Are these the appropriate application choices for me? (Junior: 3.6 UW GPA, 34 ACT)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>ACT: 34</p>

<p>GPA: ~3.6. Junior year 1st semester: 3.8, 2nd: 3.4. Top 20% for class rank.</p>

<p>White, in rural central Wisconsin, public school.</p>

<p>Unique spots:</p>

<p>-Extremely autodidactic with languages. My goal by graduation, which I'm on track to accomplish, is to get a 5 on the AP Spanish (this year), French, Italian, and Chinese tests. The only class I'll have taken at my HS is Spanish VH, as I'm testing into online AP French and college Chinese. </p>

<p>-Very involved in LGBTQ activism, going to workshops, serving at camps, etc.</p>

<hr>

<p>Academics (by graduation):</p>

<p>-12 AP tests total, 7 AP classes 3 Honours
-8 University classes (half of which are language classes)
-Advanced in English, Spanish, Math, French
-Took extra courses through summer camps, online programs, self-study, etc. Looking like a total of 6 credits outside of my high school/university.
-Tested into AP French solely through 2 years of self-study.</p>

<hr>

<p>Leadership Positions:</p>

<p>Gay-Straight Alliance (Freshman member, Soph. and Junior Pres.)
Interfaith Club (Soph Pres.)
International Club (Junior Co-pres.)
French Club (Soph. Member, Junior Co-Pres.)
Creative Writing Club (Soph. Member, Junior VP)
Political Debate Club (Soph. Member, Junior Co-Pres.)
Math League (Competitive, test-based, scored 4th in region)
Yearbook (Freshman editor, quit after that)
Mock Trial (Junior Defense Attorney)
Principal's Student Advisory Council (Junior Member)</p>

<hr>

<p>Outside of School:</p>

<p>-Involved with local PFLAG, attended national lobbying conference in D.C.
-Totally independent study of Portuguese, Italian (AP test for this), and Esperanto. No classes attached.
-Work with state-wide LGBT youth organization, presenting conferences at workshops, served as youth staff at LGBTQ activist camp
-Volunteer with local PAC
-Served on district committees to develop anti-bullying policy and improve health curriculum
-Planning on heavy campaign volunteering (in 2012 presidential election)
-On committee for district health curriculum formation
-On national committee to plan national organization conference
-Won state-wide award for Youth Activism
-Selected as area rep to conference for rural education in D.C.
-Work with a brand-new, education-focused, student-run nonprofit
-Develop resources with a group for transgender youth
-One of two state reps to national GSA conference
-Gold in both French and English Forensics: 11th Grade
-Viola from 5th grade until graduation, selected for regional Youth Honors Orchestra sophomore year
-Placed into competitive math league team
-Davidson Institute Young Scholar</p>

<hr>

<p>Where I'd like to apply:</p>

<p>Reach:</p>

<p>-Brown
-Yale
-UChicago</p>

<p>Match:
-UW-Madison
-Macalaster</p>

<p>Safety:
-UM-Twin Cities
-American</p>

2

<p>Looks like a solid list to me. I would suggest that you add 1 or 2 more reaches that are less selective than the ones you have because your GPA might hurt your chances at the top colleges.</p>

3

<p>Thank you! I’m having trouble thinking of places between Madison and UChicago, that’s my issue. Would Middlebury, Swarthmore, and Cornell make sense?</p>

4

<p>Yes definitely although Swarthmore can be as selective as the top ivies. How about Haverford? It is also a liberal arts college in Pennsylvania and less selective.</p>

5

<p>That would make sense. Thanks!</p>

6

<p>Any more assessments?</p>

7

<p>I would think that Middlebury would be a great fit for you, unless you have your heart set on a city. Also, what about Georgetown? It’s another place that seems to value languages.</p>

8

<p>I would verrrry much prefer a city, but I can be okay with rural, if I need. I’ll still apply to Middlebury. I like Georgetown, but I don’t mesh for religious reasons /:</p>

9

<p>I would look more closely at Georgetown. I attend a BC, another Jesuit Catholic university, as an agnostic, and I feel fully comfortable. In fact, I love it. The Jesuit order is not very pushy. I get the feeling you might be wary because of your heavy involvement with LGBTQ activity, but I would be surprised if Georgetown wasn’t as openly minded, or possibly even more openly minded, than BC.</p>

10

<p>One thing to look at is class rank and admissions. If I’m remembering correctly, Middlebury takes very few outside of top 10% for example. Otherwise, good list, and good luck.</p>

<p>Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using CC</p>

11

<p>Being in a city was really important to me too. There are lots of colleges out there that will be a good fit for you. I think you can afford to be picky about location.</p>

12

<p>Have you and your family had the money talk? Are you looking for need-based or merit aid, or are you good to go no matter what? </p>

<p>Suggest you look at Tufts. If you’re willing to look at more isolated locales, look at Wesleyan.</p>

13

<p>Along with the money talk look at your safeties. Would you be perfectly happy to attend all of them? If not they are not safeties.</p>

14

<p>Erin’s Dad’s advice about your safeties is extremely important.</p>

<p>I’m afraid that with a GPA of 3.6 and a rank well down in the second decile, Chicago, Yale and Brown are all really out of reach. Have you looked at GW (you might like American better than GW; GW’s student body is a little more conventional in an Uggs-wearing kind of way–JMO, of course) or something in/near Boston (Brandeis, BU, Northeastern)? I think Tufts is unlikely, though. They seem to me to be very interested in class rank, and pretty reluctant to take students who aren’t in the top 10% of their graduating class.</p>

15

<p>OP, take a look at
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1026754-under-3-6-applying-top-schools-2010-11-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1026754-under-3-6-applying-top-schools-2010-11-a.html&lt;/a&gt;
and
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767118-under-3-6-gpa-applying-top-20-parents-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767118-under-3-6-gpa-applying-top-20-parents-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>for suggestions on how to best present your application, especially on the reach end.</p>

16

<p>Madison is the perfect match for you with U of MN a safety. Both give you the in state cost. Both are in cities (Mpls even more urban but still great and fun). If price is not an issue, you could also look at U of Michigan as a small reach. Also a great town/college setting. All three are also very LGBT accepting.</p>

17

<p>Tufts</p>

<p>It may just be the limited folks I know, but I disagree with Sikorsky’s comments. I know a few Tufts students in the A- to B GPA, ACT 33/SAT 2100-2200 range, from two NJ schools that do not rank, that were accepted at Tufts from the HS class of 2009 and 2011. One of the schools in a well-known, but not top, boarding school. The other a private prep school.</p>

<p>I second Haverford.</p>

18

<p>@Georgetown- Thanks for the information. To be honest I didn’t like the vibe when I looked there, but I’ll check it out more.</p>

<p>Tufts- Sure, I’ll definitely put them on the list! Again, it’ll be a reach, but I’d love to get in there.</p>

<p>Financial situation- More need-based would be preferable. We’ve gone through some of the calculators for Brown and Yale- they’d be affordable, as well as Madison and Twin Cities. Hopefully my family’ll all be attending school at the same time, so that’ll boost our aid. </p>

<p>Thanks everyone for the suggestions and thread links! Anyone have anything else?</p>