Chance me, please

<p>SAT I: 1980 (640 CR, 670 M, 670 W)</p>

<p>SAT II:
Chem: 710
Math II: 760
U.S. History: 730</p>

<p>ACT:
Composite: 33
English: 30
Math: 34
Reading: 36
Science: 31
Writing Subscore: 9</p>

<p>AP Tests:
U.S. History: 4
U.S. Government: 3 (Not sending this one in. :3)
Calculus BC: 4
Chemistry: 4</p>

<p>AP Classes Taken:
U.S. History
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Government</p>

<p>AP Classes Being Taken Next Year:
Statistics
Psychology
Biology
English
Italian
(Not AP, but am taking Organic Chemistry too)</p>

<p>Volunteer Services:
Volunteering at a State Park (doing different environmental things)
Volunteering at an Animal Shelter</p>

<p>Extra Curricular Activities:
Italian Club
Italian Honor Society
JSA (Basically an informal debate club)
*Might start a psychology club next year</p>

<p>Other:
Teacher Recommendations: I will have three. All from teachers I had for two years (my school works in an odd way)</p>

<p>Ehm, I think that’s about it. Is there anything else I should include that I forgot about?</p>

<p>I am not sure what my GPA is, but my final average for every class I have taken was always between an A- and an A+. Also, I am in the top one percentile of my school.</p>

<p>Dear bored2tears : There is no doubting that your ACT paints a stronger picture than your SAT I scores so seriously consider going in that direction for your Board Scores. </p>

<p>That said, one is immediately drawn to the limited number of elements listed here. There are no sports (inside your High School or at the club level), no arts (music, drama, art, art history), no leadership positions (officer positions), limited statements on community impact of your volunteerism, and limited honor society engagement for someone in the Top 1% of their academic class.</p>

<p>This review might well catch heat from some of our college confidential colleagues and we might well be wrong … but this is the type of profile that fails when applying to Boston College because it shows limited commitment to your High School “spirit”. Put another way, if you are not involved in your High School environment, what light switch will be thrown that will make you engaged at Boston College?</p>

<p>Let me ask some “over the top” questions to provoke your thinking.</p>

<p>[1] Why do we want to know you? What are the passions in your high school life that you would want to share with us in a five minute conversation? </p>

<p>[2] Boston College is “Jesuit” and to that end stresses the “Men and Women for Others” concept? Convince me that you are a “for others” individual.</p>

<p>[3] Do you KNOW what your teacher recommendations say? There is a fear that none of them actually show a side of your personality other than your classroom scores. Do they help sell you and if so, why?</p>

<p>[4] Ultimately, only you know the answer to this question : “Why BC?” Hundreds of schools fit your academic profile, but why did you choose Boston College? </p>

<p>So, let me back off for a moment. I have been doing BC chance-me reviews for almost six years now. The common theme in all my reviews is to slice and dice profiles to force a young person’s thinking about themselves and Boston College itself. As part of that, I really try to force individuals to think about themselves as not just academic creatures at a Top 30 University, but as a social being living on their own for the first time. Now, you believe Boston College is the right place for you. Start writing down WHY you want to attend - and then start thinking about how you PLUG IN to the campus.</p>

<p>I don’t know if those a rhetorical questions, so I am going to answer them anyway.</p>

<p>1.) In the five minute conversation, I would probably only be talking about my passion for psychology and how interested I am in the human mind. I love to sit in class and just observe how everyone is interacting. That’s also a part of why I go birding before school (I get up way too early); I actually have time then, and it gives me something to observe. </p>

<p>2.) By taking up psychology and becoming a psychologist, I would be helping others with their problems. I have been this way since birth where my family comes before me. I help them before I help myself. I even act this way with friends and strangers. It may sound cheesy, but there is something about seeing another person becoming happy that makes me feel better about myself.</p>

<p>3.) I do know what the recommendations say. One of the teachers lives in my neighborhood, so I practically knew her since I was an infant. My other teacher is more of a friend than a teacher, so he knows me really well. And my other teacher is kind of like a mother and looks down to me as a son, so I am really open to her. They help selling me by talking about my raw passion to get things done and my always laughing personality.</p>

<p>4.) I am not sure how I got drawn to the college, to be honest. I have a strong feeling that I belong there, and it has been the college that I have wanted to go to longest, while most have just come and gone. </p>

<p>Now, it is time for me to make excuses despite hating them, so I guess I will be a hypocrite. The elections for the clubs are popularity contests. I am not popular, so I did run for the positions, but I did not get it. JSA also only has a president, and that is my friend who created it. After school, I am either doing homework, at work (since I know I will be having financial troubles with any college I choose, so I might as well save up as much as I can), volunteering, or having a short time with friends so I don’t go crazy from being socially isolated for so long. So I figured choosing three clubs is the best, because I cannot take off as many days as I want from work unless I want to get fired. Other than psychology, I really love the italian language/culture (hence Italian HS and Italian Club), and I also love speaking my mind (hence JSA).</p>

<p>One could say I have a limited number of elements, and I guess I can see how some see it that way. Compared to a person who has 3 sports, 10 clubs, and 4 honor societies, I definitely could be considered limited. The thing is, I am not. I do not join something if I know I cannot dedicate myself to it 100%. If I had that many things, work would interfere with it, and I would either be kicked out of the club for missing so many days or be fired from work for missing so many days (gotta love some groceries stores. Not great pay, no flexible hours. Well, the one I work at at least). </p>

<p>Do I play sports? No, I don’t. Maybe a few rounds of tennis with my cousin during the summer. If hiking was a sport, then I play sports while volunteering. Do I like art? Of course I do. I love drawing, sketching, and photography, so I focus on it either in the summer or I draw during lunch. The three school activities that I do are chosen for a reason; I am the most passionate about those. </p>

<p>I apologize if I started to rant somewhere because I am sure I did. I have to lay off the coffee at night.</p>

<p>Edit: I also technically am in Math Honor Society. But… there were no meetings for it this year except once, so I have no idea if it still is valid to count it.</p>

<p>Edit 2: I cannot believe I forgot to thank you for typing all that you did, because I feel like it did help make the passion for me to go to BC grow even more. So, again, thank you.</p>