<p>I am now a junior in high school. I have straight A's. I am in the International Baccalaureate Program in school, and will most probably acquire the IB Diploma. I am number two in a class of about 450 (and is planning on reclaiming number one). I have straight one hundreds in my math and science classes. Actually, I haven't had a grade lower than one hundred in any of my classes.</p>
<p>I have won international awards in writing (chinese) and art. I have over 400 service hours and maybe even more by the time I am done with high school. I participates in all kinds of activities in school. I am in Fed Challenge, Knowledge Bowl, Mu Alpha Theta, German Club, Engineering Club, Varsity Band, and Chinese Culture Society.</p>
<p>I am the founder and president of the Chinese Culture Society. I am Fed Challenge Team Captain. I also have many other leadership positions in other places. I am accepted in the TN governor school of science as a sophomore. I studied modern physics there and passed with the highest grade in the class.</p>
<p>I take Taekwondo and plays Piano and Flute. I have been playing piano since 6 and will have a black belt in Taekwondo by I graduate. </p>
<p>I have been preparing for the PSAT. As a sophomore, I got a 193 on the PSAT. This year I am aiming for at least a 213 to get into semi-finalist. I have done many, many practice tests, and my score changes from 228 to 210. It is mostly around 212-217. I am worried if I will get into the semi-finalist or not. </p>
<p>In the words of Mr. O’Neill “We tell people we’re seeking rigor, what we are really seeking is love.” If that is you, then you will show your PASSION in your essays and they will be recalled in your recommendations.</p>
<p>It’s not really as much about scores as it is WHO YOU ARE…</p>
<p>Like CS said…be passionate and you’ll stand a good chance. You have everything else…now show the personality.</p>
<p>Also…“I have straight one hundreds in my math and science classes. Actually, I haven’t had a grade lower than one hundred in any of my classes.”</p>
<p>While that is a great accomplishment…and I’m hoping that it is true (though to be honest it sounds a bit far-fetched…no one is perfect after all…) it does sound a bit bragging…and bragging is never good. So…yeah.</p>
<p>I agree with -CS.
And to tack on one little thing: it’s great that you have straight 100s. That is an impressive feat… but it does not say a whole lot about who you are. </p>
<p>How will you deal with failure? How do you react under pressure? What do you do when you’re NOT studying or in school?</p>
<p>Your grades don’t answer any of those questions. And while your ECs are quite good, I must wonder what you do when you’re not doing the stuff you’ve told us. In short, it’s not about averages, test scores, ECs, etc. That stuff is important, but what’s more important is who you are and why you want to go to the UofC. Is it the prestige? Is it the self selectivity? Is it your “backup” for HYPSM (though in my opinion, UofC offers a better holistic education than all of them)? Is it the 50+ Nobel Prizes? Tell us, then we might be able to give you an answer. And that’s assuming you write your essays well (lacking the grammatical slips above).</p>
<p>Straight 100s in math and science? Is this a joke?</p>
<p>I’m in IB too and even the smartest people in our class barely even get a low A in math and science classes.</p>
<p>Not to metion Biology III, in which NO ONE has an A right now, and HL chemistry, which has like 2 or 3 low A’s out of 27 students. Physics is even worse; like 2 A’s with a bunch of C-D-F’s.</p>
<p>So either your IB classes are complete ******** and unchallenging or you’re bluffing. We’re barely hanging by a thread here. </p>
<p>Or you got a perfect photographic memory and some innate talent for comprehending material.</p>
<p>I want to be a scientist. An astro-physicist or financial engineer. I want to be a finanial engineer more, astronomy and physics is just a passion of mine.</p>
<p>Do you want to know my real dream college? Well, my dream college is MIT.</p>
<p>Haha, no no. That’s not what I meant, silly.</p>
<p>What I meant is…what are your dreams…Not in your career or in what college you attend…What do you want to do in your life? Travel the world, perhaps? Fall madly in love and grow old with that special someone? Live under the sea in a yellow submarine? </p>
<p>Besides your career and your college and your grades and your academics. Is there anything, no matter how far-fetched, that you’ve always dreamed of doing?</p>
<p>For me…I have a few. I’ve always wanted to ride in the Iditarod (Dogsled racing in Alaska!) and I would love to go into space. I was thinking about just sending my dead body into space, but I don’t think that’s legal, unless you get cremated, but I’m not technically allowed to get cremated because of my religion and I don’t want to be cremated because it creeps me out a bit…>.></p>
<p>Is there anything personal that you’ve ever had a connection to? </p>
<p>UofC wants to get to know YOU, your personality…your dreams, your aspirations, what you do between schoolwork, ecs and volunteer work…What interests you, intrigues you, makes you cringe and stutter.</p>
<p>Talking about what I want to do, there is a lot.</p>
<p>I wanted to be a writer. I want to write a book that will entice audiences years after my death. I don’t quite know what it will be about yet, but it should be something with mystery, love and science. </p>
<p>I want to find a certain someone that I love and loves me. I want a dramatic love story that will always end happily. Then, we can travel the world together and have fun forever after.</p>
<p>I want to visit the moon. I want to spend a night watching stars, talking with friends, and drinking (not necessarily alcohol). I want to go off into space. More than that, I want to explore space. I want to discover the mysteries of the universe. Doesn’t the mysteries of the universe and its forever expanse ever intrigue you?</p>
<p>After all that adventure and fun, I want to go back to China and become a teacher. I will teach students about all that I have learned and experienced. </p>
<p>No dreams are crazy! (Except dreaming that you could fly and then actually attempting by making wings out of your arms and jumping off of a high place…and yesh…I did try that once…Don’t try this at home kids!! >.>)</p>
<p>Anyways, yeah the universe is extremely fascinating to me. I’m a little bummed by the fact that I don’t think we’ll ever be able to comprehend the entirety of the universe…how it started etc (Or atleast not likely to in our lifetimes) and I sometimes debate if that’s a good thing. If we had a sure answer…it could destroy religion or parts of science as we know it. Things to be at a rough status quo between the two right now…and I’d hate for something to upset that balance. But I do wish I could travel through a black hole one day…without being ripped into a billion little pieces, that is.</p>
<p>I actually took a Mandarin Chinese class over the summer and I know a little bit now but my pronounciation is horrible! XD The tones are very very difficult to learn. But if you don’t mind, I wanna practice a little here Ni hao, wo xing sennott, wo jiao sennott brooke, ni jiao shenma mingzi? Did I do that right?! XD It’s a fun language at times, though.</p>
<p>Anywho, you definitely want to talk about those things in your essays or even in an interview…much more so than your academics, or your ecs/volunteer, or even an experience that changed you forever. Dreams and ambitions are very important, especially at UofC!</p>
<p>Haha, thanks. I never really think about my childhood dreams anymore because of all the academic pressure. They seem like surreal things. Fantasys that will never happen or bring anything. But thanks for reminding me that childhood dreams are still important. </p>
<p>Really, thanks!</p>
<p>If Chicago is a school about dreams and ambitions, I would prefer it above all schools!!</p>
<p>And that Chinese is really not bad. I understood. You said, “Hello, My last name is Sennott. My name is Sennott Brooke. What is your name?”</p>
<p>Well, wo de ming zi jiao zeng jiaming. fei chang gao xing nenggou he ni yu jian.</p>
Ni hao, wo xing sennott, wo jiao sennott brooke, ni jiao shenma mingzi? Did I do that right?! XD It’s a fun language at times, though.</p>