Chance Me: I know nothing about college admissions and need help..

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I am currently a junior in a decently sized (1700 people), extremely well respected public high school in Illinois.
I want to major in an architecture/design major, and maybe a minor in economics/business.

Background:
-Ethnicity: Asian

-Extremely low class (Income wise)

Interested Schools:
-University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (Top 4 Choice)
-Boston College (Top 4 Choice)
-Boston University
-Tufts University
-Northwestern University (Top 4 Choice)
-University of Chicago
-Cornell University (Top 4 Choice)

-University of Michigan (Top 4 Choice)

Grades/GPA (I took the most rigorous classes my school offered with the exception of Junior Year (slight change))
Freshman Year: 6 Honors, 1 Advanced
GPA: 4.1
U/W: 3.6

Sophomore Year: All Honors, 1 AP (this was the most you can take sophomore year at the school)
GPA: 4.07
U/W: 3.4
(I transferred to a much more rigorous school in the middle of during the second semester and struggled (couple C+s))

Junior Year (Semester One) - 2 Honors, 3 APs, 2 Advanced Courses
GPA: 4.69
U/W: 4.2

Junior Year Courses:
-AP Economics
-AP Psychology
-AP Calculus AB
-AP Statistics
-Honors Architecture
-Advanced English (The only English other than AP English Lit)

AP Scores:
-AP Computer Science: 4
-APUSH: Projected 4-5
-AP Physics: Projected 4
-AP CS P: Projected 5

ACT/SAT:
ACT - 31
SAT - 1480

SAT II Score:
Physics - 680
Korean - 790

US History - projected 600 - 750

Extra Curriculars:
-Part of a Culture Support Group (Leadership Position)
-Student Cabinet
-Principals Advisory Board
-National Honors Society
-2 Years of DECA (5th Place in IL, Made it to internationals)
-1 year of National History Day (1st place in MA, Made it to nationals)
-3 Years of Tennis (Junior year varsity)
-2 Years of Soccer (JV)
-Volunteer at a church for homeless people…

Work Experience:
-Caddy at country club (3 years)
-Internship at Small architecture firm (Summer)

-Cashier at grocery store (12 hours per week)

Extra:
I moved to a better school during the middle of sophomore year, and that hurt my grades a lot (gave me a couple Cs). Although I took the most rigorous courses, I definitely don’t think I had the best grades Frosh-Soph, but I’m definitely picking it up Junior/Senior year. Sorry for making the post so long. I would appreciate any feedback, as I have no idea how the college admissions process works.

2

The most difficult to get into of your top 4 is Northwestern. I would recommend EDing. If that doesn’t work out, you can ED2 to UChicago. Along with the NU ED, you can EA to Michigan as well. This maximizes your chances at half of your top schools.

3

You have a lot of reaches on your list. It looks like you are doing well this year, but your freshman and sophomore years grades are going to make it very difficult to get into any of Cornell, Northwestern, or Chicago. Tufts is a reach also. I am dubious regarding whether BU or BC or Michigan will be affordable. Have you run the NPC on these?

Your strong junior year plus being in-state will help you at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, which is a great school. However, you need to add some more matches and safeties to your list.

4

As a Junor, your goal right now should be concentrating on your grades. You got yourself in a hole fresh/soph years for consideration at highly selective schools. When you get some more actual results from your Junior year, you will be in better shape to understand what are actual match schools. It OK to keep trying to get to some reach schools.

5

I actually have considered some match/safety schools. Could you pls help me w judging if these are reasonable?
-University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst
    -Boston College (yes i have run the NPC on the two Boston schools, and talked to a admissions counselor about this…seems very reasonable w work study)
    -Boston University
  • University of Illinois Chicago
    -Purdue University
6

Until you get some actual results in for you Junior year, it is to hard to tell.

I see you are a caddie. Is the club that you caddie at part of the Evans Scholars Foundation? If yes, one of you big goal is to try to win that scholarship. That would likely put you at UIUC. Here is the freshman profile for UIUC for you to compare yourself against. https://admissions.illinois.edu/Apply/Freshman/profile

Spend time working on your grades and your list may become reasonable.