<p>As I've been working on applications I've become increasingly worried that my low GPA and lack of volunteer hours will hurt me... I'm also unsure of where I should really try to get into. I am posting for some advice.</p>
<p>Hopefully I haven't forgotten much... I feel like I have. If you need any more information, please ask; I'd be happy to provide it. Thank you all very much in advance.</p>
<hr>
<p>Personal Info:</p>
<p>Age: 17
Class: Senior
Residency: Florida
Intended Major/Interests: I am interested in getting degrees in biochemistry, neuroscience, psychology and/or other similar majors. I am interested in these majors because I am interested in the science of cognition (and modification of cognition) as well as aging and life extension.</p>
<p>Other: I've had what I would consider depression for much of my life, but I only tried medicine once and did not like it at all. I don't think this would be a positive thing to even mention on my application, however, considering all the stigma attached to it. Particularly with the string of shootings that have been perpetrated by the mentally unstable (although I don't consider myself mentally unstable).</p>
<hr>
<p>Family Info:</p>
<p>My family hasn't been incredibly stable. I've lived with my mom since the age of four, and she had not ever held a job for more than a few weeks. Our income has been consistently nigh nonexistent. I've moved about half-a-dozen times since I moved to Florida at the age of 11, usually switching between apartments, my Grandma's house, or to be with my mother. </p>
<hr>
<p>Universities I am considering/need to research/would like advice on:</p>
<p>University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of Florida
Florida State University
Florida Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Yeah... right... well, one can dream!)
Maybe more.</p>
<hr>
<p>Statistics and Test Scores</p>
<p>GPA: ~3.45 unweighted, ~3.9 weighted.
Weighted Class Rank: 50 of 256 </p>
<p>First SAT:
*<em>Total: 2250
*</em>Math: 790 (-1 MC)
*<em>CR: 750
*</em>Writing: 710 (6/12 essay, -1 MC)</p>
<p>Second SAT:
**Scheduled for October.</p>
<p>SAT Subject Tests:
**Biology, Physics, and Math 2 - Scheduled for November. </p>
<p>First ACT:
**Composite: 33</p>
<p>Second ACT:
**Scheduled for September.</p>
<p>Advanced Placement:
<strong>Taken as a Sophomore, 2011:
**</strong>WH - 3</p>
<p><strong>Taken as a Junior, 2012:
</strong>USH - 4
<strong><em>English Language - 4
*</em></strong>U.S. Government - 5
*Environmental Science - 5</p>
<p><strong>To be taken as a Senior, 2013:
**</strong>Calculus BC
*<strong><em>Biology
*</em></strong>English Literature
*<strong><em>Psychology
*</em></strong>Statistics</p>
<hr>
<p>Detailed Classes:</p>
<p>Seventh Grade:
**Science Research - No credit afaik</p>
<p>Eighth Grade:
*<em>Science Research - No credit afaik
*</em>Spanish 1 (Maybe honors, not sure if counts for high school as credit, but it was a pre-req)
**Algebra 1 Honors (Not sure if counts for high school as credit, but it was a pre-req)</p>
<p>Freshman Year:
*<em>Geometry
*</em>Drafting and Design 1
*<em>English 1 Honors
*</em>World History Honors
*<em>Biology Honors
*</em>ROTC 1
**Career Research and Study Skills (Required Course...)</p>
<p>Sophomore Year:
*<em>Algebra 2
*</em>English 2 Honors
*<em>AP World History
*</em>Chemistry Honors - AP not offered
*<em>Communications Technology 1
*</em>ROTC 2
*<em>Driver's Education - 1 semester
*</em>Computer Science - 1 semester
**Spanish 2 Honors</p>
<p>Sophomore/Junior Summer:
*<em>Dual Enrollment 'College Algebra' at a community college.
*</em> Dual Enrollment 'Success Strategies for College and Life' at a community college.</p>
<p>Junior Year:
*<em>AP English Language
*</em>AP U.S. History
*<em>AP U.S. Government
*</em>AP Environmental Science
*<em>Precalculus (Honors)
*</em>ROTC 3
**Physics Honors - AP not offered</p>
<p>Senior Year:
*<em>AP Biology
*</em>AP Statistics
*<em>AP Psychology
*</em>AP English Literature
*<em>AP Calculus AB
*</em>AP Calculus BC - Semester 2
*<em>Experimental Science Honors 1
*</em>Experimental Science Honors 2
**Economics Honors - 1 semester - AP not offered</p>
<hr>
<p>Extracurriculars:</p>
<p>Won an 'inventor competition' in an elementary school gifted program competition for designing a futuristic rover that made use of materials such as fullerenes.
Third place in engineering at county science fair in 8th grade. Also won a 500$ savings bond + award certificate from an engineering corporation.</p>
<p>Mu Alpha Theta for 11th and 12th grade. Highest score in school-wide tests. (Not the AMC, just a school-wide thing.)
Debate club member in 11th grade. Debate club vice president this year.
Founder and current President of our school's Secular Humanist Society this year.</p>
<p>24 hours of volunteer service for Relay for Life.
Upwards of 30 volunteer hours from ROTC, mostly from tutoring. Not sure of exact number.
"Hey _____... I just want to say thank u for everything u did for me with my Math grade! Ur the best tutor I've ever had! So THANK YOU! :)" - Email quote from one of my peers.</p>
<p>Was the flight commander of an ROTC class in 9th grade. Flight sergeant for a one or two semesters. Element leader for most of the other semesters. Founder and original team captain of ROTC Academic Team that made it to nationals (on my back, honestly...) but I wasn't able to go to the finals myself and an alternate took my place. Sadly they ended up not doing so hot without me.</p>
<p>Not sure how much this counts, but I own a business in a program/game called 'Second Life' selling programs/scripts. I've learned some pretty decent linear algebra through programming as well as critical thinking and computer engineering (from transistors, instruction sets, and assembly to caching and branch prediction). I have written, for example, ray-box, point-sphere, point-box, point-cylinder, point-capsule, point-cone, and other similar intersection algorithms that make heavy use of linear algebra. The scripts I make are actually some of the most efficient on the 'grid' (the world of Second Life), and I take pride in that.</p>