<p>GPA: 4.3548 weighted, 3.3582 unweighted
ACT: 35
AP Scores: European History (4), US History (5), English Language and Composition (5)
Class Rank: my school got rid of class rank this year, so it will not show up on my transcript. At the end of my junior year, I was in the top 7% of my class. </p>
<p>High school: Ranked as one of the best public high schools in IL. Relatively large- my graduating class is somewhere around 640. </p>
<p>Senior year courses / 1st quarter grades
[ul][<em>]BC Calculus: B (note on report reads "near next higher grade")
[</em>]AP Macro/Micro Economics: A
[<em>]AP Spanish Language: A
[</em>]AP Physics C: B
[<em>]AP English Literature: A
[</em>]Newspaper Practicum (school newspaper): A
[li]Oral Communications (quarter class, required for graduation)[/ul][/li]All of my academic classes have been AP or accelerated. All four years, I have taken the highest level academic classes available for me.</p>
<p>Honors/Awards
[ul][<em>]National Merit Semifinalist: 11
[</em>]AP Scholar: 11
[<em>]PSAE Achievement Award: 11
[</em>]Nat'l Spanish Exam: Premio de Oro (scored in top 2% of the nation): 11
[<em>]NHS: 12
[</em>]NCTE Achievement Award in Writing Nominee: 11[/ul]
ECs
[ul][<em>]Editor-in-Chief (school newspaper): 12[/ul]
[ul][li]Commentary Editor: 11[/li][</em>]Features Writer: 10[/ul]
[ul][<em>]Model UN: 10-12
[</em>]Thespian Society: 12
[<em>]Piano (10 years study/performance, 4 years composition)[/ul]
[ul][li]Pit Orchestra: 9-10[/li][</em>]Church Worship Band: 7-12[/ul]
[ul][<em>]Summer School Teaching Assistant: 11
[</em>]Private Tutor: 10-12[/ul]
Service
[ul][<em>]Volunteer in weekly social skills class for autistic children: 5-12
[</em>]Sunday School Teacher: 11-12
[<em>]Vacation Bible School Leader: 9-12[/ul]
Interest/Application
[ul][</em>]ED, obviously
[<em>]Visits: tour/info session in fall of junior year; Overnight visit for Discovery Weekend this past October
[</em>]Interview: on campus, pretty sure it went well
[<em>]Essay: had it read/edited by my newspaper advisor (Journalism major from Medill; he knows his stuff) and he said it was one of the most well-written admissions essays he had read. I think that's a good thing.
[</em>]Recommendations: 3. Junior year English teacher (with whom I had a strong relationship with and know she wrote me a great rec), APUSH teacher (tells me I have "historical insight" or something, another rec I'm confident in), and Newspaper Advisor (says I have strong leadership, told my parents at conferences that it was an "easy letter to write")[/ul]</p>
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<p>Background regarding GPA and grades</p>
<p>I know that my unweighted GPA seems rather low for Wash U, but it's rather high for my school (top 7%, like I said before). I've heard that admissions take into account the fact that GPA as a number differs between schools. My school also factors our physical education/ gym class grades into the unweighted GPA, and I'm rubbish at athletics. My PE grades consist of all B's and one C. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that most schools don't really care what your time was on the mile. I don't know what my GPA without the PE grades is, because I'm not sure how my school calculates the number (when I try to calculate the given GPA, I end up with something different).</p>
<p>My best grades were from freshman year (almost all A's). My worst year was sophomore year; my B's were more abundant than my A's, and I ended up getting a C in the first semester of Acc. Geometry. I brought that grade up to a B second semester, but I'm still very worried. Junior year was definitely better than sophomore year (mix of A's and B's), but still not where I would have liked it to be. My quarter grades for this year are a huge turnaround from last year, and this is definitely my most challenging course load. I don't know how much that will help in admissions, but I hope it does. </p>
<p>I've received A's in English for every semester, and I indicated that as my intended major. I don't know if this will matter or not to admissions officers.</p>
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<p>Sorry for posting so much information. I don't know how much of this is actually necessary for chancing. As I'm sure all of you first year applicants can understand, my anxiety is worsening as the notification date gets closer. </p>
<p>I hope I don't sound like I'm trying too hard to deny what may be a hopeless case; I just felt that the GPA numbers needed some explaining, since I do not believe they match up well with my performance in school or my class rank. I fully recognize that my grades themselves are a bit sub-par for Wash U. </p>
<p>Am I completely screwed, or do my high test scores/honors/ECs/etc. make up at all for the areas where my GPA may be lacking?</p>
I’m a little worried because my school doesn’t officially rank, so it doesn’t show up on my transcript…</p>