Hey guys,
So I’ve been searching forums for a while now and I still have not been satisfied with an answer yet so I thought I’d finally make an account and answer it the best way possible - asking it myself. I’m currently a grade 11 student in Ontario going into grade 12. So far my class averages this year are
100% in university level pre-AP functions
98% in mixed level economics
(doesn’t matter but I’'l include my 94% in weight training)
100% in university pre-AP chemistry
This semester I have mixed religion, mixed accounting, grade 12 AP world issues, and university physics. I’m planning on getting over 95 in all of these classes (96 religion, 98 accounting, 97 world issues and 5 or 4 on AP exam, 97 in physics).
Next Year I’m taking university English, mixed religion, university physics, a new leadership/tutoring class offered by my school where you go and tutor students, AP advanced functions, AP calculus, AP chemistry, and university economics. (planning on taking AP calculus and chemistry exam)
This year I’m taking the SAT Math level 2 and SAT Chemistry and I have a strong feeling that I’m going to get over 780 if not 800 on both. I’m going to take the standard SAT in October and I’m still not sure how I’ll do on that.
In terms of awards, I have a couple awards in math contests such as being in the top 25 percent and having the highest score in my school on some of the tests (almost all waterloo math contests). Additionally, I’ve been on honour role since grade 9.
For my ECs, I did 300 hours of volunteering as an assistant coach at my local yacht club in the summer of 2012 (my grade 8/9 summer), and now during the summer of 2015 (grade 11/12 summer) and throughout the grade 12 year I’m planning on doing volunteering as a crew leader, telling people what to do at a construction site (Habitat for Humanity). Additionally, I’ve written an article for them that is going to be posted in their monthly newsletter about encouraging young people like me to come volunteer as they are very rare at Habitat and I’m the youngest crew leader. I also tutor a couple of people in math as a part time job. Also, I’ve had a passion for trading stocks for a couple of years now and I teach myself how to trade using fake/paper money accounts in a real time simulator (however I might get started in getting to do it with real money). Finally, one of my teachers whose friend works at a highly regarded investment firm may be able to get me into the firm in the summer as a summer co op placement.
So I was wondering whether these factors are good enough for a Canadian student from a low-income family with few opportunities to get into the Ivy league schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. I now that I don’t have a lot of volunteering, specifically none at all in grade 10 and 11, however the volunteering that I did do I enjoyed as I previously sailed for 6 years and the volunteering I’m planning on doing is also going to be enjoyable as my dad works in construction and I went and worked with him from time to time. Finally I know that I’m a Canadian so it’s going to be harder to get in when compared to a US student.
Thanks in advance everyone!