<p>Well I am currently a rising senior at a nationally ranked public school in Georgia. My GPA is 2.9, but after you get rid of my fluff classes it's 2.4. I know, it's bad, but I'm taking summer classes and should have a 2.6 by the end of summer and if I get all A's next semester, which I'm really going to push myself to do, it'll be 2.8 by application time. </p>
<p>My class rank is around 500, in a class of over 800. If I really apply myself though I should be able to reach the top half by application time.</p>
<p>I just took my SAT for the first time this month, and will get the scores back in another week. I should break 2000 based in my PSAT scores which have been 167, 176 and 185. I average about 100 point increase per year, and I will definitely take it again in the fall with an aim between 2100-2200 (based on the results of this one.)</p>
<p>In highschool I've been very involved, and am part of my mock trial and model UN teams. Next year I will be the president of FBLA, JCL and Captain of Model UN. I'm also in theatre, so I have pretty good ECs. </p>
<p>I can get a letter if recommendation from a lot of my teachers and my mocktrial coach, a former judge and state representative, will definitely write me a good recommendation.</p>
<p>As far as volunteering: I will have the President's Volunteer Service Award by the time I apply. I mainly have been doing outreach to youth in the inner city. It's all through a Georgia Tech fraternity, so I have pretty good community service info.</p>
<p>In my junior year I had a job at a yogurt shop and now I'm working at American Eagle, so I have been working while in school. I know this isn't a big consideration by colleges, but I think they do at least look at job experience somewhat.</p>
<p>Now to explain the crazy part. The June before I started highschool my dad robbed a bank; he will be getting out of jail in the next few weeks, so that's part of the crazy part. I came from a normal, upper-middle class suburban family, so what my dad did is completely crazy. It really has impacted me and really kept me from taking off in high school. </p>
<p>Also, to add a little more flame to the fire: I came out as gay this year to my family, so I've definitely had a little more eventful personal life than my average peer, and I need to figure out how to convey this to colleges. Should I call admissions and talk with them, should I do in person interviews, should I write my essays about this and just let them come to their own conclusions? </p>
<p>I don't know where I want to go to school yet, but I'm thinking a small liberal arts school, with an understanding admissions department and a good gay social life scene. I have been looking at schools like Hampshire, Bennington, Marlboro, Emory/Emory-Oxford, Amherst and Brown. Are any of those good (or even realistic) options? I need a school with good financial aid, and small liberal arts colleges are looking the most generous.
(Side note: my mom works at emory, so my tuition there would be zero. Also, I my grandmother went their and some relatives, if that helps.) </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for the help!</p>