Chance an asian with a low gpa? (Really specific resume)

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I am a rising senior and Im trying to thin out my college application list to about 10 schools out of the following:</p>

<p>Caltech
Northwestern
MIT
Uchicago
Pomona
Rice
UVA
William and Mary
Duke
Vanderbilt
Georgia Tch
Notre Dame
Georgetown
Johns Hopkins
Wake Forest
Carnegie Mellon
Brown
Columbia
Dartmouth
Princeton</p>

<p>Obviously, im not going to try to apply to all of these schools, but I especially want to go to Uchicago and want to apply to at least one ivy league. I am currently thinking about which school I want to early decision on, and right now I think its between JHU and Dartmouth. If you have any suggestions for schools, don't hesitate to tell me!</p>

<p>Ethnicity: Asian
Sex/state: Im going to leave out my state/sex to make it harder to track me, as my ECs are pretty specific...
Major: I haven't decided on polysci/bio/physics... will probably state polysci on app
School: I think we're top 100 public schools in the country? </p>

<p>SAT: 2400
SAT2: 800s in chem, bioE and biom, math2, and physics
APs: 11
GPA: 3.75(uw)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RANK: comes out in October, top 10% at least</p>

<p>I realize my gpa is extremely low... I had straight As up until junior year,
and one of my close friends passed away, which really screwed up my first semester junior year grades (I got a C+ in BC calc and Bs/A-s in the rest of my AP classes (5). I ended up improving, but I still had 2 A-s, a B(chem), a B-(calc) and a B+(bio) for final grades... HOW MUCH WILL THIS HURT MY CHANCES?!?!?!</p>

<p>My Recs will be great, both teachers have known me for over 3 years and love me <3 One will be given to my math teacher, the other to my history teacher/debate coach</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULARS:</p>

<p>Karate (12 years)
-black belt 3rd degree
- now work as an instructor (I teach little kids)
- "Captain" of the demo team (kicks and flips and stuff)</p>

<p>ORCHESTRA VIOLIN/VIOLA (8yrs)
- First chair of school orchestra (3yrs)
- First chair of county orchestra (2yrs)
- First violin regional orchestra (1yr)
- First violin state orchestra (1yr)
- Started my own orchestra at school that plays contemporary music ( I conduct it)
- Violinist in a quartet, we play for money (at malls and stuff)
- Teach as a job
- Wrote duet music for guitar+violin/Viola</p>

<p>VOLUNTEERING (1200+ hours) :
- Presidents Volunteer award gold, 4 years
- President of Key Club for a year, VP for 2
- raised over $15000 for causes for charities</p>

<p>-Volunteer for special needs kids since 8th grade (over 1000 hours)
- Coached sports (tennis and basketball) for these kids
- Created a club at my school dedicated to raising money for special needs programs
- Interned for a psychology practice dedicated to helping children that could not be taken care of by the public school system (2 yrs)
-Tutor math to mentally handicapped children at my school (alg+ geometry)</p>

<p>POLITICS:
- President of MUN at my school
- Created school newspaper dedicated to international and national politics
- President of JSA/Young dem/rep (they're all rolled up into one "politics" club at my school)
- Given public speeches to my school about political issues
-placed regionally and locally for MUN and JSA (not that big a deal)</p>

<p>DEBATE (4 years):
- State Champion (2 years)
- Regional Champion (2 years)
- District Champion (2 years)
- Captain
- Qualifed for the TOC
- Qualified for CFL(s) twice (barely didn't break this past year...)
- placed semis, quarters, octos and won a ton of national level debate tournaments
- Made a camp for upcoming high school debaters (20 students, $250 per)
-Coach for local middle school policy debate and pofo (what a joke haha)</p>

<p>SCIENCY STUFF:
- 2nd place at astrophysics olympiad (went to Europe)
- Competing this year at an astrophysics olympiad, only 5 are chosen from the nation to compete
- Was chosen for a highly selective aerospace program that interns you with NASA
- Interned at NASA multiple times
- Built a reactor at my house in order to do experimentation on renewable energy
- Done a ton of research on satellite communications and fusion, Was invited for a tour of the CIA for my work on satellite communication technology, presenting my fusion research this year
- Was invited to a state-sponsored program for physics, very competitive (50 people in the state I think?)
- Was invited to a summer program at NASA that had us do modules and simulations of Space (100 people were invited)</p>

<p>There is a boatload of stuff that Im forgetting, which I'll update as I remember them</p>

<p>Mostly, im really worried about my junior year grades, I feel like I've done everything else to the best of my ability, and I'm afraid that my grades are going to be the chink in the armor thats going to kill my admission chances!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance :)</p>

2

<p>Why not apply to Harvard and Yale? You clearly have an excellent chance at getting accepted.</p>

3

<p>As long as you are in the top 10% of a highly ranked high school, your “low” GPA isn’t going to hurt you much.</p>

4

<ol>
<li><p>Have you talked to your parents about financial parameters and cost limits? Have you checked the net price calculators at various schools to see if they can be affordable on need-based aid? Have you checked the merit scholarship pages for those which are not affordable on need-based aid?</p></li>
<li><p>Do you have any safeties which you will certainly be admitted to, will certainly be able to afford, and will like?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Eliminate any unaffordable schools, and any schools which you would not choose over your safeties.</p>

5

<p>I hate when people do what youre doing right now. 3.75 is not a low GPA nor is it an “extremely low” GPA. You are trying to make it seem like you’re better than everyone else. Also, you know your chances are extremely good at those schools you listed, no need to ask! </p>

<p>However, to get to your question, I recommend Dartmouth because I don’t want the competition at JHU haha! :)</p>

6

<p>No need to get hurt, Lehigh, or to extrapolate. schlagg is asking an honest question. His GPA is low for sure, not extremely low, but kind of low for the top schools. Everything else is absolutely amazing =). I’m sure you will be fine, schlagg! Your EC’s, especially, are insane. The GPA will not be a huge problem. You should probably talk to your counselor and ask them to explain it.</p>