Chance Me For Some High End Schools! =]

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi,
I've been looking at Princeton, Lehigh, Bucknell, and Penn State Schreyer's Honors College so far. I'm really at a loss of other colleges to pick out.</p>

<p>-Caucasian Male from suburban Whitehall, PA
-Dad is a schoolteacher, mother doesn't work - total income $75,000
-Father went to Lehigh University</p>

<p>GPA: 4.00 unweighted/ 4.36 weighted
Rank: 1 out of 337
SATs: 800 Math, 730 Critical Reading, 650 Writing = 2180
SAT Subject Tests: will take chem and math 2 in the fall
AP Tests: AP Calculus AB - 4</p>

<p>Course Rigor: As far as I can tell I've taken essentially the toughest course load a student can take at my school. All the major subjects have been honors when they could have, and I will have taken 4 dual enrollment classes, and 1 AP class. I wanted to take the only 2 other AP courses the school offered , but they were canceled because of lack of interest. My senior year is pretty difficult:
-Honors Chem 2 -Honors PSSC Physics
-Psychology - Government and Econ.
-Popular Music (only truly easy course) -Dual Enrollment Prob and Stats
-Dual Enrollment English 4 - Block Excusal (given to seniors)</p>

<p>EC's:
-Will probably have over 50 hours total community service including Special Olympics, doing dirty work on a local trail that I use to run on, and some other small things.
-National Honors Society 11th and 12th: I'm on the executive committee.
-Mu Alpha Theta Math Honors Society: In the running for president currently.
-German Club 10th, 11th, and 12th grade: Haven't really done much other than a trip to the Holocaust Museum in 10th grade.
-Student Council in 11th and 12th grade
-Varsity Cross Country 11th and 12th: Team Captain in 12th, 2nd best runner on team
-Varsity Outdoor Track and Field 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th: 6th place at Districts in 800m event, probable 2010 season captain.
-Indoor Track Club 10th, 11th, 12th
-I'm highly devoted to cross country and track, spending upwards of 12 hours a week training
-JV Soccer 9th, 10th
-Wrestling 9th
-Offseason Weightlifting 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
-Playing guitar for nearly 2 years</p>

<p>Special Projects/Experience:
-"Build Your Own Computer" Course 2006-2007 (Even though I already knew how to =])
-USSF Grade 8 Soccer Referee 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th: This is my source of income in a mature responsible environment compared to other HS jobs.
-Job Shadowing Various Engineering Disciplines at FL Smidth, Inc.: Summer of 2009
-Self Run Summertime Lawncare Business: 2008, 2009
-Lil' Zephs Midget Wrestling Program Assistant: (2005,2006,2007)</p>

<p>Awards:
-High Honor Roll all marking periods
-Varsity Letter Winner/Varsity Jacket owner
-Johns Hopkins CTY Math and Verbal Talent Search State Award Winner (2006, IN middle school but whatever)</p>

<p>Essays/Recommendations:
-Essays- I'll try my best, should be good but I still have to think of a topic.
-Teacher Recs- Had one from my English teacher of 2 years that absolutely LOVES me as a student and as a person. Another is from my AP Calc teacher who likes me, may think I'm sometimes immature, but I was the only Junior to get an A in her class.
-Counselor Rec- Should be good since I've been tenacious about getting the most difficult classes.</p>

<p>In closing I'm just a white kid from a right smack in the center middle class family. I have good grades, am really dedicated to running, and like to play guitar. My interests are in Engineering, and possibly business.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

2

<p>First of all, your Senior schedule is not very difficult at all, it is actually very easy. I am taking 8 AP’s senior year, and self studying the ones my school does not offer. The fact that your school “doesn’t offer” something is not an excuse anymore.This will hurt you.</p>

<p>Secondly:</p>

<p>Pton-Reject
Lehigh - Match
Bucknell- Match
Penn State ( I don’t know about any honors college, but chancing you for just penn)-Safety</p>

3

<p>My school only has 3 APs offered in the course book. 2 of those courses were canceled because only like 8 kids signed up. I’m sorry but how will not self studying hurt me? </p>

<p>Besides all of that stuff, how do you think my ECs look? I really do spend a lot of time on training for xc and track and will definitely go to states next year.</p>

<p>Oh and can everyone chance me for Cornell, Harvard, Pitt’s Honors College, University of Virginia, and Duke as well?</p>

4

<p>Any math classes senior year? Self-studying AP Calc BC might be a good idea if you want to go into Engineering. Also, you may want to self study, as NuclearPakistan1 suggested, for your other classes’ AP exams (Chem, Physics, Psychology, Micro or Macro Economics, etc.) to show self-initiative, etc.</p>

5

<p>I have Dual Enrollment Prob and Stats as my only math course this year. I also have a chance to take Calculus 2 or any other college course over at Lehigh University as part of a scholars program, is that worth it? How can I show that I self studied for an AP exam, and is it difficult (relative, obviously it takes effort to learn calculus)?</p>

6

<p>ok im gonna have to disagree with nuclearpakistan here, colleges arent going to punish you if your school only offers a few ap’s, that’s just ridiculous.</p>

7

<p>Princeton (reach but great candidate)
Lehigh (high match/ in)
Bucknell (high match/ in)
Penn State Schreyer’s Honors College (match)
Cornell (match)
Harvard (high reach, but so it is for everyone but you certainly are a candidate)
Duke (match) </p>

<p>And as long as you have taken a difficult course load RELATIVE to your school, you should be fine, which you have done. (My school is pretty much the same. Not many APs due to lack of people : ( its really stinks but that’s how things go sometimes)</p>

8

<p>I think your scores, lack of stand out ECs and location make Princeton unlikely, but given your excellent rank, you could probably get into a stronger school than Lehigh. You may want to consider some schools with selectivity between the two.</p>

9

<p>Thanks space123 for the chancing! And hmom5 what schools do you think? I’m mainly going for financial support and quality of education since our income is only $75,000.
Also with Princeton, for some reason like 3 students in our HS class of 2007 were admitted to it. Then this past class of 2009’s valedictorian was rejected even though she was pretty standout as far as grades and EC’s go. Weird selections…</p>

10

<p>bumpbumpbump</p>

11

<p>Princeton will be a reach, Bucknell/Lehigh are good matches. Penn State’s a safety as an in-stater, but their Honors program is a reach. How about a slightly different reach, like Northwestern which is similar to Duke? Also, you often mention your XC. Have you spoken w/ your coach about recruitment possibilities? For Fin aide, consider some LACs like Denison.</p>

12

<p>Yeah I was thinking of recruitment more in track atm since I’m better at the 800m than at XC. I’ve gotten a lot of letters in the mail from various colleges, and I sent the online recruitment form sheet into Lehigh, Lafayette, Princeton, Bucknell. It has times, GPA, SAT, etc on it. The princeton coach just sent me a hand addressed letter that had their XC camp brochure in it. What do you also think about Cornell?</p>

13

<p>bumpbumpbump</p>

14

<p>nuclearpakistan-why that is just dandy for you. I’m tempted to report you</p>

15

<p>Really smarttttttt! AND VERY good with time managing, I’ll give that to you. I didn’t see leadership skills that much other than you being captain your senior year. You are a very hardworker. Hope you get in!</p>