Hello there! I’m just another run-of-the-mill Mormon girl wondering if she will be able to get into BYU so she can get her MRS degree… I’m just kidding, well at least about the MRS degree part. I used to be super anti-BYU because that is what everyone else seems to do, but eventually I realized how great of a school it is, with an incredible price tag!
I’m in full IB, which has ruined my GPA to a lowly 3.35, but senior year instead of taking IB Calculus I will be taking IB Math Studies which will lower my stress levels and raise my overall GPA and grades in all my classes. Throughout high school I’ve been taking the most challenging classes available to me with a B+/A- average with the exception of IB Pre-Calc and Pre-IB Chemistry which have collectively killed my GPA (and to some extent my sanity). I think my the end of 1st semester of senior year I can raise my cumulative GPA to 3.5 ish.
At the end of junior year I took the ACT and received a 27. Granted I only studied a couple hours, and didn’t study at all for the science and math portions which dragged my score down [English-28, Math- 25, Reading- 30, Science-26]. I have been studying much more this summer, and have implemented a study plan, and I think it is realistic to raise my score to a 30 and hopefully a 31 or 32. Especially if I focus on the Math and Science sections.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the IB diploma program it is an international kind of honors program (like AP except for international). It has its own diploma where you have to get a certain cumulative sum of your IB test scores, complete the Extended essay (4,000 word research paper, completed mostly during the summer between junior and senior year), complete 150 CAS hours (Creativity, Action, and Service), and receive a passing grade in all your IB classes.
I have plenty of extracurriculars including:
Key club, FBLA
Varsity volleyball(team captain), club (a “select” traveling team) volleyball
JV basketball, recreational basketball
C-team basketball (team captain)
Coaching 7th grade volleyball (for the past 4 years)
Co-President of the Outdoor Nature Enthusiasts club
Tutoring a 3rd grader in math
National Honor Society
Recreational soccer (just Freshman year)
Other: I was a member of my school’s band freshman year
I’m somewhat diverse as I’m half chinese/half caucasian if they care about that
Church: I’m standard in all areas: I’m passing seminary with over 95% attendance, My bishop and I are tight and I’m certain he would give me a raving recommendation, and I’m almost done with Personal Progress.
I know with my GPA it is a bit of a long shot, especially with the acceptance rate plummeting as a result of the RM’s returning from after the age change, but then again I have extracurriculars that show leadership, and I’m certain I can get at least a 30 or higher with a bit of studying. I’m thinking that if I don’t get in I could go to BYU-I or BYU-H, and then transfer, but I cannot even fathom living in Rexburg so I’m hoping that I don’t have to go there. I guess I could just go to any other school and then transfer too. [Does BYU prefer transfers from other BYU schools, rather than other schools or even possibly international schools (My uncle bought a flat in Berlin and says that there is an English speaking university that offers free admissions to foreigners, and offered me the opportunity to be his tennent if I go to school in Berlin, but I would only want to go there for a year)]
I’m kind of worried about the essays because honestly I haven’t faced any exuberant trials. My family is solidly upper-middle class (+$110,000 yearly income, I’m not really sure how much more because my parents won’t tell me much about our financial status), I moved around a bit up until 3rd grade (NY 3 yrs, MI 2 yrs, UT 3 yrs) and have lived in Washington state ever since (9 yrs in the Seattle suburbs). Most of my childhood struggles stemmed from a couple of mean girls, which badly hurt my self esteem and will to be different from the crowd, but nothing that I didn’t get over by high school. I have never been cut by a sports team, however most of the reason I make these teams is because of my work ethic, which I guess I could write about. I have been very fortunate to have stayed in great health despite my klutziness and being a multi-sport athlete. I guess I will have to impress them with my wit and writing skills if I can’t give them a story. I’ve been so blessed to have lived such a privileged life compared to many, but that doesn’t really help when it comes to college admissions.
Anyways, I know that I won’t really be sure until I get that fateful notice, but it would be great to get some insight from an unbiased ear, because my father is so disappointed in me to the point where he thinks that I’m going to end up at the local technical school and major in hair braiding (which apparently they do have…) because it turns out that I am actually quite talented when it comes to braiding (I have a stereotypical helicopter asian father with a bit of a sassy side, who reminds me of my lack of a future daily). In reality I wish to become a Physical Therapist, at least that is what I’m planning on right now. If I do go to BYU I would major in Exercise Science, and then go to graduate school to get my DPT. I am job shadowing a PT tomorrow to get a feel for the job, but I’m fairly sure that this would be a fulfilling career choice, and one that offers opportunities to work part time when I have a family.
Thank you for taking the time to read this!