Chances...as well as advice going into senior year

Colleges and Universities A-Z Johns Hopkins University
1

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.6
GPA - Weighted: 4.25
Class Rank:3/111</p>

<p>Scores:</p>

<p>2110 (1410)</p>

<p>Classes (Junior)--curent year--current gpa is a 4.0 not factored into gpa above. Our school only offers 5 or 6 AP courses</p>

<p>AP Euro
German IV
Spanish IV
Precalc
English H
Chem H
Health (required...grr)
Chorus</p>

<p>Senior
AP Literature--if I can make it fit in my schedule
AP USH
AP Chem
AP English Language
AP Calculus IB
German V (will take the AP exam)
Spanish V (will take the AP exam)
Psychology
Government and Economics (required)
Global Studies
Chorus</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Significant Extracurriculars: -Creator/Founder of the Middle School Drama Club. 2 to sometimes 5 hours a week. This is really a major part of my life, I direct 2-3 shows a year with this group, and I'm responsible for both the logistical sides of it down to every detail, we made $150 last year off donations, and were appraised in our local newspaper, as well as invited to perform at the memorial day celebration in Harrisburg for our now annual shakesfest (a play off the ren. fair, but with shakesperian lit). This has continued, and has gained respect in local forums/finally has funding!</p>

<p>-Creator/Founder of my school's Model UN
2 hours plus 5+ reasearching.
-Work Experience--Lio's pizza (dual lingual resturaunt)
-German Tutor
2 hours
-County Chorus 3 years
-Enviornmental Club 2 years
-Interviewed gc for schools (1 of 2 students, I did this as a sophomore, the other person was a junior)
-Mixed Ensemble 3 years
-Musicals since 8th grade
-Plays since 9th grade
-Stage crew as well this year (30+ hours)</p>

<p>Leadership positions: see extra-curriculars + ran for school office
Volunteer/Service Work: 100 + hours a year for sure
Honors and Awards: National Foreign Language Honors society for German and Spanish
HOBY representative
HOBY associate facilitator (very prestigious for a highschool student)
NYLC member
Mathcounts in 7th and 8th grade
Chess Club Champion/founder in middleschool 2 years in a row (should I put this even though its Middleschool?)
College Summer programs: Hopefully PA Govenors school for International Studies
I traveled Europe with my dad who lived in Italy and now serves in Iraq
I am going to take a course under AU this summer</p>

<p>College: Johns Hopkins University ED</p>

<p>(Projected Major is International Studies)</p>

<p>NOTES* I am a fairly strong writer, and I will have excellent reccomendations. My school is consistently ranked higher every year, but is still a suburban public school and should be treated this way. I am also going to take the SATs again as well as the SAT II in Math I, USH, and World History, as well as possibly spanish with listening.</p>

2

<p>Well - You sound a lot like me. You even have a few more extracurriculars than I did, and you show a lot of leadership initiative.</p>

<p>I got in ED. </p>

<p>Take those hard classes!!</p>

3

<p>Wait... you're taking 11 classes next year? My advice: Don't.</p>

<p>Unless you're just taking some extra APs, that's fine, but doesn't make sense for Psychology, English Lit, English Lang, Gov't, or US Hist....</p>

4

<p>Senior Year: Go above and beyond. Take classes at a local community college. Take on an independent research project with a faculty member. Don't take classes that hog up space. If you are going to take classes in addition to APs, they better be college level classes. Show that you have curiousity and like to challenge yourself.</p>

5

<p>^^Not nearly the case. I took 4 AP classes my senior year (7 in total), a regular-level english class (I know how to read and write, hence I don't need AP ;) ), and a science research class (although it was prep for Intel). You don't need to kill yourself.</p>

6

<p>yeah...I probably won't end up taking AP lit, but if I don't I get 7 free periods a week...is that a little much?</p>

7

<p>heh. i got in this year ED and I'm only taking 3 APs with a regular english and a regular music class. </p>

<p>dont kill yourself</p>

8

<p>Wow...see I thought that taking APs and harder courses were crucial to getting in ED, because it shows curiosity, going above and beyond etc etc.</p>

9

<p>if anyone has any more ideas about chances or advice that'd be great!</p>

10

<p>Just show that you really like school and that you can do well in a difficult environment. </p>

<p>Maybe consider taking 4 AP classes and then doing like a solid 6-hour block of Community College classes when HS ends. I bet that will impress adcoms (I seriously considered doing that, it sounded kinda fun). </p>

<p>They will literally be wondering how you managed to do your homework. </p>

<p>At one point, I did take a 4-hour night class at the community college while going through High School, but my HS schedule was relatively light at that point.</p>

11

<p>Wow al6200...that sounds insane. I bet that adcoms would not be impressed however when I flunk out of Highschool, or go crazy because I have no time to unwind. </p>

<p>Any chances posts?</p>

12

<p>Maybe 60%</p>

<p>-Your SATs are slightly below the median</p>

<p>-GPA and class schedule is a little bit on the low side (but not awful), however if you can do really well your senior year it could turn things around</p>

<p>-ECs are really good. </p>

<p>So I wouldn't call it a sure thing, but I think you have a better than 50% chance of getting in.</p>

13

<p>Yeah, I'm really hoping that my current 4.0 GPA (that isn't factored in yet) will raise me up to a more competitive ranking. Also, do you guys think that my EC's will substantially help me or will they be a more neutral point?</p>

14

<p>I'm currently a junior at Hopkins, got accepted ED, so I can tell you my opinion based on experience.</p>

<p>1) DO NOT kill yourself senior year, if you get into Hopkins and come here, you'll have plenty of work to do, so enjoy the simple, relaxing days of HS while they last.
2) I would say try to make yourself stand out in your essay, because most applicants to Hopkins will most likely have the same scores/grades/whatever as you-so hard data aside, it's you as an individual who will stand out.
3) You really don't have to take a thousand classes, community college courses, or have a 100 thousand hours of volunteer to get in. Hopkins wants diversity (I think), not a working robot who may have a break-down from working too much. My senior year load was a couple AP classes, and then some regular classes. I didn't get all 5's on my AP, neither did I have perfect scores, and obviously, I still got in.
-Speaking of AP's: be sure to check out which ones Hopkins actually gives you credit for before you dive into 10 AP classes and then only receiving credit for 2-I only received credit for 3, but that placed me out of a semester's worth of classes.
Before I make my answer become an essay within itself- just one last bit of advice: don't apply to a school just for the name or prestige, make sure it's a good fit FOR YOU. Honestly, Hopkins is not bad, but it's not all good either (as with every other college there is), it depends whether you will fit in with the school. Also, letters of recommendations are not just there so more trees can get chopped (if you want to know why I said that, pm me). </p>

<p>Finally, just in case I made getting into JHU sound like a piece of cake (and it's not), I was also top of the class, did research/got published, good scores, was in the most advanced program at my HS and took the hardest classes within that program, won recognition for my research (I didn't cure cancer, so don't worry), and also put a lot of time and effort into my application. So, you don't have to be Einstein jr. to get in, but you can't be a slacker either. Good luck.
Excuse my grammar/spelling (people can be picky on here)- it's past my bedtime and I'm attempting to stay up and to do work.</p>