I think I have a semi-decent list of factors that make admission into Rice conceivable, but some of the items on my list come with caveats. I hope someone can evaluate my chances of admission and possibly advise me on how to proceed from here.
Ethnicity white.
Class Rank: Top 5%
GPA: My high school does not use the traditional 4-point scale. My weighted GPA is higher than the maximum possible unweighted GPA according to the scale used at my school. If I’m not mistaken, this means that my GPA on a 4-point scale would be at least 4.0, but the scale used by my high school does not translate directly into a 4-point scale. so my transcript will report that my weighted GPA is exactly 4.0, even if it is actually greater than 4.0.
ACT Composite: 31 (This is my first score. I will take one more ACT and I am counting on improving my score. Let’s assume I have a high chance of scoring at least a 33.)
Course load: One AP course sophmore year with an A, five AP courses Junior year with all A’s, and will take eight AP courses senior year.
Extracurricular: Marching band and competitor in academic University Interscholastic League. (Unfortunately, I was not able to compete in any significant academic competitions last year due to scheduling issues, so I do not have any achievements to boast about save for simply participating. All of the major contests next year will most likely occur after applications are due, so I doubt there will be a way to notify any universities I apply to if I am successful.)
One “student award” given to students nominated by any teacher.
Your academics are very strong – you have excellent grades and are in very rigorous courses.
That said, your test scores and EC’s are going to hold you back. You should focus on bringing your ACT up to at the very least a 33 and hopefully higher, but your lack of EC’s is very evident and something you can’t change at this point. If there is anything you are leaving out, please mention it, but I don’t see acceptance to Rice as likely if marching band and the interscholastic league are the entirety of your EC’s. Your efforts out of school should indicate passion and leadership, especially for a college like Rice.
Well, I’m also joining NHS if that counts and I have a small number of volunteer hours, if that helps me by any noteworthy amount. The UIL subject I compete in is relevant to my intended major, so I figured that my participation would demonstrate a passion for that particular subject. And I understand that raising my ACT score is essential.
Don’t listen to @HYPMSC22. She is simply fishing for people to say she is qualified for any school she applies to, which she well knows.
Anyways, I’m not trying to be rude at all, but I intend to be honest so that your expectations are where they should be. NHS is a very generic EC and means next to nothing if you don’t have a leadership position. As for the UIL subject, I’m sure it means something, but academic competitions aren’t that important unless they are very well known and you do well at them (and they certainly aren’t enough by themselves).
I suggest that you talk to your guidance counselor about what you can do in the little time that’s left. What I meant by showing passion is that, for example, if you love chemistry, you start a chemistry club and do volunteer work that involves the subject - or you do some research with someone in the field of chemistry.
My EC’s are not all that great, so I know where you are coming from. Two questions you should ask yourself are: What have you done in your free time throughout high school, and what have you done during your summers? I’m sure you can answer these questions with at least a few hobbies or activities that might look good on your application, and then you should stress why they are important to you. Good luck!
You won’t get into any other top tier college with your extracurriculars. Then again, with Rice, I’ve seen many people get in with good grades and no extracurriculars. That’s pretty much why the college doesn’t produce alumni like Bill Gates or Larry Page. You should apply ED for a better chance.
This thread seems to have attracted some posters who enjoy saying negative things for the sake of saying negative things. The OP needs to ignore their nattering and focus on the issues at hand.
As things stand now, your chances of admission to Rice are very low. Hence the first order of business is to raise your ACT score. Study hard, buy a prep book, take a class . . . do whatever it takes to maximize your chances of improving that score.
Next, take steps to make clear your interest in and enthusiasm for Rice. Visit campus, take a tour, contact an admissions counselor, etc. Put yourself on the radar at Rice so that when the school receives your application, it doesn’t seem to be coming from yet another anonymous high school senior cranking out applications to top schools.
Finally, think long and hard about the essay that you will write as part of your application. Rice admits people–individuals–rather than mere statistical packets. Paint a picture of yourself as a person who will benefit from what Rice uniquely has to offer, who will–in turn–contribute important things to the academic and social communities at Rice, and who will leverage a Rice education to do great things. If necessary, explain that your ECs will bear fruit later on in your senior year, and promise to update Rice about any such developments. Don’t be afraid to show that you have passions–intellectual, social, personal–that don’t necessarily show up via participation in the ECs that your school offers. Don’t apologize for a lack of activities; rather, frame what you have done and are doing in the most positive light possible.