I’m an “other” male high school junior with a 3.6-3.7 unweighted GPA. I have always taken the most challenging classes possibly available to me.
This year, my schedule is
AP Calculus BC
AP Eng Lang/Comp
Spanish 3
Honors Chemistry
AP US History
String Orchestra
(Correspondence: Honors U.S. and Global Economics)
ECs
Debate/Forensics - 9th grade (qualified for regions, state)
Model UN - 10th, 12 grade
NOSB - 10-12th grades (placed 4th at state then 2nd at state, Captain next year )
School orchestra - 9-11th (but not senior year) - 1st chair violist 10-11th
[city name] Student Symphony - 11-12th grades
Private music lessons - 6th-12th grades
NHS - 11th-12th grade
Co-founder, Young Democrats of HS name
Track and Field - 11-12th grades
Cross country running - 12th grade
Internships/Other
Interned at state legislature for FY19 budget research
This summer I will be a U.S. Senate Page
I was admitted to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program
I maaaay also get a job this summer
I have played the viola since I was 7 and I frequently practice
SATs
Work in progress, but the first time I took it I got 1400, tomorrow I expect to get 1450-1500.
P.S. I’m from a mid-sized HS in Alaska so that might count for something.
Thanks!
Your GPA is at the low but not impossibly low end for those schools. Spend some time diversifying your list… what is it about those schools mentioned that you like? Find some places that have those qualities but are a bit easier to get in to.
Yeah, my GPA really sucks. Is there anything that you recommend I can do to compensate for it?
Yup, pick some lower ranked schools to add to your list. Except for geographic diversity, I’d say your odds are close to zero at those schools because of your GPA. Also, can your family afford to be full pay out of state at the public universities on your list? You would be looking at over $50K/year with no financial aid.
Speaking for UCB, my kid got in this year with a 3.7 UW GPA. So it’s not impossible. But you’d have to compensate with some really good SAT or ACT scores. Meaning possibly in the 1550+ range.
When you mention ‘other,’ do you mean Native Alaskan? If so you may have the URM hook in your favor.
No haha. My parents immigrated from Pakistan, but I look really really white. I think that choosing “other” doesnt give me the Asian “disadvantage”.
Look at schools with more generous admission statistics such as Occidental in Los Angeles, Santa Clara U in Silicon Valley. The schools you listed are extraordinarily difficult to gain admissions into. How did you come up with that list? They don’t seem to fit a pattern.
My main ones are Georgetown and Claremont McKenna. I think I actually have s solid shot at CMC because I’ll do ED for that and I have a really good plan for the optional video I can make. I don’t really care for Dartmouth or UCLA, but I just included those since my parents like them. I thought that UT would be a solid school with lower acceptance rate, also UVa and UNC. On another note, my mom got her masters at WashU, so maybe I’ll apply to that if legacy gives me an edge.
Pakistani counts as Asian so choosing ‘other’ might not be a good idea. Unless there is a ‘decline to state’ option.
Unless you are willing to pay 60,000 for OOS, I would forget UCLA/Berk(e)ley.
3.6-3.7 UW is not necessarily bad, but it will make some of your some of your schools reaches unless you ED, as you plan for Claremont McKenna. Be careful since CMC has a sub 10% acceptance rate.
Texas is a reach as well because of their mandate to take the top 8% or so in-state kids. Same with the other OOS publics on your list.
For Georgetown 3 SAT subject tests are recommended.
As one poster mentioned, geographic diversity might be in your favor. Course rigor seems strong and a lot of Alaskans don’t go to the continental 48 states for school.
Agree with “other” rather than Asian unless your last name is characteristically Pakistani.
Its not obviously anything, except distinctly foreign.
Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I visited pretty much every school I mentioned. I will probably do ED for Claremont McKenna or Penn or EA for a whole load of schools.