, at least according to what my counselor said. The only classes offered were useless electives, so I opted for the dismissals in order to work on homework. Needless to say, the new schedule sucks because I had signed up to take AP Statistics but was told two weeks before school that my request was denied. =/</li>
</ul>
<p>** I took Macroeconomics and U.S. Government at my local community college during the summer, which is why I don't have any social studies class this year.</p>
<p>My overall coarseload represents one of the toughest offered at my high school.
Consequently, my GPA is 4.875 on a 5.0 scale as of the winter semester of my junior year and am ranked 6th out of a class of 345.</p>
<p>Here are my testing scores...</p>
<p>SAT I: 2160
- Critical Reading: 660
- Math: 770
- Writing: 730 (Essay: 8)</p>
<p>SAT II, Biology M: 790
SAT II, Math Level II: 720 (I might retake this)</p>
<p>Here are my extracurriculars...</p>
<p>Freshman Year
I didn't have any extracurriculars because I wasn't aware of their significance until the end of this year.</p>
<p>Sophomore Year
- Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA): I had the opportunity to complete a few hours of community service and competed at state competitions, earning 12th place in Texas on the subject of nutrition.
- Multicultural Club: Nothing too special, though I did learn a bit about other cultures.</p>
<p>Junior Year
- UIL Math Club: Essentially, I competed in math competitions within the region and won a few awards in UIL Math, UIL Calculator, and UIL Science - which we tie into this club since there is no separate one dedicated to the science event.
- UIL Computer Science Club: The same as above, though I didn't win any awards.
- HOSA: I didn't achieve anything significant this year, mostly because the officers didn't set aside time for many meetings, and those that were were hardly ever announced.</p>
<p>Senior Year
Though I barely started school today, I plan on being in the same clubs as last year. In addition, I will be serving as president of the UIL Math Club and, if elected, HOSA.</p>
<p>Not anything impressive, I know, but there's not much I can do at this point.</p>
<p>Here is my previous volunteering experience...</p>
<ul>
<li>Ran concession stands for local high school and college games for a total of about 15 hours</li>
<li>Volunteered at the local hospital last summer, generally assisting patients and stocking up rooms, for a total of around 50 hours</li>
</ul>
<p>Again, I don't have much, but I will certainly bump up my volunteer hours before I submit applications this year,</p>
<p>Here is my previous work experience...</p>
<ul>
<li>Helping my dad mow the lawn at home anywhere from $20 to $25 per mow. Total profits from this "job" are about $500.</li>
<li>Selling beverages at school as part of my own business. I currently have about $100 in assets for this business.</li>
</ul>
<p>And finally, some other info about me that may boost my chances of being admitted...</p>
<p>I am Hispanic, with both of my parents being born in Mexico. I am also the first member in my family to go to college. I received the NHRP from the College Board (or whatever that award is called) for scoring at the 95th percentile or above on the PSAT in my junior year. I've won two awards for best performing student in the Pre-AP English class my freshman and sophomore year.</p>
<hr>
<p>Please feel free to be as harsh / blunt as you need to be. I prefer realistic opinions rather than false hopes. Otherwise, I am open to any and all suggestions that will bolster my chances of getting into the aforementioned colleges.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>