<p>I'm a junior in Southern California, considering neuroscience major/neurobiology within the "general biology" (or something equivalent to MCB- molecular and cellular), and pre med</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>SAT I (by section): 690M 720CR 710W (can re-take next fall)
SAT IIs: 800 Molecular Biology 780 US History
GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.7 UW, weird weighting system
Rank: school doesn't rank
ACT: didn't take it
APs (including this year's): self-study AP Environmental Science (4)- 10th grade (the first one i took too!), AP Biology (5), AP US History (5)
Senior Yr Courseload: heaviest possible:
AP Physics, AP Calculus BC, AP Studio Art drawing portfolio, AP English Lit, Spanish 4, Gov/Econ, History of World Religions+ Philosophy (required for seniors), Thermodynamics (SPECIAL CLASS)
... Newspaper reporter and art after school</p>
<p>Other stats (Awards, etc.): Commended scholar PSAT (I heard this doesn't do anything!), LA Brain Bee contestant (neuroscience competition), outstanding research presented at California NanoSystems Institute symposium: August 2010</p>
<p>Subjective:
ECs listed on app: 1 JV sport, 13 years of art (plus AP portfolio), violin (no orchestra tho), neuroscience competition, Ayn Rand essay competition (not finalist), then the general "reading a lot, freelance writing, etc"
Job/Work Experience: research at UCLA w/stipend (so if I'm paid, it's considered work then...), shadowed a doctor for a few weeks last year (worked too)
Volunteering: teacher's assistant on Sundays (2 years), volunteer at hospital, doctor shadowing
Essays (subject and responses): not done yet obviously
Teacher Recs: going to do AP Biology teacher who knows me really well and either my English or math teachers.. but I'm not sure. DILEMMA! I don't know either of those really well...</p>
<p>Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): research? two contests? (they weren't a big deal though)...
Location/Person:
State or Country: CA
School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): private, Catholic, really small, really competitive!!!!
Ethnicity: Indian (Asian)
Gender: female</p>
<p>Strengths: EC's, writing, passion!
Weaknesses: GPA!!! SAT!!!</p>
<p>General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
I hope people respond! I really want to go to Duke! A former classmate goes there and loves it! (Plus I love everything about it :P)
Also, summer of 2009 (freshman going to be sophomore) I worked on a photovoltaics project with a small group.
And then, as I said, summer 2010 was research.
I'm going back to UCLA to do my independent project research again this summer.</p>
<p>There's still time! What should I improve? What do you suggest I can do to help stand out!</p>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>