Chances at Mellon

Colleges and Universities A-Z Carnegie Mellon University
1

<p>Hey all. I'm a junior right now at a competitive public school. So far I'm thinking about applying to Mellon under the biology department.</p>

<p>[Academics]
GPA: 3.96
WGPA: 4.75
No rank
Courseload: 5 college prep courses, 9 honors, 8 AP, 2 at Princeton University, 1 independent study on environmental studies; skipped 2 years of math, 1 year of programming, 1 year of chemistry, and 1 year of music theory; exhausted all bio courses at my school, so I'm taking 200-level classes with Princeton students next year --> hardest courseload in my grade</p>

<p>[Test scores]
SAT M: 800
SAT CR: 720
SAT W: 720
SAT II Bio: 800
SAT II Chem: 800
SAT II Math 2: 800
AP's sophomore year: Computer Science A 5; self-studied Biology 5 and Environmental Science 4
AP's junior year: Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Language; self-studying Human Geography, Psychology, Statistics</p>

<p>[Primary extracurriculars and TERMINAL officer positions]
Environmental Club - President (and founder)
Debate League - President
Tutoring Society - President
Amnesty International - Vice President
Model United Nations - Vice President</p>

<p>[Secondary extracurriculars]
French National Honor Society
Science Club
Soccer</p>

<p>[Recognitions]
USA Biology Olympiad semifinalist (top 500 in the nation)
NJ Science League qualification and certificates
NJ Governor's School on the Environment nominee, finalist, then the program was canceled
AIME qualifier (115 AMC 12)
Shore Bowl quarterfinalist and team captain
NJ Scholars Program (humanities focus) nominee, finalist, scholar
Princeton University Moot Court Tournament seventh place team/quarterfinalist
Colonial Valley Conference fourth place team
Varsity Policy and Lincoln-Douglas debate teams
JPMorgan Chase Lincoln-Douglas Tournament Award
AP Scholar last year, hopefully National AP Scholar this year
...And some other small stuff</p>

<p>[Summer activities]
2003 - travel in Europe and Asia
2004 - skipped 2 courses
2005 - skipped 1 course, worked as a tutor
2006 - NJ Scholars Program, Environmental Management course through Harvard SSP, JSA symposium on leadership and politics, maybe getting a job and/or a course or two at the local CC if possible</p>

<p>I've explored the fields of biology and public policy throughout high school, and they overlap nicely in the field of environmental studies, which I plan to major in in college.</p>

<p>What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for any comments. :)</p>

2

<p>Why are you even asking?</p>

3

<p>i can't promise harvard or mit, but you're into the college of your choice at cmu. just remember to put some effort (even minimal effort qualifies as some effort) into your essays, and you'll be fine.</p>

4

<p>i know people with worse scores who've gotten into h.y.p. mit, so yeah.</p>

<p>whats "skipped 2 courses" though?</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the encouraging replies, everyone!</p>

<p>c1utch - I skipped Intro to Comp Prog and Honors Chemistry in the Summer of 2004, and I skipped Honors Precalculus in the Summer of 2005. I took the equivalent class out of school and so I was able to bypass the course at school.</p>