<p>Hi! First of all, I really want to thank you for taking the time to read this. If you can give ANY feedback at all, that would be fantastic.</p>
<p>So, I'm really unsure about my chances of getting into Dartmouth. My test scores are pretty good, though not amazing, but my GPA is ultra-low. I have reasons, but I don't want them to seem like excuses to the admission officers, so I plan on having my teacher write about my circumstances in the letter of rec. A third party will make it sound more convincing.</p>
<p>Anyways, here are some of my basic stats, along with occasional explanations:
GPA:
UC - UW 3.85 W 4.3
LAUSD - UW 3.75 W 3.9</p>
<p>the LAUSD GPA is much lower, mostly because of my horrible grades in the first semester of ninth grade. I got a C in Spanish 1 (I know, right? How stupid was I?).
The reason that's going to be mentioned in my rec. - I moved from Taiwan to America right before high school. Adjustment issues.</p>
<p>Test scores:
SAT - 2220 (might retake this) the breakdown is 690 math, 730 critical reading, and 800 writing.
subject tests - 800 Chinese, 740 Math II (retaking that), 670 Physics (retaking that as well).
I've only taken the Math II and the physics only once, so I guess it's okay for a first try, considering how I didn't study for physics at all and barely studied for math.</p>
<p>EC's:
A lot of them are super weak. I volunteered with local organizations, but I don't think my total amount of hours exceeds 200. Maybe around 100-200.
I was on swim team since ninth grade, and got a couple medals at league finals (not city finals though, which makes makes those medals have close to zero value).
I'm part of a couple clubs. In three of them, I'm president, and in one of those three, I'm a co-founder.
I translated some software manuals from Mandarin to English in my tenth grade summer. This summer (my eleventh grade summer), I'm interning at Kaiser right now as part of the Summer Youth Employment Program.
I'm also a member of the Young Senators program, but I don't think that program is prestigious at all. You just basically learn about public issues and leadership, and you volunteer.
I got a couple awards; not sure if they're noteworthy. I was a finalist for the stage of life essay competition in one of the months. I also got this editors' choice award at Teen Ink, but yeah, that's about it ...</p>
<p>I hope my rec's and peer evaluation will be good, because I'll need it, plus some luck.
Also, I'm not a legacy, an athlete, a first-generation ... like, nothing.
I'm Chinese, a major downside, and I come from an average, middle-class family, so I'm the dreadfully ordinary type.</p>
<p>Haha, sorry for all that blabbering. I felt like I was talking to myself. Anyways, please feel free to give me ANY feedback. It would mean the world to me. Thanks!</p>