<p>Personal info:
African American male
Class of 2014 </p>
<p>Academic background:
GPA UW 3.7 weighted 3.9
(Last year GPA was a 3.85 overall)
I havent taken my SATs or ACTs yet </p>
<p>Class schedule freshman year:
Biology 1
Spanish 1
Art 1
PE
Pre-ap world history
English 9
Algebra 1 part 1 </p>
<p>This year as a sophomore:
Advanced earth science
AP world history
Pre-AP English 10
Spanish 2
PE/drivers ed
Algebra 1
Geometry (online course)
Creative writing 1 </p>
<p>Next year as a junior:
AP U.S. History
AP English 11
AP Psychology
Creative writing 2
Algebra 2
Chemistry
Spanish 3 </p>
<p>Proposed senior year schedule:
AP comparative government
AP English 12
AP biology
AP statistics
Spanish 4
Creative writing 3 </p>
<p>Extra curricular:
Varsity Crew 9th & 10th grade
Varsity Cross Country 10th grade
National Honor Society
Ursa Major literary magazine ( my schools magazine has won many awards)
100 hours of volunteering at my church </p>
<p>Work experience:
I worked at my church as a summer intern for two years. This was a paid performance. </p>
<p>Awards:
V.A.T. volunteer reward
Poem published on creative-writing-now.com
Academic letter & Honor roll </p>
<p>I honestly feel like my application is weak
espically in my ECs. How can I make it more unique? I don't want to add any more sports but i was thinking about joining the Spanish Honor Society.</p>
<p>Are you in-state for UVA and WM? Does your school offer any calculus or physics classes? If so, the main weakness on your resume is a weak curriculum and not ECs.</p>
<p>Yes I’m instate for UVA & WM. My school offers both AP calculus & physics however here is my issue. Math & science are my weaker subjects and always have been. I can take either AP stats & AP bio ( I was really good in biology freshman year) or Functions/Trigonometry & AP Physics.</p>
<p>Harvard-reach
UVA-reach (weak curriculum)
William and Mary-maybe</p>
<p>It’s hard to tell since you’re a sophomore, but try to keep your GPA on an upward trend if possible; although it looks pretty good as it is, it can’t hurt you to bring it up by your junior year. </p>
<p>On the AP Classes, take AP Stats and AP Bio if they’re more interesting to you and you think you will do better in them. Also I would not recommend AP Physics if you haven’t taken normal physics before, especially if you’re not a math person. Overall, it looks like you’re taking a pretty challenging set of classes, which is great, as long as they are the hardest classes your school offers (for example, if your school offers 30 AP’s then you’re probably not in good shape but if it offers 9 or 10 then you’re definitely taking a challenging curriculum)</p>
<p>About the EC’s, it’s your job to make them stand out… you don’t have to be an entrepreneur or win international awards to show your passion for something. For example, based on your classes and some of your EC’s it seems like you’re interested in creative writing, which is pretty unique compared to all those kids who are student council president, etc. So try taking that a step further with your school’s literary magazine or talking to your english teacher about writing contests; being a published writer would definitely make you stand out!</p>
<p>Also if you’re really good at crew you could try to get recruited, which helps immensely. </p>
<p>Harvard is a reach for everyone of course, but if you improve your grades as time goes on and get high test scores, you have a chance. Also since you’re an URM that gives you a boost. The other two you probably have a higher chance but both pretty difficult to get in as well. Just work hard and do what you truly love and guaranteed AO’s will love you.</p>
<p>I did get one of my poems published recently on a website fairly known in the creative writing relm. I’ve submitted a lot of stuff to my school’s literary magazine so i’m just waiting to hear back from them. I think I could defiantly put more volunteer hours in. I applied for governor’s school for the humanities at radford but got denied so i’m trying again next year. Also applying to youth salute.</p>
<p>I did horrible on my PSAT’s this year because i didn’t take them seriously, but i’m willing to study for hours over the summer so I can earn the national merit scholarship and score a 2200+ on my SATs. </p>
<p>So i think if i accomplish all that i have set out to for my junior year i’d be a perfect math for UVA and WM. As far as being a URM I wouldn’t be upset at all if they took me do to Affirmative Action. My parents were the first people in my family to go to college.</p>
<p>Sounds good but be careful not to spread yourself too thin with EC’s (more volunteer hours, youth salute, etc) because colleges want people who demonstrate a lot of passion and commitment for a few activities, not some commitment to a lot of activities.</p>
<p>I’m also looking to apply at
Stanford
Georgetown
yale
princeton
NYU maybe
George Mason
and it pains me to say…Virginia Tech </p>
<p>I really don’t want to go to the last two, but gotta have some safeties.</p>
<p>My school’s Lit. Mag was voted Best in Nation for 2010 and 2011 by the American Scholastic Press Association so i really want to be one of the editors of it next year.</p>
<p>Here is my rating system:</p>
<p>Safety - 80% +
Match: - 45% - 79%
Low Reach - 35 - 44%
Reach - 10% - 34%
High Reach - 0% - 9%</p>
<p>Stanford - HR
Georgetown - HR
Yale - HR
Princeton - HR
NYU - R
George Mason - R
Virginia Tech - LR/R
Harvard - HR
UVA - R
WM - R</p>
<p>Rational:
Your GPA is not that high, it is like mine, on the low side. Freshman classes look good except for math. WAY BEHIND in math. That is a really really big turn off. Sophomore looks similar except science is bad. You should have never taken earth science. If you want to get into the schools of that caliber you need HS level bio, chem, physics, and then one advanced course in one of those subjects. Earth Sci does not count. It is almost as bad as not taking a science sophomore year. (BTW where did you take your online geometry course, if it was like AoPS then I believe that it would be legit enough to help, otherwise your math looks extremely weak). Junior year looks good, except for math and science, Same with Senior year. Here are my suggestions for Jr. - if you can switch to Chem Honors or AP and Alg 2 Honors (or equivalent). As for Senior year, you should have Precalc H and Physics H/AP Physics B as math/science. Do not take AP Stats. Calculus is a staple of a college curriculum and most schools will make you take it. With the current path you are going on you will be unprepared for college level math and this will probably prevent you from getting into any of the schools you listed. Also, I think AP Gov is supposed to be a semester class. What are you doing the other semester? As for ECs, your sports are ok, but I don’t know how well you compare to other athletes on a national level. If you want to be recruited or have your athletics make up for lack of good math/science you have to be really really good. You only really have one good extra curricular (your volunteering for church, though depending on what you do it may not always be volunteering even though you count it as volunteering) and right now I can’t really see how good your writing is. And just because your school’s magazine was voted best, doesn’t mean that you are the best writer. Although if it is writing that is your strength, then it puts you in a much better position than before because you can submit supplements of your writing and have good essays. Your awards seem subpar compared to most people who will be applying. </p>
<p>The one hook you seem to be using to drive your application is your URM status in 2 fields: African American and Male in literary field. Compared to other people with similar hooks (URMs) your stats just don’t compare. This may change if you get a really high SAT score and can bring your GPA up. My advice is to step outside your comfort zone, become a leader and get leadership roles, don’t get any grade less than an A from now on, take harder math and science courses (not AP stats, that doesn’t count as harder, its really just a reward for those who can finish calc before senior year). You have a good starting block, now use it to launch yourself to higher levels and better achievements (maybe enter some really legit national essay contests etc. ). </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>Thank you so much quintamonious for telling me what i needed to hear. Earth Science was the only course i could take sophomore year because i had to have passed algebra 1 to take chemistry. My school doesn’t offer honors courses only APs. In order to take AP chem i would have to take regular first. At my church i volunteered as a traffic director for 3 years. </p>
<p>I can’t take any harder math/ science courses than i already am. As for senior year i can take AP Physics with Functions/trig. I can look into taking more online courses or some summer classes to catch up. What does AoPs stand for?</p>
<p>If you’re serious about HYPS take some summer classes. Get through calc in HS. Shoot for a 2100 plus.</p>
<p>EURKEA! Okay this is what i’m going to do. This summer before Junior year i’m taking Algebra 2 and Chemistry.That way my 11th grade schedule will be:
Fuctions and Trigonometry
AP bio
AP U.S. History
AP English
Spanish 3
Creative Writing 3 </p>
<p>and 12th grade:
AP Calculus
AP Physics B
AP English
AP European History
Spanish 4
Creative Writing 3</p>
<p>i meant to put creative writing 2 for 11th grade *</p>
<p>if u can get the SATs 2100+, try to raise the gpa, and show that you made an effort to learn higher math on your own, you look pretty good</p>
<p>Thats the plan muzzyg10 :). I’m taking Algebra 2 over the summer and studying my BUTT off for SAT’s BTW what are the best books out there for SATs? My mom was telling me i should sign up for one of those pricey SAT classes but i think i’ll be better off with buying some books and self studying.</p>
<p>stick to the blue book and the online course which has 10 extra practice tests</p>