Chance Me!! NYU, WashU, Brown, Yale

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Stats:
Unweighted GPA: 3.8
Weighted GPA: 4.06
ACT: 29C (first time taking w/o studying, planning to take again in February), 29E, 26M, 33R, 27S

Missouri, out of state applicant
Intended major: double major in political science and english (+ concentration in creative writing, possible concentration in international relations)

AP Exams:
Sophomore Year- AP US History: 3

Junior Year Weighted Courses:
(I’m in the middle of my junior year, so the grades are my first semester grades)
Pre-Calculus- A
Aerospace Engineering- A
AP Physics I- B
AP English Language and Composition- B+
AP Government- A

Senior Year (planned) Weighted Courses:
AB or BC Calculus (haven’t decided yet)
Engineering Design
AP English Literature

2 years of foreign language (French, honors classes)
5 years of higher level math (starting with Algebra I in 8th grade)
4 years of high level english (including 2 APs)

Rec Letters I’m going to ask for
AP Government teacher (ties in to me wanting to study polisci. Had him for two years in a row (APUSH) so he knows me well).
AP English teacher (also ties into my intended major of english).
Yearbook Advisor (had me all four years of high school, so knows my growth as a student best).

Awards:
Merit scholarship to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy
National Honor Society

ECs:
Yearbook (10-12)
Editor-in-Chief of yearbook (11-12)
Producer of the talent show (10-12)
Equality Club officer (10-12)
Class officer (11-12)
Fall musical and improv team (9)
ECs I’m planning on doing my senior year:
Youth in Government
Giving the Veteran’s Day speech (big deal at my school)

Outside of School ECs:
Three years of classical fencing at Baited Blades Fencing Club; have participated in one tournament and trained in foil.
9 years of piano instruction
3 years of guitar instruction
2 years of violin instruction, 1 year self-taught
Self-taught ukulele player
Weekly church volunteering, teaching a bible study for grades k-5

Publications
“Machinery” Teen Ink Magazine May 2015

I know I don’t have a ton of EC’s or awards to my name, but the ones I’m apart of I am fully invested in and honestly care about. I really can’t stand students who join a bunch of clubs just to say they have.

2

Your GPA and ECs are good (IMO). If you can get a couple more points on the ACT you will probably have pretty good chances at NYU and WashU. The Ivies will always be hit or miss.
Do you have any hooks like URM or first gen?
You might want to do another year of foreign language and try to take another AP class next year.

3

Thank you for replying! I’m defiantly taking the ACT at least two more times- the first time I didn’t study, just to see what I would get, so I’m confident that I can raise my score through studying. My only real hooks are that I’m a female military brat… not much to go on. I’m definitely taking APs next year as well (I dropped French because I’m interested in a different language my school doesn’t offer). Thanks for the advice!