A bit of info on me…
-attending highly-ranked PA public school
-4.0 GPA, 5.1 weighted (as of junior year)
-Took 3 honors courses freshman year, 3 honors and AP chem sophomore year, and currently 2 honors, APUSH, and APES junior year
-5 on AP Chem Exam, 780 SAT Chem subject test, 193 sophomore year PSAT, 221 junior PSAT
-first SAT I took: 660 math (ugh, usually my highest section! kind of strange by comparison to other scores) 780 CR, 800 writing, 10 essay
—supposed to retake SAT soon but I’ve barely studied because. . . well, we’ll just leave that without the 20 page explanation I might try to give it
-first and probably only ACT: 33 composite, 35 writing, 31 math, 34 reading, 31 science (essay not available yet but I think that I did quite poorly on that)
-Varsity cross country runner (rain in state meet this past year), JV Spring track
-school newspaper editor
-Senior Girl Scout, have earned Gold Award for hosting a middle school Pi Day
-Summer camp counselor
-play guitar at my church
-a lot of random volunteer work (just for fun!)
-Student Council, Principal’s Advisory Council, Student Curriculum Advisory Council, Spanish Club Executive Council, Human Rights Club, Mock Trial in past, Forensics (first year), Lit Mag freshman and sophomore year
-just started a Chemistry Club at my HS - I’m planning to organize some fun readings, professor lectures, holiday celebrations, outreach demonstrations, etc. on the subject
-about to participate in a two-day challenge sort of program where high schoolers from several districts gather to find solutions to local problems regarding water quality and distribution
-participating in a rather large weather balloon project at my school (outside of class), will be researching past accounts of levels of compounds like ozone that we will be tracking
-next year’s planned schedule: AP Spanish, an AP English (leaning towards Lit), AP Bio, Honors Organic Chem, Honors Calc, Journalism, possibly either audit AP Gov (the teacher is fantastic) or a semester research course (I want to do some chem research project on my own otherwise, maybe with fracking chemicals?)
—hoping to take community college basic physics over the summer also
activities to add / upgrade to / return to / drop for senior year:
-School newspaper EIC (want this one most of all!)
-Student Council Secretary
-likely to do winter track (mostly just training)
-probably drop Forensics - good people and good in concept, but I just didn’t feel it and other stuff will keep me as busy as heck
-possibly return to Lit Mag
Thus far, I hope to major in chemistry and minor in or double major with journalism or English, so it is really important to me that these academic programs are strong. Academics are probably the most important thing for me. Also, I’m NOT a fan of the typical college party scheme. In other words, I’m a stone-cold sober who would like a lot of alternative activities on or around campus.
I know these schools, especially UPenn, would really be reaches, but would I have any chance at either? Is there anything feasible that I can do to get closer to reaching their standards? Lastly, are there any other schools that any of you would recommend? I live in the western PA region and would like to stay relatively close to home. A college in PA would be great if it suits my needs, but generally the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region is my aim, not venturing further west than Chicago.
Please comment and thanks in advance!