Hi!
So I’m a white female in her junior year.
Unfortunately, my high school does unweighted GPA, and because of some slip-ups my freshman and sophomore years, my GPA is 3.7-3.8, but I used an online GPA calculator and my weighted GPA is a 4.6. with all A’s in my current classes.
My class courses are currently:
Spanish 3 Regular
AP U.S. History
AP Language and Composition (English)
AP Environmental Science
Pre-Calculus Regular
Soccer Conditioning (while in the offseason)
My school doesn’t allow APs for freshman and had only 2 APs available to me my sophomore year, because I wasn’t advanced enough in Spanish or math. By the end of my senior year, I plan to have taken 9 AP classes, with 5 in my senior year.
This year and next I will be on varsity soccer.
I’m a part of a seasonal volunteer group and have just joined Red Cross club at my school. I went to the Dominican Republic this past summer and did volunteer work by myself. I’ve also volunteered at VBS for kids during summer. I’m trying to find more volunteer groups, but its very hard because I have to stay at home with my autistic older brother who can’t be left alone. It’s also difficult because my mom usually gets home around 8 P.M., and my father works across the country in D.C. and flies back on the weekend to see his kids.
I’m independent, incredibly passionate about the things I love, and love challenges. Brown would be perfect for me to pursue my many interests, since I do not want to make a decision (choosing a major) that affects my entire future at age 18. I don’t want to be defined by one thing, and I have a passion for learning, so I want to get as much out of the Curriculum as I can.
If you have any advice for bettering my chances at Brown, or telling me how my chances look at the moment, I would love to hear it! Even if it’s something I wouldn’t want to hear, I welcome it! I’d love all the help I can get! Thank you very much:)
Just some info for you –
Disregard any and all “online calculators” for weighted averages. Brown couldn’t care less. There are as many ways to weight grades as there are high schools that weight grades. What matters is your transcript, your grades, in your school. If your school ranks, then your rank will be an admissions factor. Your high school should have a profile that is submitted with your application, and that will show when students can take APs and what APs are available. It will also indicate that grades are not weighted.
Brown, and schools like it, are interested in how you spend your time outside the classroom. Being the caregiver for your autistic brother is considered an extra curricular – students who have to work, watch siblings, etc., are not penalized for that. As a junior now, don’t go shopping for “more volunteer groups.” It’ll be obvious that you did that just for college applications. You can probably write an amazing essay about your brother and your relationship and what taking care of him is like. You’ve taken on some adult responsibility, which shows maturity, and most colleges view that favorably.
Unfortunately, your slip-ups in freshman and sophomore year count. Admissions has gotten so competitive that schools have to have a real good reason to overlook low grades.
AP Environmental Science is a curious course for junior year – have you taken biology, physics and chemistry?
And finally, while it is nearly impossible to chance you (or anyone), it is even more impossible without knowing your SAT or ACT scores.
I also want to make sure you’ve investigated the financial aspect of admissions. Can your parents afford Brown? Have you run the net price calculator for Brown and the other schools you are considering? Have you had the financial talk with your parents?
There is nothing unfortunate about your school using unweighted GPAs, that is what colleges look at anyway.
I personally think Brown is one of the most unpredictable schools to chance. Get great test scores, that always helps. But no one can really tell you if you will get in or not.
My advice is to do the hard work of finding match and safety schools that you like. If you get into Brown, that is gravy. But odds are much higher that you won’t — nothing personal, but their admission rate is 9%. So 9 of 10 applicants are turned away.
I also took an ACT prep course for 4 weeks during the summer, and I took a practice test and got a 29 composite without studying, so I think I’ll do well when I actually take the test.
I took Biology and Chemistry honors, which are requirements to take AP Environmental at my school:)
A practice test is not a real score, as many have discovered to their dismay.
