<p>The languages can be a hook in my opinion. To make them one, you meed to craft an application based around your interests in other cultures/linguistics what have you. It should all go together. I think if you write good essays and your application makes "sense" you have a great shot at the Ivy's. Good luck.</p>
<p>Listen, for the people who say that the selectivity is being exaggerated, it really isn't. It's just that the college selection process can be so completely arbitrary that it is hard to say without holding this person's application in one hand and the application of every other applicant in the other. Not to undermine your efforts and I do think you have a great shot, but a lot of it is luck too.</p>
<p>Take a look at Tufts...their focus on service and on international relations might make that a very good fit for you.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
I would like to clarify that the list of schools I posted are my DREAM schools; it is by no means my actual list which would contain fewer reach schools and include safeties and match schools. It would be very foolish for anyone( unless they are super incredible and amazing beyond all limits) to only apply to the schools I posted. </p>
<p>I have, in recent months, also been considering Tufts and George Washington. Nods to the ones who mentioned those schools.</p>
<p>My safeties include a bunch of local colleges and my matches include a lot of the UC system schools like Irvine, San Diego, and Davis. Hopefully, I can get into those schools without too much worrying shed on my part.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any suggestions or comments?</p>
<p>ALSO I NEED DRASTIC HELP WIT THE QUESTION BELOW!!! FREE IMAGINARY ICE CREAM TO THOSE WHO ANSWER A GIRL IN GRIEF!!</p>
<p>I would also like some advice: I have not been doing that well this semester due to many personal problems so my second semester grades looks like a mixture of 5 B's and 2 A's( I know, horrible). I also think my lack of effort this semester will translate through on my teach recs.
I know this will be detrimental to my application; can anyone offer advice or tell me actually how bad it will impact my app? I know nothings guranteed but perhaps some advice from students already in college,etc. </p>
<p>I'm very worried about my grades. I have never had a B before in my entire career and now, I'm smacked with 5'!! Can anyone tell me how this will effect my application and chances?</p>
<p>It seems like your entire purpose of posting is to fish for compliments. Shut the **** up, you are annoying.</p>
<p>"It seems like your entire purpose of posting is to fish for compliments. Shut the **** up, you are annoying."</p>
<p>Scared4College, I do think it's very important that you try to avoid annoying people like Vegan Jihad, because they are so important. Shame on you.
To answer your question: as with all such questions, it's hard to say how these grades will affect your chances in the big picture. Obviously, they won't help you at selective schools, but they will be taken in context with your scores, ECs, recs, essays, and other qualifications. What's important is to take a realistic look at the whole package in deciding where to apply. As you've suggested, it's important to have safeties and matches, and not to invest too much of yourself into getting into any one college, or even group of colleges.</p>
<p>I think you are on track to get into at least some of the schools on your list. Make sure your essays have a genuine, authentic voice and try to present yourself as a whole, real person. If they are truly stellar (not steller), then you should be OK. </p>
<p>Edit: Re #24, Now I'm a bit confused...are you saying your grades are dropping now and that you are getting B's? If your grades are dropping a lot, then you may have to look at less competitive colleges.</p>
<p>First of all, I am not here to fish for compliments. I am completely unsure of my chances- that's the reason i'm posting so why the hell would I seek complements? And seeing my grade predicament, I am a very borderline/sketchy/nooo candidate. I'm seeking advice for what I can do- activities, support, advice from college students, etc.- to maximize my chances for getting into my dream school. I've worked very hard my entire school career and this last stretch hasn't been the best. My counselor can explain the situation on my report so thank god for that but it still makes me feel shaky. I am just another pre-college student seeking information and advice so I would appreciate it if you could leave your derogatory comments at home. This is a really fragile time so although this is just on paper and I don't know you, the words still sting when I only see the hostitlity and no constructive points. Give me truth, reality but please, no flames. </p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>I'd say you'll get into JHU and Georgetown (possibly with money?). Everything else will probably be a waitlist/reject, to be honest... well, unless you have really, really good essays. And that's going to be difficult to achieve, because almost everybody claims to have good essays, while in reality they are not. Work hard, and you might still have a chance, though-- you're not out of range.</p>
<p>So, is the reason, as of recently, posters have been saying I can not get into Columbia due to the dip in grades?</p>
<p>Then, I should really focus on bringing them up to nearly straight A's? I understand that Ivie's have a high standard when it comes to academics but how many kids get in with straight A's, honestly? I mean, they reject a good portion of their valedictorians. I would like to think that if I kept a fairly good academic record( I am still in the top 2-5% in my class) with reasonably good test scores, those few B's wouldn't really matter that much in the overall scheme of things.</p>
<p>I think I do need to polish my EC's- that's really important. Any advice?</p>
<p>I don't think you can get into columbia because your ECs aren't all that exceptional, even though you are fluent (to what degree though is fluency, then, if your SAT II scores aren't that great..?) in so many languages. You haven't really made it clear that you are passionate about anything. But then again, that's definitely too harsh wording. You still have a chance at columbia, definitely. It's just not that a large chance.</p>
<p>What the hell....?</p>
<p>Are you human?</p>
<p>language could be a good college essay for you...</p>
<p>and you have a great chance</p>
<p>"Then, I should really focus on bringing them up to nearly straight A's? I understand that Ivie's have a high standard when it comes to academics but how many kids get in with straight A's, honestly? I mean, they reject a good portion of their valedictorians. I would like to think that if I kept a fairly good academic record( I am still in the top 2-5% in my class) with reasonably good test scores, those few B's wouldn't really matter that much in the overall scheme of things."</p>
<p>If you think that, why are you still posting here? Looking for criticism? Well you have them laid out in front of you, and your self-defense mechanism kicks in and tries to deconstruct every bit to make yourself feel better. You could think you have good scores, but the fact remains that it's no longer about grades. Grades and points can only get you so far into the pool; it's your character that counts. And, from what I'm reading, I see none.</p>
<p>d1tennis had some pretty valid points, and you got extremely defensive. If you're looking for constructive criticism, it was there. If you can't take criticism, go elsewhere.</p>
<p>Now, Ivies don't = dream schools. If you've done your research, the only thing that binds those schools together is prestige, so you might want reconsider your decision. Ivies = reach schools. They are ALWAYS reach schools. Berkeley and Georgetown are matches, but the Ivies will ALWAYS be reach schools. No matter what people say on this board, the admissions into Ivies will ALWAYS be crapshoots.</p>
<p>Moreover, your ECs, though you clearly have a laundry list of them, are not focused. You want to major in poli sci -- great! But how the heck can you tie in everything? 7 languages might point to a major in linguistics instead. (I am also skeptical of what your definition of "fluent" is.)</p>
<p>Poor grades in your last semester might not harm you that much, but it will harm you. Unless you have a valid and believable reason for the drop in grades, you should expect repercussions. </p>
<p>You may be smart, but your air of self-importance in response to D1's comments really puts me off. And I hope, for your sake, that such attitude does not come out in your personal statements.</p>
<p>this almost seems like a joke. how in the world do you ahve time for all this?? do you sleep?? haha good luck.</p>
<p>i think you have an amazing shot at all the colleges; if theres anything you could do to concretely improve your chances, it would probably be to boost your SAT scores. otherwise, your ECs + fluency in multiple languages are outstanding, and if anything, d1tennis just sounds bitter because he couldnt get in anywhere :X</p>
<p>I really think that the best thing to do is just relax and try to figure out what your real purpose is: I saw that you already made an interesting decision to pursue other things instead of continuing JV tennis - that should definitely factor into your specific goals for each college. If you believe that any of your ECs or ideas can tie into your future PoliSci major, then you really need to express that POV as well.</p>
<p>For someone like you, holistic admissions (personal statement, interview, etc) is to show that there is a real purpose, and a real heart, behind everything that you have ever done in your four years, due to the unfortunate amount of people who pursue the same activities with a lack of both. With your vast amount of ECs, I wonder how you're going to approach writing the personal statement - tie the list into one thesis, focus on the experience on one EC, or go a totally different path? Showing that you are a real human (perhaps superhuman :P) would also put a face on all of that stats.</p>
<p>I think the safest thing to do is just to sort out all of the positive AND negative opinions and see how it can benefit you in completing your application - every single poster here is here to help you, even the most blunt ones. Seriously. Just relax. It's tough, but stressing out is going to make it even worse in the end.</p>
<p>Fluency in a language means that you can speak it as well as a native. Be careful not to throw around that word; no one becomes fluent in a language after spending only a month and a half with it. A more accurate description of your skills would be "bilingual heptaglot" (assuming that you have native fluency in Chinese and English and basic fluency in the rest of the languages)
Nonetheless, experience in all those languages is very impressive and I think you are a very competitive applicant to the ivies. I also believe that CC'rs tend to exaggerate the selectivity of colleges.</p>
<p>I agree, 7 languages fluently is a hook and probably makes the rest of it work for you.</p>
<p>no offense...but ur chances are pretty slim for these colleges....all these high tier colleges....</p>