Hi everyone! I would really appreciate it if you all could chance me on the above colleges based on my stats, ECs, etc. Thank you so much!
SAT: M 770 CR 800 W 800
Total: 2370
SAT II: Math II:800
Chem:800
GPA: 3.75 UW 3.88 UC GPA 4.03 W
Extracurriculars:
- Piano (9-12): Completing all 10 levels of Certificate of Merit Evaluation Exam, received branch honors and qualified for musical convention recital in level 8, receiving senior award (completing 3 levels in HS)
- Conducted Research at Schmahl Science Workshops (10 summer-12): Submitted research on Parkinson’s Disease to Contra Costa Science and Engineering Fair (won 2nd place, alternate for CA State Fair)
- Attended Telugu (Indian Language) School: Completed all 4 levels of telugu school, learned to fluently speak, understand, read, write Telugu
- 250 hours volunteering at Veterans Affairs Hospital (9-12): Honorary Volunteer at Veterans Affairs (Volunteer 200+ hours)
- Internship at UCSF vascular surgery lab (11 summer): conducted vascular research along with other faculty at lab
- Solo author of submitted research paper/article (11th grade): Submitted research paper on Parkinson’s cure to Elsevier Editorial for Parkinsonism and Parkinson’s article to Imagine Magazine of JHU Center for Talented Youth
- Submitting research project on Parkinson’s Disease to Intel STS and Siemens National Competition (11,12)
- Attending Stanford Pre-Collegiate Conference (12): 1 of 50 students in CA selected to participate in conference where we share and discuss our scientific research with professionals and other students
- President and Founder of Charity Dress Club (10-12): Raised money and collected clothes to send to underdeveloped countries around the world: Sent two cargo shipments overseas to India and raised $5000
- Active Member of School Congressional Debate Team (9-12): Varsity member of congressional debate team in grades 9-12, won 3rd place in 2 invitational tournaments (Congress 3, MLK) and won 2nd at Congress summer camp in HS
- 224 PSAT score: Likely national merit semifinalist
- CSF (9-12): Active member of DVHS CSF for 5 semesters, 60 hours volunteering
- Piano Volunteering (9-11): Played piano for elderly at senior citizen homes: 50 hours
- Athletics (9-10): Captain of school Junior Varsity volleyball team
- Work experience (10-12): Teach piano to elementary and middle schoolers around my community
hoping to have good essays in which I talk about my dad having cancer and how it dropped my grades, but how I became motivated and used this pain to become motivated in conducting research,etc. Do you think this is a good idea?
I think rec letters will be 6-7/10 for johns hopkins and cornell.
Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you!
Your extracurriculars and test scores definitely overshadow your gpa. I’d say you have a great chance at all these schools. You’re definitely in for the UC’s. Cornell and John Hopkins are a match-high match.
BTW i am Asian Indian, go to a competitive public school, and am planning on majoring in something in the biological sciences. I want to apply for the least competitive biological science major since I will be going to med school anyways, so does anyone know which is easiest to get into?
Richardconter, thanks so much for the reply! I was worried because especially for the UC’s I was noticing that people with good EC’s and test scores but low GPA were getting rejected, especially in the last year. I really appreciate it!
School Rank: N/A but probably top 15-20%
Senior year courses:
Calculus
Physics
Weights
Economics
Government
AP Bio
AP Psych
AP Language & Composition
by the end of high school I will have taken 2 honors and 6 AP Classes
Damn! Those test scores! Your scores are obviously nearly as good as possible. They are definitely good enough to get you into any of your schools. Your GPA, while certainly not bad, is definitely out-shined by the standardized tests. Nonetheless, I don’t think colleges will be picky about GPA when they cleary see you are a bright kid based off of the 2370 and perfect SAT II’s. Your research is outstanding, so that looks great! I think your reaches are obviously Hopkins and Cornell (because they’re reaches for everyone). Nonetheless, you are still highly qualified for these top schools and I’d be surprised if you don’;t get into your UCs. AS for the essay, some people say avoid the 3Ds (death, disease, and divorce), just because a lot of kids write about this. However, I think you are an exception because you can explain how it motivated you to research. Good luck!
@Humuck, this is really helpful advice! Thank you so much!
bump! appreciate the replies:)
Your test scores and research EC’s are really good and definitely make up for your GPA. You will almost forsure get into the UCs. The other two are reaches for everyone, but I think you have a very good shot at them.
@virsha24, thanks so much for the feedback! Would UC’s overlook the low GPA though, because they seem increasingly focused on high GPA even if the test scores may be high.
What are your safeties? Seem like a short list.
Its the combination of high test scores and great EC’s that prove that you are smart and would get you into the UCs. Also, make sure you have safeties like the person above said.
@DrGoogle, my safeties so far are UCR, UCSB, Purdue, University of Rochester. The universities I listed are just the ones I wanted to be chanced on. I would also really like to apply to Emory, so if someone could also chance me on that, it would be great. Thanks!
Your test scores are very high and your extracurriculars are very good as well. However, your weighted gpa seems low compared to your unweighted gpa. How many APs/Honors did you take? I think Cornell and Johns Hopkins are reaches (they are reaches for everyone). As long as your essays are good, I think you have a good chance of getting into UCLA, UCSD, and UCSB.
@QuiteAverage90 thanks so much! I had no weighted in freshman year, 1 AP and one honors in soph year, 2 AP’s and one honors in junior year, and will be taking 3 AP’s in senior year. Do you think this course load lacks rigor? My weighted classes were:
soph year: AP euro, honors chem
junior year: AP Lit, Honors Spanish IV, AP Chem
senior year: AP Language & Composition, AP Psych, AP Bio
For the UCs it’s all about GPA. Test score doesn’t matter that much. But OP, you have great ECs, great test scores, only not wonderful but not bad GPA. I think you have good chances at UCS, UCD, and UCSB.
I would add more private schools like USC particularly if you are going to be NMS.
@DrGoogle thanks for the help, appreciate it! In my essay, would you suggest I talk about family issues and touch on the fact that it had a role in lowering grades, but mainly focus it on how my dad’s cancer influenced me to do research ECs? Or do you think thats too trite?