<p>I'm a rising senior, and would like any feedback on my chances for admission. Thanks!</p>
<p>SAT I: CR:670, M:740, W:690; 2100 (re-taking, and feel confident that I will score higher)
SAT II: Math II: 750, Chem: 720
ACT: Probably lower 30's.</p>
<p>Our school has a strange GPA system, so I couldn't figure out what my GPA is unweighted. (Reg: 5.0/Pre-AP: 6.0/AP: 6.25)
Weighted GPA: 5.33
Rank: 16/490</p>
<p>EC's:
- Eagle Rank, Boy Scouts of America
- Founder/Secretary-General, MUN
- Varsity tennis
- Spanish Club
- Math/Science Club
- Student Council
- Ambassador Program
- Honor Guard
- Bassist/pianist/guitarist for church
- Students Standing Strong
- Community service in various events/locations</p>
<p>Honors:
- National Honor Society
- Spanish Honor Society
- Mu Alpha Theta
- Community Scholar Ambassador
- Community Service Ambassador</p>
<p>Senior courses (as of now):
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Biology
- AP Government/Economics
- AP Art History
- AP Lit/Comp.
- Pre-AP Physics
- Tennis</p>
<p>State: Texas
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Asian (Korean)</p>
<p>Since your school has such an odd GPA system, I’m going to assume it’s private and somewhat competitive when 6 AP courses senior year aren’t getting you past rank 16 in your class. So I’m going to say that your academics are good, your SAT scores would support that.</p>
<p>ECs look good.</p>
<p>It’s debatable whether being Asian and being from Texas would end up being a hook or not, some will say yes, others no.</p>
<p>So, on the whole, I would say your chances are about as good as anyone else’s, definitely good enough for admission to Dartmouth with good essays and luck.</p>
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<p>Not to be excessively pedantic, but I don’t think that ANYONE who is at all accustomed to college admissions terminology would describe being Asian (especially Korean, Chinese, or Japanese) from Texas or any other state as a “hook.” Maybe it would be a hook to be a first-generation Hmong immigrant, but they are an unusual Asian group: an URM not an ORM.</p>
<p>Being an URM is a hook. Being a movie star is a hook. Being a presidential child is a hook. Having a play produced in a professional venue is a hook. Being a recruited athlete is a hook. Being unstereotypical–an Orthodox Jewish kid from North Dakota, for example–is not a hook.</p>
<p>I only point this out because it is important that people understand what is meant when posters talk about chances or stats of “unhooked” applicants. :)</p>
<p>I’d say your chances are mediocre at best. Your rank is fine, but your scores are borderline to low. Your activities–to be frank–would seem to indicate that you are a religious, dutiful straight arrow who always colors inside the lines. There are good schools where they are actively looking for kids with that profile: Wheaton (IL), maybe Davidson, and various excellent RC schools like Holy Cross and Notre Dame–assuming that you do not object to the idea of going to a Catholic school-- spring to mind. Have you considered any of those?</p>
<p>Or maybe the impression I get from your summary here is inaccurate…</p>
<p>Consolation’s commentary is spot on.</p>
<p>@Consolation: Well my scores are a bit on the low side as of now, but I’m hoping to raise them come this October. I’m involved in two religious activities, so I’m not exactly quite sure where you came from in deciding that I would be suitable for a religious institution. In any case, I am assuming from you that my main goal should basically score higher on my SAT?</p>
<p>I count three (scouts, SSS, and church). Students Standing Strong sounds pretty militant to me. It seems to be the main thread in your ECs. Honor Guard? Are those the kids who drill with flags at football games? Ambassador Club? Ambassador to what? What was your Eagle project? You don’t say. It all sounds very dutiful and nondescript to me. Luckily for you, I’m not on the admissions committee. :)</p>
<p>Yes, you need better SATs and more evidence of individuality overall, IMHO.</p>
<p>@Consolation: That’s Color Guard; Honor Guard escorts the dance team at football games. Ambassador Program is a school program that awards students for achieving 100+ service hours. My Eagle project involved landscaping a local police department. (Digging up old plants/trees, re-designing and re-planting new plants/grass, etc.) How would I go about including all these details in my application, besides the little box asking for more depth on one activity?</p>
<p>You would send a resume. If an activity was very important to you, it might be the subject of an essay. You might get an extra recommendation from a teacher or mentor in an EC.</p>
<p>I think you should really focus on your common app essay. That’s the best way to show your individuality and make your application stand out and be memorable. And definitely try to improve your SAT scores as well.</p>