PLEASE BE AS BRUTALLY HONEST AS POSSIBLE. I want to see my legitimate chances at this school.
So, I go to an average size but a really competitive high school in the Dallas area. It is in the top 500 high schools in the nation and one of the best in the state. Btw, here are my stats:
Weighted GPA from frosh and soph years: 5.0360/6.000
Unweighted GPA: 3.74/4.00. (Messed Up Freshman Year, Had 5 out of 7 B’s during Freshman Year).
First SAT (10th Grade): 1260 (EBR: 600 M: 660)
Second SAT (11th Grade) : 1390 (EBR: 660 M: 730)
First ACT (Summer Before 12th Grade): 34 (E:30 M:36 R:35 S:33) (Writing:9)
Rank: School doesn’t rank. (If I had to guess, maybe 10%-11%, however colleges wouldn’t see it.)
SAT II: Haven’t taken yet but I have signed up for October and November tests.
In terms of classes, I have taken 8 AP’s from Freshman to the end of Junior year. I am taking 6 AP’s my senior year as well. I am taking the most rigorous schedule available to me. My grades through high school so far mostly A’s and 7 B’s (5 of them were during Freshman Year than one in sophomore and junior year). I’ll probably end this year with all A’s my senior year.
Total, I would have taken 14 AP Classes over 4 years.
Extracurriculars:
Non-Profit Foundation (9,10,11,12) - My uncle and I founded it in a village in India. We provide food for homeless villagers who can’t afford to walk to the city to get food. I spend most of my after school time managing this non-profit.
Cookbook sale (10) - My mother and I created a cookbook that we sold around the community to friends and family to raise funds for the non-profit. We raised over $2,500.
Knitting Club (10,11,12) - President of an informal club that I made out of school in which we met up at another members’ house and had fun knitting clothes.
Economics Club (11,12) - Founder and President of an out-of-school club in which we had weekly meetings with members over either group skype or meet up at an agreed-upon location to spark discussions, talk about investment ideas and learn and understand what we could about micro and macroeconomics. The studying was with the help of online classes, in school teachers, and self-learning through books, etc.
Philosophy Club - (12) - Nothing, really. I club that I helped establish in the school in which we talked about different philosophical beliefs and sparked discussions between students of various socioeconomic levels. Ideas included talking about religion, differences in values through different cultures, different philosophical beliefs.
Key Club (9,10,11,12) - Member who used their services to better help the community in which I lived in.
Hook:
I was very anti-establishment throughout my whole life. I was very into religion and finding the true purpose of life. I wasn’t the typical Asian student growing up and that’s why I didn’t give much effort in school. I was always against the notion that I waster years of my life to go to school only to learn how to make money for someone else and slave away my life doing it. I always wanted to know the true purpose. That’s what got me into reading philosophy and religion. That is also why I wasn’t doing so well Freshman year. I know, I can’t use that as an excuse but, to be honest, that is why I had no motivation my freshman year. However, after reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic philosopher, I soon realized that, although money doesn’t buy one’s happiness, it does give one the freedom and time to pursue the things in life that make them happy. That’s when my motivation for school kicked in. Rather my motivation to escape this bond to a life that makes me work for 40+ years. I soon realized that a quality education and a ticket to a good college can lead me to a path in which I can use my limited time in this world to gain my freedom from living paycheck to paycheck, worrying about money, and actually helping the greater community around me. Essentially, I’ve always wanted to help the unfortunate but I had no plan, but after the summer after my freshman year, I did. That is what I want to convey to the admissions officers in my college application. I don’t want them to see my low GPA and think I am unmotivated and lazy when it comes to school and throw me out of the possible candidates. Essentially, I want to show how I am actually a motivated student who has many goals and aspirations he wished to reach in life rather than a lazy kid who is just passing by. It’s just that this sense of motivation came a little late.
Work/Volunteering:
I’ve done roughly 100 hours of community service.
Volunteered at my school (Basic school work and volunteer activities such as setting up items for an event, etc.
Volunteered at both of my local temple (Helped teach basic English and communication skills to recently immigrated Indians who sought refuge and connection at my local temple.)
I was a Supply Chain/Corporate Finances Intern at a local restaurant over the summer of 2017. (I shadowed the owner and the CFO to learn the logistics of their restaurant business model.)
Awards:
AP Scholar with Honor (2019)
Most Confident Speaker in Spanish Class (2017)
AP Capstone Credit (On track to get by end of Senior year)
(I think this is my weakest area as I didn’t participate in many school-sponsored activities to get many certified awards. I didn’t have a parent that could pick me up after school since my dad only works and he needs the car till 7 or 8 every day. That is why I had to come home every day with the bus and I had to start clubs outside of school to compensate for my complications.)
I’m Indian, and I will put Asian on my application cause my name is recognizable as an Asian/Indian name.
Family Income is roughly 150k.
BASICALLY, I am trying for Georgetown Early Action. I am pursuing a career in Economics. Do I have any shot at ANY of these colleges? Please be as honest as possible.