<p>I'm sorry; these are so tedious to read (and I posted this in two other forums before I found this one), but I've been worried sick recently.</p>
<p>The whole "oh-my-god-I'm-too-stupid-to-get-in-anywhere" syndrome is really beginning to take effect. I am a junior this year (will graduate in spring 2008) at a public school of about 2000 students just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. (In a few months, my family will be moving back to the east coast, so I will be transferring schools at that time. Location probably doesn't really make much of a difference, but college admissions always seem so esoteric and mysterious. I don't know.) Oh, and I'm a WASPy 16-year-old girl. At risk of sounding self-aggrandizing, I'm a fairly decent writer and want to major in English or creative writing, or something along those lines. Thus, the inclination is toward a strong liberal arts school like Vassar, to which I'd apply ED.</p>
<p>SATs and ACTs:
Not awful: spring of freshman year: 1320 (on a 1600 scale)
spring of sophomore year: 1410 (ditto)
I'd really like to get up to at least a 1500 this winter, though. I take the PSATs next week - I'm hoping to be some sort of National Merit Scholar finalist, but we'll see, I guess. My ACT last spring was one subpoint away from a 33 :/. Again, hoping for at least a 34 this winter. I haven't taken any SAT IIs yet, but I sort of expect to do well on those...</p>
<p>GPA:
Decidedly dismal. My cumulative for freshman and sophomore year is around a 3.65 - 3.7 on a 4.0 scale.
(My school has a fairly curious grading scale, though: only 3.7 points are given for an A- in a class, whereas a straight A gets 4 points, a B+ is awarded 3.3 points, a B, 3 points, and so on.) This year I have a 4.0, though, and most likely will maintain that for the rest of high school. My school doesn't rank. Oh, and I am enrolled in or have taken every AP and honors class offered, also.</p>
<p>EXTRACURRICULARS:
-JV Tennis Team (just 9th, 10th grade)
-Varsity I Math Team
-Yearbook Club member/editor
-School Senator (Elected to monitor school improvement and policies - the Senate is comprised of the principal, a few teachers, and 4 students)
-Student Council (Led a number of committees)
-Varsity Forensics Team (Earned varsity letter with excellence)
-Varsity Debate Team (Will earn varsity letter)
-Drama Club (Had significant supporting roles in a number of plays and was a member of Crew, also)
-Chess Club (Co-president/Co-founder)
-Art Club
-Philosophy Club
-National Honor Society</p>
<p>OTHER
I danced (ballet/pointe) for 12 years. This past summer, I did an internship with the Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools for two weeks in Martha's Vineyard. Last summer, I volunteered 80+ hours at a sleepaway camp in Michigan; I worked in the kitchen and made an inordinate amount of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. I tutor a 3rd grade student in art once a week during my lunch hour. I'm also a study buddy for NHS.</p>
<p>Thank you so much; I know my stats are on the weak side. Oh, yeah, and I was the district spelling bee champion for four years, I run two active podcasts, I sew my own clothes and I play in a reasonably successful local post-punk band. :]</p>