<p>Hi! So this is going to be a multi-question post, so bear with me! </p>
<p>I'm currently a junior amidst the stress and anxiety of 11th grade and had a few questions about college.</p>
<p>Just to give you an idea of the type of student and human I am, here are just a few, non-specific statistics:
ACT: 32 (practice test taken a year ago, so not an accurate representation on two counts-- retaking in June!)
Academic GPA-- 5 core classes (9-11): UW 4.0, W 4.3 (The weighted doesn't include advanced/honors classes, just AP)
I would say that my extra curricular activities and volunteering are fairly good considering the opportunities and circumstances in my life, though others may have a different opinion.
I'm planning on majoring in biology with a minor in Italian.</p>
<p>My first question is: what kind of schools should I apply to as backup? I live in California, so I am wondering at which UC's I have high chances of being admitted. In addition, I was wondering if you could offer up some other back up schools. One that I am thinking about is the University of Washington-- do you agree that this school is an appropriate "backup" school?</p>
<p>My second question is: This is more of a worry, actually. My school doesn't give out any academic awards other than honor roll, and it is my understanding that the Common App requests a list of academic awards. What can I do about this?</p>
<p>My last question is: My dream school from my research thus far is Rice University. Any advice to achieve this goal?
Again, thank you very much for your help. If you need any supplemental information from me to effectively answer my questions, please reply on this "thread".</p>