@lookingforward Thanks again. I’ll just expand on my involvement in Smile Train: I’m recording music and selling it, but along with that I’m also busking, and having a live concert for the community.
In addition, would colleges consider the intensive volunteering of Police Explorers (where I am always interacting with the public, directing traffic, giving directions, etc.) an instance of community service?
No, I didn’t mean more Smile Train, it’s mostly about fundraising, no? At a distance. I meant something where you directly do something with the needs and needy around you or some local advocacy group, run by adults, for local needy. Busking is great, but not community service. It’s still more music and something most people do solo. Same with a concert, more music, not hands on.
Similarly, Explorers is volunteer work, sure, but again, not what colleges consider comm service, per se. You’d want to do more than, say, direct traffic. Is there an Explorer way to go work with needy teens or families? If not, you’ll need to find this. Easiest way is to get involved with a meal site, now and through December, at least.
WashU is unpredictable re: admissions, for several reasons.
Try to learn what these colleges look for and expect.
@lookingforward I appreciate your feedback, thank you.
Seriously, you took AP Physics C outside of school, sat the exam, and scored a 4, and are now taking the class for HS credit?
Depends on if your high school normally has BC as a following course to AB, or if BC can be taken immediately after precalculus. If the latter, then it can look like grade-grubbing through repeating most of the course.
Yes, that looks weird. Seems like taking Spanish 4 instead would be more helpful, especially given some of your possible intended majors.
You have an excellent profile. You also have a mother who can showcase your app so it looks good to AOs.
Make sure you have a school that you know will take you, preferably early. I don’t see a single early option to get that sure thing done. UCs don’t have any early notifications and they are heavily GOA driven. Your GC and mother can tell you more about your chances st them. If Merced or Riverside are your Safeties, fine. I still believe the crux of college search is finding that non selective school that will take you early that meets all of your academic wants. Anyone can just take top college names off the top school lists. Your college. list shows no work or creativity. Just name brands. It would be great to see some results of brain storming with your mother and adding some great lesser known schools to the list.
@uelliot Duke, Vandy, and NW all have ~10% acceptance rates and are reaches. WashU might be a reach, but a more reasonable one plus they have good programs in your potential fields of study.
I would consider Spanish 4 in your course schedule.
The ghostwriting caught my attention. And it will certainly catch the attention of the adcom people, if dished up correctly.
Your main task will be to distinguish yourself from the hoardes of other high scoring Asians from California.
I wish you the best of luck.
It’s not OP who said his mom was involved. And of course, we have no idea if that other poster’s mom did it 20 years ago, directly after college, or more recently, so the experience might apply today.
I agree this thead is getting more confusing, as posters add. If you took physics C, why retake? You’re supposed to report outside classes and adcoms will see it’s a repeat.
And, “And in AB and BC are pretty similar in their content, so colleges might think I’m taking the easy route for taking those two back to back.” That’s another bit of confused thinking, sorry. Retaking physics C is the issue. It’s the same course, not any progession.
The ghost writing is interesting, but not something adcoms look for. We know noting about how OP got involved, if it’s a connection/favor, true responsibility for a body of work or just “help.” Inlude it, if you wish. On this thread, we don’t need that explanation, but it’s not a tip.
Imo, OP has some thinking to do and the best person to help may be the GC. And his own look-see at how colleges describe what they look for.
Whoops, sorry. Thought OP’s mom was in Admissions.
I think OP looks good but those schools he wants are lottery tickets. He should get some more likely admissions and sure shots on his list.
@cptofthehouse I agree with you 100% on your comment on the list of colleges I showed you. Those colleges are reaches/low reaches for me. I just wanted to see a probability. In your opinion, what should be my targets/safeties?
You need a Fiske Guide to Colleges. You need to do the digging. Anyone can throw out names, but the aplicant needs to know what those schole look for and then do some self-assessing.
You might want to consider adding Rice to your list. Sounds like you would enjoy getting involved with the Baker Institute, Rice’s on-campus public policy think tank (and one of the top-ranked university based think tanks in the world).
A surprising number of Irvine students have ended up at Rice, including my OCSA-grad daughter. Her academic interests were similar to yours, and she had a great experience at Rice.
Ah, that is the most difficult question in in the college search process. The answer is very much individual. You see, the vast majority of students are overjoyed to get into HPY et al. Those schools that make the “top” Lists are preselected as prizes and most anyone would love to go to them. Finding a school YOU would really enjoy, that can provide you with the courses you want, that will accept you and is affordable is something only you can do since a lot of it revolves around you.
Being in CA, you have excellent state schools at every level of selectivity from the UCs with Merced , a number of the Cal States and the community college system.
It seems you were very successful at music (if it was you solo). I’d definitely do U-Penn (Wharton) as a reach and possibly Juilliard.
How do you plan to approach your essay?