<p>Hey everyone! I'm currently completing my sophomore year, and I was hoping for some honest, harsh if need be, criticism of my chances for being accepted into some of my first choice colleges; I'm not shooting for many Ivies, if any at all, but they're still fairly prestigious universities, such as:</p>
<p>Cornell
NYU
Columbia
Carnegie Mellon
UPenn
and perhaps Princeton, but I don't really think I have a shot there.</p>
<p>Some General Info:
Gender - Female
Ethnic Background - Born in Macedonia, and moved to the US in 2000.
High School - Not a very academically strong school, and I believe we're the most populated single-campus high school in NJ (simply put, extremely overcrowded and run down).
Class Rank: (unweighted) 5/875; weighted, I'm expecting it to be 3-4.
My family is lower-middle middle class, and I will most likely be applying for financial aid.</p>
<p>Freshmen Academics</p>
<p>English I Honors: A
World History Honors: A
Math Connections IV (Algebra II Honors) (this is a highly selective math program; only students who've been accepted in the 6th grade can continue on to take it through high school): A
Biology I Honors: A
Strings I: A
Spanish I: A
Gym/Health: A</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 4.0</p>
<p>Sophomore Academics</p>
<p>English II Honors: A
US History I AP: A
Math Connections V (Geometry Honors): A
Chemistry I H: A
Strings II H: A
Spanish II: A
Gym/Driver's Ed: A</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 4.0 (the year hasn't ended, but I'm 99% certain these are my final grades)</p>
<p>***My PSAT score, without any previous studying/practicing/etc., was 201. I'm shooting for at least a 2100 on my SATs, after taking classes.</p>
<p>Junior Year Schedule (this upcoming year, I'm getting rid of my lunch to take another course, so I'll have one more class than most, if not all, of the juniors in my year)</p>
<p>English III Honors
US History II AP
Math Connections VI (Pre-Calc Honors)
Physics I Honors
Psychology AP
College Accounting (it's called a "Middle College" course, in which, weighted, it counts as an AP class, but we don't take an AP test)
Spanish III
Gym/Health</p>
<p>Senior Schedule</p>
<p>English AP
World History AP
Calculus AP (Math Connections ends after junior year)
Physics AP
Spanish AP
Statistics AP
Gym/Health
I haven't decided my final class yet; the only other AP available is History of Art (more than 1 science course requires you to drop a class and take a general course, which would ultimately bring down my GPA/class rank) </p>
<p>ECs</p>
<p>I am starting up, and am going to be president of, a science-oriented club in my school focused on exposing females to the engineering field next year; everything has been set up, but I have to wait for it to be officially instated in the school.
I've been a member of Key Club for 2 years now, and will most likely be elected as Treasurer or Secretary senior year.
I'll have participated in 5 seasons of track, and 2 seasons of cross country by the end of senior year; I'll be captain of cross country, winter, and spring track/field (we have about 10 seniors every year, all are made captains).
I've tutored children in the local library for two years, will continue to do so this summer, along with about 2 hours a week in a hospital.
This summer, I'm traveling to Italy, France, and Greece through People to People, a student ambassador program; I'll be getting 3-10 university credits (depending upon the academic workload I take up for the program) through the trip.
Next summer, I'll be applying to numerous internships, primarily in the science field; I haven't decided which ones exactly yet, but I'll be looking into different opportunities in the next few months. If worst comes to worst, I'll at least be taking university classes at a nearby state college.
I've been playing the violin for seven years, and the viola for three. I'm in the school orchestra, and will be inducted into the Music Honor Society this year.
I'll be applying for Treasurer for the Tri-M (Music Honors Society), and will most likely get the position (no one else from the orchestra is applying, and they like to "recruit" a member from strings, band, and choir every year); by senior year, I'm hoping to have reached the VP position.
I've taken private violin lessons on and off since the 8th grade; I'll be taking them up full time starting this September, and plan to stick with them through junior and senior year.
I'm in the Ethics Bowl (will be competing in almost two weeks), and hopefully, if we're successful this year, will be promoted to captain by senior year.
Currently in the quiz bowl; will be captain of team by senior year.
I'm also joining the Academic Decathlon for the upcoming year.</p>
<p>I'm planning on taking 3-4 SAT II Subject Tests; I know that I'm certainly taking the Math II, US History, and Physics ones, but I'm undecided about the fourth (Literature?).
I'm not sure about taking the ACT. To be quite honest, I've only recently become actively competitive in terms of college. I was placed in the Honors classes in the 6th grade (in our district, your classes in middle school dictate the courses you continue with in the high school) without any knowledge that it would boost my chances for being admitted into college. I only realized that SAT II tests even existed this year, and only in the 9th grade discovered what AP classes are. Coming from former Yugoslavia and only recently aware of how the American school system works, I've been trying to gain as much knowledge as possible, and as the first individual in my family to (hopefully) be accepted into college, I'm not expecting to attend an outstanding school. I'd still appreciate your help and recommendations.
Thanks :)</p>