Colleges applied to: UCLA (no 1 choice by far), Boston University, Emerson, UMich, Weslayan, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Emory, Twin Cities, and U of I (safety)
Background Info: Upper middle class, in a mostly well off area, at a fairly competitive and somewhat well known public high school in Illinois. mixed race - half chinese. gay. no hooks in a family respect, both my parents are immigrants but they both attended 4 year and graduate schools in the united states. undeclared for now, but def something to do with writing, maybe a double major with theatre.
Test Scores:
ACT: 34
SAT: (new SAT) 1540
SAT II - 800 on literature, chinese with listening, and math level 1. 720 on math level 2…
APs:
World History - 5
Lang + Comp - 5
Chinese - 5
US History - 4
Calc BC - 3
GPA/Transcript Freshman year.ch
GPA: 3.88 unweighted, 4.9 Weighted
High Honors English - A+
Mid honors Physics - B
High Honors Algebra 2 - A-
High Honors Chinese 2 - A+
High Honors World History - A
Freshman Speech/Debate, Dance, Freshman Boys Chorus, Theatre Workshop - A+
Sophomore
GPA: 3.93 unweighted, 5.06 Weighted
High Honors English - A+
Mid honors Chemistry - A-
High Honors Precalc - A-
High Honors Chinese 3 - A
AP World History - A
Speech Seminar, Choir Opera, Concert Choir, Creative Journalism, early bird Dance - A+
Junior
GPA: 3.93 unweighted, 5.06 Weighted
AP Lang + Comp - A
Mid honors Bio - A-
AP Calc BC - A-
AP Chinese - A
AP US History - A
Speech Seminar, Choir Opera, Swing Choir, Publications, early bird dance - A+
Senior (first sem)
GPA - 4.0 unweighted, 5.33 - weighted
AP Literature - A
AP Statistics - A
AP Physics - A
AP Political Science - A
Speech Seminar, Choir Opera, Swing Choir, Publications, Creative Writing, early bird dance - A+
Extracurriculars:
(in school)
- Newspaper - Editor in Chief this year - 4 Years
- Editor of two school literary magazines, founder of one, managing editor of satire magazine, partake in two other publications les intensely- 2-4 years
- Theatre, 4 Years. Part of the improv, drama clubs, directed the school’s annual comedy revue this year. Lead roles in most shows.
- VP of Student Council
- Choir - 4 Years - Got into an upperclassman only choir soph. year, conducted freshman boys choir multiple times this year, President of A capella/modern singing org in school.
- Varsity Boys Swimming/Diving - 4 years - Leadership Council this year
- Speech/IE - 4 years - event chair for dramatic interp and original comedy this year.
- Asian Students Alliance - VP - 4 years
- Students of Color Club - Board - 4 years
- Chinese Culture Club - Board - 4 Years
- GSA - Board member - 4 years
- Slam Poetry Club - President and Co founder - 3 years
- Key Club - 4 Years
- Interact Club - 4 Years
- Young Democrats - 3 Years
- Asian Youth Services - 3 years
- Human Rights Club - 3 years
- Senior Volunteering Project
- National Honor Society and Modern Music Makers Officer
(out of school)
- been involved in theatre since I was 10, have been in the main cast of the state musical, various lead roles in local and city youth productions, did the northwestern cherubs program.
- singing/pro voice lessons for 10+ years, in a few show choirs.
- write for some online publications
- national merit semi finalist
- volunteer on weekends for 4+ hours, every weekend for a lot of years. about 400 hours of volunteering
- part time job over summers tutoring, about 200 hours in total.
Essays: some of the best I’ve ever written, spent days on a few of them (UCLA namely).
Teacher Recs: should be 10/10, from my counselor, english teacher sophomore year, and the head of the choir department.
Financial Aid: got a few writing scholarships, will not need much as family is not rich but well off and i’ve had a college fund for a while.
Hooks: not really?? first gen immigrant kid maybe, for schools that consider minority status: gay, biracial, asian male (?)
I’ll chance you back!