<p>I'm applying to some state schools (UC, OSU), but I would love to be able to attend one of the higher tier schools (Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, WashU, Yale). I'm just wondering if I am wasting my time/money applying to those types of institutions with my stats. :/</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.8
Weighted GPA: 4.3
Class Rank: 33/587</p>
<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP Statistics
Field Biology
Forensics
AP Spanish 5
Sch. English 12 (I couldn't take the AP with my fall ec workload, but I'm still taking the AP tests)
AP U.S. Government
AP Economics</p>
<p>I've previously taken AP U.S. History and AP World History, getting 5s on both.</p>
<p>Activities:
-Volunteer tutor for after school program for at-risk kids in a city near me
-Captain of speech and debate team
-Captain of varsity cross-country team
-Class President
-Soils expert for Envirothon Team
-Service Officer for my chapter of NHS
-Senior Cashier/Concessionist (We get paid slightly more and do training) at a movie theater
-Assistant Coach to middle school writing team (interscholastic competition)
-Theater in high school. Student director, costume chief, and some lead roles throughout.
-President of Model United Nations</p>
<p>Academic Honors:
-2nd in state for an essay contest
-3rd in state for a Shakespeare monologue competition
-State qualifier for Speech (Should this go under activities?)
-3rd regional for Envirothon, 10th in State (Same question as above!)
-3rd in regional short fiction contest</p>
<p>My essay should be okay, I think, and my rec letters are coming from teachers with history of good admittance and that have known me for at least two years. Thanks for any help at all!</p>
<p>You seem like a strong candidate, so it’s not a waste of time to apply. Choose one of the top schools and apply EA or ED - but first make sure your essays are excellent, not just OK!</p>
<p>I don’t see much point in “bumping” this thread. There’s nothing to add. You have a lot going for you, but so do thousands of other students you will be competing against for admission to the most elite colleges. They are all reaches. Pick a few, and then back them up with some matches and safeties where you think you could be happy. Decide what sort of campus you want. It’s foolish to apply to Dartmouth if you would prefer an urban college like Harvard or Columbia. Add Penn or U of Chicago, and then start thinking about BU, NYU, GWU, and Tulane. Maybe you should pick one dream school for ED, and then consider some colleges with rolling admission and/or non-binding Early Action. If you get into your dream school, then all will be well with the world. If you don’t, then you will have at least one acceptance under your belt as you scramble to submit other applications before the RD deadline. </p>
<p>@SpookySpaceKook I wouldn’t put Wash U in the same categories as the Ivies, slightly below. If you want, you can apply ED there and I would bet money you’d get in, I know kids with far worse stats who have gotten in with your stats from my school. That being said, you do have a legitimate shot at the Ivies, and i do think you’ll get into one or more (especially if you choose to apply ED to Dartmouth or Columbia, as you suggested on your list). Of course, you should apply early to the school you’d absolutely know you’d want to attend. Applying ED just offers a lot of extra incentive that should be at least weighed, but in all truthfulness you stand as a possible candidate in all schools you’re applying to. Good luck!</p>
<p>If you wouldn’t mind, please chance me back!</p>
<p>You need to think about costs. Don’t apply to schools that you wouldn’t be able to afford. Remember, your state status for UC’s; if you’re not in-state, you’re full fee.</p>
<p>@SpookySpaceKook: Congratulations on your truly excellent, multi-faceted high school performance. As TSoB said with wit, you’re a solid candidate for any of the first- and second-tier National Universities/Liberal Arts Colleges (think the top about fifteen, in both categories, in tomorrow’s U S News 2015 rankings). Unfortunately, this realistically means you’re one of many thousands of highly competitive applicants vying for an acceptance, at institutions with approximate 5 to 15 percent acceptance rates. </p>
<p>ED/EA is likely to improve those probabilities marginally, but the deadline looms, it can be a binding commitment, viable financing is critical, and you really need to select (at most) only a couple early alternatives (principally to ensure you do a superlative job on your essays).</p>
<p>Good luck, you merit a very favorable result. </p>
<p>@woogzmama Thank you for your honesty, especially your point about campus types. I’ve been iffy on Dartmouth, and I think I’m removing it from my list.</p>
<p>@235423 I’d do ED for Wash U if it wasn’t for the fact that I would need at least a half tuition scholarship to afford them. The typical financial aid from the Ivies is the only reason I’d be able to attend any of them. I’ll chance you, dude.</p>
<p>@tryhardalay Unfortunately I don’t know what to tell you; I didn’t study for the reading sections. I’ve just always been an avid reader. If this was a longer term deadline, I’d tell you to read some more classics (it made the vocab a breeze), but your best bet is probably to just attack the SAT vocab lists in the practice books and working on test strategy for the remainder of your time.</p>
<p>@"aunt bea" Yes, cost is important. With the average financial aid from an Ivy, I’d be able to afford attending. </p>
<p>@TopTier Thank you for your very informative reply! I’m definitely doing EA (ED not as likely since financial aid is a notable factor); I’m just finishing up my essays right now. I’ll definitely give the rankings a look tomorrow!</p>