Asking for Help To All Parents in this forum......please help me know where I am!

Parents Forum
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<p>Hello =) I am a high school sophomore living in bay area of Northern Cali. I am desperately in need of advice from some of the more experienced/mature parents of this forum. As a sophomore, I have many things planned out for next year and am already implementing some this summer. Many of the stats/E.Cs and such are "predicted", but please evaluate my status and chances at UCs, IVYs, and Stanford based on the assumption that I achieve these statistics. I have been through some tough times, flying/moving home halfway around the world more than 4 times in my life (between U.S and South Korea, each time moving in and out of different states/cities of U.S and S. Korea), and had some trouble adjusting when I came back to U.S at the beginning of high school..........I was totally unprepared for the rigorous college admission process! But if you have any advice on what to do from now or evaluation of my chances, please comment. Thank you! =)</p>

<p>Ethnicity: Korean American</p>

<p>GPA/Letter grades:</p>

<p>UC GPA: 4.35+
Overall Weighted GPA: 4.23
Overall Unweighted GPA: 3.92
A-G unit count: 55+
Class rank: 5~10% (20 ~ 40 /400 or so) <- bad!! (school not very competitive)
School: Suburban Public (ranked 35th in state, not very competitive......not too many APs or honors offered... hence the low weighted GPA). Also, we are required to take 2 yrs of mendatory PE classes and do not have any social studies courses (not solid courses; there are some electives) during freshman year. Our school has limited AP classes and just opened AP Bio and two Junior honors english and history course last year.............so my school is pretty bad in terms of academic opportunities even though it's not in a rural community or a ghetto(no offense). In fact, it was impossible for anyone to get weighted GPA higher than 4.3 until last year. However, last year two people were accepted URM status into Yale, one in to Stanford, one in the Princeton.</p>

<p>Freshman:
Vocal Choir III (Madrigals; our most advanced choir class): A/A
Creative Writing/Journalism I: C(later replaced by A earned in an equivalent course at a local community college)/A
Spanish I: A/A
Biology I: A/A
English I(9th grade): A/A
PCM II(Geometry): A/A
PE 9: A/A</p>

<p>Sophomore:
Vocal Choir III (same): A/A
Spanish II: A/B
PCM III(trig/algebra II): A/A
Honors Chemistry(one of two honors courses available to sophomores): B/A
English II(10th grade): A/A
PE: Weight Training: A/A
World History: A/A</p>

<p>Junior: (predicted)
Vocal Choir III (same): A/A
Spanish III: A/A
Honors Pre-Calc: A/A
Honors English III: A/A
Honors US History: A/A
AP Bio: A/A
AP Statistics: A/A</p>

<p>Classes taking in senior year: (predicted)
Vocal Choir III (same)
AP Spanish IV
AP Calc
Honors Physics
Honors US Gov/Honors Economics
Honors English IV</p>

<p>On a side note, I came to US from South Korea just when I was entering high school.........but I had experiences living in US before and therefore am very much fluent in english(also US citizen cuz I was born here) Even so it's been pretty tough tryin to get myself settled into this whole new system of education. I intend to emphsize some of the experiences I had while I traveled between countries 4 times over.</p>

<p>You'll notice that I haven't got much AP courses....but the ones I took/planning to take were virtually all that my school offers rite now. No other AP science classes, or any other AP history courses whatsoever.</p>

<p>SAT/AP Scores: (mostly predicted)</p>

<p>SAT I: 2400 (hopeful.....though it will not be impossible.....I scored decently on the PSAT taken as a sophormore)
SAT II: Korean 800 (this wouldn't hurt me so much would it?)/World History 800/ Math IIc 800/ Biology 800
AP: AP Bio:5 AP Statistics:5 AP US history:5 AP Psychology: 5</p>

<p>I've also taken number of community college courses (6 total) mainly in history and social science but also some in biological science. All A.</p>

<p>Extra Cir/Leadership:</p>

<p>-(Sec/Tres ~ President) KEY club 11th - 12th</p>

<p>-Sec/tres 11th (probably also assistant student director senior year) for Vocal Choir III(our most advanced choir class) 9~12th</p>

<p>-(VP ~ President) for American Cancer Society 11~12th</p>

<p>-member, (Secretary ~ VP) of Junior Statesman of America 10~12th</p>

<ul>
<li>Founder/ President of Pre-med club in my school. Invested much time in this club. 11th- 12th</li>
</ul>

<p><em>Writing/going to publish a short book(about 50~75pg booklet) in Korean about korean international transfer students and guides to adjusting in US, plus some personal experiences</em></p>

<p>Volunteer/intern: KCCEB (Korean Community Center of the East Bay) 11th - 12th
120 + hrs from random community service</p>

<p>Red Cross club: 20+ hours (bone marrow drive/carwash and such...)</p>

<p>The idea of writing the book was inspired by my dad who asked me to share my experiences with other students in similar situations like mine......it was a very worthwhile project. It shared some of my deep personal thoughts and beliefs as well as information that would be helpful to the reader.</p>

<p><em>Also, my school does not rank but most of the 5% have a perfect 4.0 UW, and since the school is not very competitive (some easy grades in certain classes) I don't think being on the top 10% is a very good thing. Would low class rank in non-competitive public school critically damage my chances? I had a C and 2Bs... these make me worry me as well(they weren't given in honors or AP class)</em> </p>

<p>I would love to major in history/Poli-sci, but am also planning to go on from there to a med school. All of these areas are those that I am passionate about. I think medical career is a very worthwhile line of career in terms of benefiting and helping those around me, but I also have passion for history and such studies.</p>

<p>I know I am short on Awards or other ECs, but do I stand a good chance at admissions...? Maybe I should try to get more awards from contests since I still have time. I will greatly appreciate any comments or feedbacks, or any thing to do to increase my chances between now and senior year. By the way, thank you for all who will reply to this thread. I will REALLY appreciate every answer/advice/eval. </p>

<p>Prospective colleges:</p>

<p>(All IVYs)
Princeton <- really want to get in =)
Stanford <- same
UC Berkeley
UC Los Angeles
UC San Diego
UC Davis</p>

<p>Thank you for reading this far! =)</p>

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<p>Shouldn't you be having some fun?</p>

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<p>=) when I want to yes</p>

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<p>bumpiddy bump</p>

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<br>


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<p>When it comes to the super-selective Ivies and Stanford, I believe the answer is probably yes. Our local high school is a middling-range large public high school in Southern California. From our high school (and excluding consideration of under-represented minority applicants--which you are not), the Ivies and Stanford have taken kids who ranked 1-5. And I don't mean 5%. They have only taken from the top 1%. Without something really outstanding in your record (good test scores don't count--maybe some national recognition in your EC), I think you will have a hard time at these super-selective schools where the admissions rate is less than 10%..</p>

<p>What is the record at your school for kids getting into the super-selective colleges? Knowing general info about the kids who have gotten into the Ivies in past years will give you an idea of where you stand.</p>

<p>If you haven't read this already on CC, DON'T fall in love with any super-selective school that hasn't accepted you and DO fall in love with at least one safety school. </p>

<p>Of the schools on your list, UCSD is a match and UC Davis is a safety. If you wouldn't be pleased to go to those schools if you had to, then you need to do a lot more work in finding suitable safeties.</p>

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<p>The notion that you would hypothetically project out all your grades, ECs, scores, and experiences for the next two years, and that you are projecting a "shortage of awards" in order to figure out the possibility of attending schools you've probably never even seen is very troubling to me.</p>

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<p>Mini: Actually, I have lived right across the street from Princeton for nearly a year, visiting it frequently. I have also visited stanford and UCB as well. It is true that to "project" my stats is, to say the least, presumptuous, but I believe my potential is not limited to the safety schools alone. I really hope the parents on this forum can evaluate me on the information I have posted...........I shouldn't give up so easily. I apologize if I sounded a bit pathetic and presumptuous mini. However, several of the E.Cs and Comm. college, SAT II are already done, so not all are "projected" as you say. I have followed through with my plan in 9th and 10th, and I intend to follow through plans in 11th grade as well =) Thank you for your input :)</p>

<p>ellemenope: Thanks for replying.......I guess my chances are not as great as some other applicants and maybe even impossible.......but I have set my "realistic" sights on UCB and other UCs, and have already visited them, so I am comfortable with my safety schools. That, I do not have to worry about..........but to be honest, I hope to join some greatly talented people of my age at higher-tier colleges, and I will not stop trying.........but your comment was real eye opener for me........thanks again =)</p>

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<p>The number of students selected by the Ivy types from a school varies. At my S's school, of about the 200+ kids who are going to college, about 12+% are going the Ivy's, Stanford, UChicago range schools. If one goes on to include top LAC's Duke, WUStl, CMU, JHU, etc. schools, the % grows dramatically. This is an urban central city school of modest resources. I believe a couple of the kids had standout EC's, but not all. The school one attends may not be all that predictive. If you can afford to apply to your "reaches", why not?</p>

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<p>I don't mean to be the "fun-sucker" out of anyone's party, but college admissions to super-selective schools is BRUTAL to most kid's egos (there are some who get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton AND Stanford, but that is really rare). You may want to read "The Gatekeepers," by Jacques Steinberg, a non-fictional account of the life of an admissions officer at Wesleyan, a highly-selective liberal arts college in CT. That book opened my eyes to how college admissions are run. </p>

<p>Also, due out in September this year is a book written by the staff at the Harvard Crimson entitled, "How They Got into Harvard : 50 Successful Applicants Share 8 Key Strategies for Getting into the College of Your Choice." I will be interested to hear what those 8 key strategies are. . .although I could probably guess some of them.</p>

<p>--Take hard classes and do well in them.</p>

<p>--Take SAT prep seriously and do well on your tests.</p>

<p>--Show passion in your EC (you don't need lots of ECs, but you do need to be able to show depth in 1 or 2 of them--regional, state or national awards would be nice; top leadership positions good also)</p>

<p>--Develop personal relationships with 2 teachers and your GC so that they will be able to write good recommendations for you.</p>

<p>--Prepare a great application package--a focused application that hits hard on 2 or 3 key points through your essays, ECs, awards, etc.</p>

<p>Look--if you would be perfectly happy to attend UC Davis, then go ahead and aim high with your other applications. Apply to the super-selective schools and give it your best shot. You do have some things going in your favor.</p>

<p>Your SAT 2s are very high--it would be interesting to see if your SAT 1s will be in the same ballpark. Are you taking them this fall? You'll be taking the PSAT this fall. Prepare for it and do the best you can. The National Merit semi-finalist designation is a nice one to be able to put on your application. </p>

<p>The fact that you've taken community college courses and gotten A's will look good. Your grades in junior year are very important. UCs will only look at grades 10-11. Stanford doesn't count your freshman year, so your C won't count. 2 Bs in sophomore year will not condemn you if your junior year grades are very good.</p>

<p>Things are not impossible, and I don't want to give you that impression. Other Ivy's are not as selective as Harvard, Yale and Princeton (think Cornell), but they are no cakewalk either. </p>

<p>--But no one should stake his or her whole happiness on getting into a super-selective school. If you can accept being rejected at all your super-selective schools and be able to say, "well, I tried," and then move on with your life by happily going to a safety school, then you should go ahead and apply to the Ivies and Stanford.</p>

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<p>I suggest you search for past messages from Tlaktan, another Korean-American also interested in international relations who will be going to Georgetown. His main EC was JROTC. A wonderful thing about Tlaktan is his dedication, initiative, sense of responsibility and unflagging energy. Although he did not have the highest board scores, he ended up getting admitted into great schools with good financial aid.</p>

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<p>I just read tlaktan's threads and posts......wow I can really see his energy and determination in his writing. There was so much for me to learn :) thank you marite</p>

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<p><em>gasp</em> Marite! You're back! <em>hugs</em></p>

<p>I have to go off to church in a few minutes, but yes, Marite is right. I didn't have terrific board scores (for this board, mediocre or underperforming at worst).. but I did get into my school of choice (Georgetown SFS, after being deferred first round)..</p>

<p>One thing I had to do was broaden my horizons; that is, pursue schools that were out of the ordinary. Most of the kids in my school go off to UCs, a rare one of two every ten years goes to Stanford, every five MIT or Caltech. As for my school, we're bottom-rung academically, not even on Newsweek's list (where some of our peer schools are), and a PI-4/PI-5 improvement school according to the President's No Child Left Behind.</p>

<p>I see the "Ivy-or-UC-or-Bust" mantra resonating from your pick of college choices. Try including other places as well. There are other wonderful universities (e.g. Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Williams) that will be more than happy to consider your application, and are in some fields considered to be on par or even greater than the Ivy League.</p>

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<p>OY thank you tlaktan......I guess I do have that sort of tunnel vision that says ivy-league-or-bust :) well koreans are known for that but in my case I am more than willing to consider some of the other possiblities such as LACs and other not-so-well-known privates. I read many of your posts already and I am throughly impressed by what you have accomplished. I could learn much from how you overcame all the obstacles and mistakes to achieve what you did.</p>

<p>Well....as a fellow korean american, I just wanted to ask your input on the book that I am about to write (I assume you read my loooooong post above), do you think this is a good idea? I have passion for this since my life has revolved around moving from one place to another and seeing the different sides of two nations and its people. If you have anything that would help me in researching/writing this book, it would be great if you could tell me about them. Thanks =)</p>

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<p>oh, and I did consider Georgetown....just didn't put it on the college list :)</p>

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<p>I would have to defer the book question to one of the more knowledgeable parents as far as the extracurricular impact goes. </p>

<p>I'm also well aware of the pressure from Korean parents for their child to go to an Ivy League. =/.. Disheartening, at best. There's a whole 3,000+ colleges/universities out there besides the IL, and yet the mantra still seems to stick. A pity. Thank goodness my parents saw outside the trend.</p>

<p>C's won't kill you, by the by (I just briefly glanced over your profile). I didn't have the test scores you had, nor the GPA. I had, I think it was... hrm... 2 Cs in AP Bio, 2 Cs in AP Environmental, 2 Cs in Algebra II, and well, that kept me bruised for a while. Oh yeah, a C in College Microeconomics (I took it in the 10th grade, big mistake) and a C in College History of Contemporary Art (also taken in 10th grade).</p>

<p>I took 9 college courses and I think a total of 10 AP subjects, two were half-year courses.</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure if you look around my admissions results are lying around somewhere, but a quick recap: I was accepted to Notre Dame and Case Western Early Action, Michigan Rolling, Williams and Vanderbilt Early Write, and Georgetown after a deferral. Coincidentally, I was waitlisted from Occidental College. :/ Go figure?</p>

<p>I did apply to two Ivies (Brown and Dartmouth), and was rejected from one and waitlisted at the other. Needless to say, I really wasn't focusing on my Ivy applications, so that is mea culpa. I wasn't aiming for Ivy, simply because I knew deep-down inside it wasn't quite right for me.</p>

<p>You've quite a long way to go before you have to start applying for this vicious cycle of admissions. That's great. Enjoy your time. I hadn't thought about college admissions until the end of my junior year, and even then, I was waaaay ahead of the game in comparison to my peers.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all your wisdom Tlaktan! Oh and congrats on getting into Georgetown :)</p>

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<p>Good advice Tlaktan about broadening the college search. We do see so much of Ivy/Stanford or bust at our high school.</p>

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<p>which non-ivy/stanford private school would you recommend?</p>

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<p>It depends what your course of study will be.</p>