<p>Hi everyone,
So I'm in love with Columbia and would love nothing more than to attend there. I will be applying early decision, and I would love some feedback on what I can do to improve my chances, or what I can do that will give me an edge. Thanks so much for your help in advance. Again, please be honest :)</p>
<p>-Unweighted GPA> : 3.92 (I got two B's as a freshman and a sophomore in honors courses, but have since then only gotten straight A's.)
-Weighted GPA: 4.54 (will hopefully be a 4.62 at the end of the year)
-AP Courses: 10th grade: AP Physics B (4), AP European History (5), 11th grade (current courseload): AP Biology, AP Spanish Language, AP English Language and Composition, AP United States History,
-Senior Year Course load: AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Psychology, AP U.S Government, AP Comparative Government, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics
-** class rank/size : ~1100 (largest public high school in the nation), rankings not provided, approximately ~97-98th percentile
- ACT : Composite: 34, Math: 35, English: 35, Reading: 35, Science: 30 (eek I know, I'm hoping to get this up to at least a 33 in April so I can get the composite 35)
-SAT II scores*: Plan on taking Biology, Math II, and Spanish
-EC's *:
-Microfinancing Club: (10th, 11th, 12th) - Founder and president (started in the 10th grade) of ~50 person club, which holds various fundraisers to give loans to struggling entrepreneurs and students in third-world countries through organizations like Kiva, Vittana, etc. So far $7000 have been raised, with 164 small loans given to people in 34 countries all over the world. Club's goal is to reach $10,000-$12,000 by the end of the year</p>
<p>-Congressional Debate Team: (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) 4 years varsity (one of two freshmen to be on varsity), treasurer (11th), senior captain (12th), have won several awards at the national and local level, competed all over the nation</p>
<p>-Jefferson Awards Students in Action Leadership Committee: (11th, 12th)Appointed by school as one of the top ten community service leaders in the school to represent school's achievements in national and local competitions. Will be going to Washington D.C in June to act as a representative of the school's community service achievements.</p>
<p>-Project Dance Committee: (10th, 11th, 12th) Act as head of the planning committee for a dance fundraiser which raises money to assist the Riverside Foundation, a home for adults with developmental disabilities.</p>
<p>-Freshman Mentor Program (11th, 12th) - Advisory leader, lead an advisory of 20+ 9th-grade students 5 days a week for 30 minutes and mentor them to ensure a smooth transition to high school.</p>
<p>-National Honor Society (11th, 12th)</p>
<p>-*Volunteer work *: (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) Volunteering with children (ages 2-19) with special needs, attending recreational outings and being a volunteer counselor at the summer camp. 500+ hours of community service</p>
<p>-*Summer activities *: After 9th, and 10th - Volunteer counselor at a camp for children with special needs, after 11th - Internship at the Northwestern Law School's Center on Wrongful Convictions, doing research with college undergraduates and summarizing cases of wrongful conviction from the past 200 years, with my research eventually being published in a book. </p>
<p>-Recommendations will come from my AP English teacher who also had me freshman year and knows me really well and about my debate experience, Other one will come from my AP Biology teacher who knows me from class, but also knows me because I am on the Jefferson Awards committee which he appointed.</p>
<p>-Additional information:
-No idea if this will help in the least but older sibling attends Columbia Law School
-Parents immigrated from Russia, mother did not attend college
-White/Caucasian
-Female</p>