<p>I'm a Senior and I've been looking at different liberal arts colleges and would love to see what people think. </p>
<p>From decreasing order of interest (but my "ranking" isn't really set yet. I've also visited a few of them), I'm looking at: Pomona, Haverford, Claremont Mckenna, Carleton, Davidson, Bowdoin, Reed, Wesleyan, Grinnell, Oberlin. Pomona is my potential ED and if it doesn't work out, CMC or Carleton would be ED II, everything else, RD.</p>
<p>It's a long list and I'm thinking of applying to all of them or maybe cut a few (I have a few non-lac safety's but I'm really gravitating to the environment that Liberal Arts schools have.)</p>
<p>Asian Male
High School: Small (no name and religious) college-prep, private school (~140 students total)
Ranking: Maybe 6 out of 40?
GPA: 3.8 (school does only UW GPA)
Courses: School does not offer AP's and all classes are public school honors standard (whatever that means). Each school day has 8 periods, but I have had 9 periods (because of 0 period band) all four years except for my Junior year where I had 10 periods (0 period including an advance Pre-Cal math during lunch where we did the same work as the Calculus class). Also part of school's first "Honor" classes (said Pre-Cal course, and Chemistry during Junior year also. Honors physics was supposed to happen for the small group that took those two honor courses, but because of schedule issues, it didn't materialize [small school]. Also, these Honor courses didn't have special weight or boost GPA's)
SAT I&II: N/A (not planning to take either)
ACT: 29 (English:29, Math: 29, Reading: 30, Science: 27, Writing: 8. Odd because science was usually my best and reading my worst. Taken only once, re-taking in a few weeks)</p>
<p>Extracurricular + Leadership Positions:
-Band Concertmaster (first chair, first clarinet) (4 years)
-Bass and Piano Accompanist (4 years)
-Started school's first Handbell group in years (Founded Junior year, continuing senior year)
-Varsity Football Team (Sophomore-Senior year. Captain Junior-Senior)
-Varsity Men's Volleyball (Part of School's first team in a decade Sophomore year. Captain Junior-Senior Year)
-Varsity Baskeball (Sophomore year only. despite my height, i hated it)
-Shadowed doctors at major research hospital and in local AID's clinic (Summer Junior year, continuing senior year)
-Student Constituency Representative during school board meetings. (Junior and Senior Year)
-Sophomore Class VP
-Junior Year: Student Association Social Vice-President
-Senior Class President
-Banquet/ Prom Committee Leader (Junior year) and Class representative (Senior Year)
-Family group leader in school's spiritual group (senior year)
-Volunteer in city food bank once a month for about 2 hours.
-Pathfinders Master Guide (Scouting group, basically equivalent of Boy Scout's Eagle Scout), Teen Leader, Class teacher, and Drill commander. (In it all of high school, in it since was in 5th grade)
-Involved in church: church pianist, youth leader, praise team leader, English teacher in refugee program, weekly community food distribution (four years)
-Started volunteer group to bring students from school to local retirement home to talk to residents and get community service hours. (senior year)
-Frequent music concerts for elderly in said retirement home with younger siblings (four years)
-Helped start music program at the same retirement home. small handbells group made from residents started and potential elderly choir later on. (Summer of Junior year, continue through senior year)
-Attend one (sometimes two) regional, audition only music festival every year (choir, band, or handbells, every year for the past 6 years).
-Helped set up school's first honor code (junior year)
-Part of school's first National Honor Society group (Senior year)
-Well traveled all over the world: two week culture immersion programs with high school school to Eurpoe (LOT'S of writing [thousand word journals daily and two five-thousand word essays about the region of Europe we visited] and research involved. 8th grade [only non high schooler on trip ever to go] and Sophomore year), independent travels with family, and mission trips to Mexico and rural America.</p>
<p>Jobs:
-Music Department student worker. (paid, Four years)
-Tutor to foreign exchange students from China (unpaid, Senior Year)
-Interim church secretary during summers (unpaid, four years</p>
<p>Recommendations:
Haven't asked anyone yet, but I know who I will ask. All my teachers love me and know me very well, as well as the principal, and vice-principal. </p>
<p>Essays:
English has always been one of my weaker areas but I've gotten a lot better and I can write well. </p>
<p>Academic Interests:
Basically undecided on major. I know I want to become a doctor, so Pre-Med. People are pushing me for music because people always see me with an instrument or playing in front of a stage. I want music to be a part of my college career but I don't know if I want to major in it. I also have a big love of the sciences (Chemistry or Physics major) but nearly every doctor I've talked to while shadowing says not to major in sciences if you want to be a doctor. Even if it's your passion, because you'll get SO much of it in med-school, you'll get sick of it no matter how much you like it and you don't get into upper division science in the MCAT. I'm even open to the fact that I might dramatically change interests while in college and major in something like classics.</p>
<p>Thanks so much reading and I would really love any feedback.</p>