Chance Me!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

GPA: 4.11 (weighted), SAT: 1380 (superscore 1400)
Extracurriculars

  • Full-time summer unpaid internship as an editorial intern for local newspaper + wrote 2 articles as a paid freelancer (10th grade)
  • Full-time summer job as a gardener at local cemetery + helped research and write text for an educational mobile game the cemetery is putting out (this job is super hard to explain in 150 words) (11th grade)
  • Marching Band all 4 years, currently equipment manager
  • Indoor Percussion (9th–11th grade)
  • NHS (11th–12th grade)
  • Tri-M Music Honor Society (like NHS but for music specifically; 10 hours of volunteering instead of 30) (10th–12th grade)
  • Girl Scouts since kindergarten, currently doing Girl Scout Gold Award; my project was approved and is currently in progress but I technically haven’t earned it yet
  • Volunteer at local animal shelter for 2 hours a week (I’m doing my Gold Award with them) (12th grade)
  • Technical theater club twice a week (10th grade)

I’ve taken 4 AP classes in the past and am currently taking 3. (I got a 5 on all the exams, so I’ll probably send that to colleges).

I’m from a competitive and affluent area (northern Arlington, Virginia) and I am aware my extracurriculars/scores are weak compared to my peers. I’m a white female, both my parents went to college and I don’t qualify for financial aid.

I think my personal essay came out well; I’d say writing is one of my strengths.

Honors
AP Scholar with Honor (11th–12th grade)
Tri-M
NHS
District 12 Band (10th grade)
Gold Award (since this is still in progress, I explained it in the “additional information” section and didn’t put it under “honors”)

“Reach” schools: Northeastern University, Oberlin College, Tulane University, New York University, William & Mary, Boston University. (Visiting all of these)
More realistic schools: James Madison University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Drexel University

Thanks!

2

What is your UW GPA? Can you retake the SAT (third try?)? I think the first list is a good reasonable set of reaches (you can’t count on any of them). U WI is not a safety for OOS (and they do not superscore). I have heard full pay students are favored at Drexel but can’t confirm that with anything but heresay. Once you’re into 1400+ SAT ranges it seems like every point matters. Even raising your score 40 points could be a game changer. Good luck!

3

Thank you! I think I will retake the SAT in November. I’m actually not sure what my UW gpa is precisely, but I only have one B on my transcript (10th grade chemistry) and the rest are As.

4

What is your budget?

You have some great universities in-state. U.Wisconsin is a great school, but I don’t know what it has over UVA (other than “real” winters). I have worked with people who graduated from both, and they had all had a strong education. I think that VT is worth an application also.

I agree that Wisconsin is not a safety since you are OOS. Whether UVA would be I don’t know, but your guidance counselor should know.

Many of the schools on your list are going to be quite a bit more expensive than your in-state options, with no obvious significant advantage.

By the way, good job on a great high school GPA.