<p>I'm a white guy (if that's relevant) and I'm graduating high school in the class of 2014, so I will be applying to colleges this Fall. I'm finalizing my list now, so I figured I could use some help in determining what schools I should consider reaches, matches, and safeties. So here's some info:</p>
<p>GPA: 3.6-3.7 UW (hasn't been recalculated since junior year has ended so this is my best estimate)</p>
<p>Courses: Always the highest level available, which includes almost all honors and AP courses besides classes like Health, Drama, and PE. My weighted GPA would easily be above a 4.0, but unfortunately my school doesn't calculate or report it. I've taken AP World History (5), Chemistry (5), Physics (5), English Language (5), and US History (4). I'll be taking AP Latin, AP Calculus BC, AP Environmental Science, AP Economics (Micro and Macro), and AP English Literature during my senior year.</p>
<p>Standardized Tests: 2300 SAT, 800 on all SAT IIs (Math 2, Chemistry and World History)
34 ACT</p>
<p>College Essay (Yes, I've already written my common app essay): I've gone over it with a few teachers and they've all said it's very good, and I trust them enough to tell me if it's not. I also showed it to a friend who got into Harvard last year and he said it was definitely better than his, so I'm feeling good about that.</p>
<p>ECs:
Boy Scouts - Eagle Scout and Senior Patrol Leader (Leader of the troop)
Track and Cross Country - Multiple local awards, team captain, likely to make states every season as a senior (xc, indoor, outdoor) and nationals for both track seasons, good enough to possibly be recruited at DIII schools and some lower level DI programs, could possibly walk on to any team
Model United Nations - President and expanded our club's conference attendance
Founding Member of school meditation club
Officer in Pencils of Promise Club
Officer in Film Club
Habitat for Humanity - spent a week in New Orleans doing community service
French Exchange - was only person allowed to go from a lower level French class
Math Team</p>
<p>Summer Internship:
Worked compiling research for a law school over the summer</p>
<p>Extra tidbit - my grandfather was a fairly prominent politician, but I'm not sure how much that helps or how I could possibly work it in if it does. Any advice there?</p>
<p>My List:
Yale University
University of Pennsylvania
University of California at Berkeley
University of Southern California
Claremont McKenna College - Division III
Georgetown University - aunt and uncle went here
Johns Hopkins University
Villanova University
Boston College - legacy
Tufts University - Divison III
Harvard University
Stanford University - my mom is friends with a former member of the board of trustees and the current head of the Alumni Association. How much could this help? I feel like Stanford is the the kind of school that doesn't take this kind of stuff into account as much.</p>