<p>Just like everyone else here I was wondering if I could be "chanced" to see if I could get into my dream school, Brown.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.9
Weight GPA: 4.7
ACT Without Superscore: 29
ACt With Superscore:30
I am retaking and think I can get at least 31, if not a bit higher.</p>
<p>SAT II
Us history: 750
Literature: 740</p>
<p>AP test
US: 5
Lang: 5
Euro:5
I'm also taking stats and world history, for a total of five aps and many other honors level courses. </p>
<p>ECs
Student council vice president
Student council member for two years
National Honor Society member
PeaceJam member
PeaceJam leader/president
Internship with a non-profit mental health service
Fencer (for the last seven years)- with several local awards, etc
Award winning filmmaker (best film, best documentary at local festivals and a few national ones as well)
Philosophy club member
National Geographic Internship
National History Day (for seven years)- I've won top ten in Nationals and First and Second at the state level
Trip to Kenya and Ghana funded entirely by the State Department, rigorous application process. Thousands applied and 36 were chosen.
Charity work in Cambodia
Volunteer at an animal shelter
President of an all female book club
World traveller</p>
<p>My grades aren't perfect and I attend a very competitive school. I am in the top 15% but my grade point average is very strong, showing just how tough a school it is. I think my filmmaking and travel abroad will make me stand out? I'm dying to go to Brown. Tell me what you think?</p>
<p>I also just found out I am an AP Scholar and I forgot to add I am currently starting a non profit and a young women’s feminist book club for low income students.</p>
<p>Also, 76 views and no response is lame. I’d just like a little feedback. :)</p>
<p>Your main EC’s seem to be fencing and film making. Your GPA is good, SAT 2’s decent, and ACT is low. I don’t understand what you mean by a very competitive school - you have a very high GPA but a low ACT, which seems to indicate the reverse. Your grades aren’t perfect, but they are close, so the ACT is what you should worry about.</p>
<p>If you apply ED, you have decent chances, but raise that ACT. If not, your chances are quite a bit lower.</p>
<p>I think my 5s in all my ap classes testify to the good education and rigor of my school. My school is ranked silver by Us News, if that means anything.
I had good scores everywhere but in math. I had 32 R, 33 W, 30 S and 25 math. I’ve studied hard with the math (never been good at it, so it wouldn’t matter what school I went to) and hope to bring it up to 28-30. And to clarify, I am 20/136 students (not stellar I know) and I have worked my ass off for the grades I got. I’m not one of those naturally genius-ey types of people but if working that hard got me just to 20th of 136 (roughly top 15%) I hope that means that my school is tough, rather than that I am stupid haha. Thanks for your opinion and I’m sorry if I seem defensive. I really appreciate your perspective, I just wanted to clarify some things.</p>
<p>Not sure why you say your gpa “isn’t very strong” when it’s 3.9/4.7. Ask your GC if your school is considered rigorous or highly competitive. Your breakout for the ACT is fine. You may be forgiven the low math score if it has zero to do with your major. </p>
<p>What sort of National Geographic internship? I thought all were for college or grad school students or beyond-? And, world travel in itself just isn’t an admissions factor. Make sure the intl comm service is balanced by what you do in your home community.</p>
<p>I have two GCs. One thinks my school has lax academics and the other has told me it is top ten for my state. The math will have absolutely zero to do with my major but should still be brought up a little.
And the national geo internship was a strange thing. After a film festival where one of my docs won best film in festival and best doc two national geo people approached me, saying they had been following me for a long time and were interested in having me develop curriculum for them to teach to elementary and middle school students? So maybe its not an internship. They have implied that once i graduate college I’ll have a job waiting for me. No idea what I did to deserve that one but I’ll take it :)</p>
<p>This NG thing does happen. If it’s developing a curric- and you did it- take credit for that. I think you’ll appeal to Brown. Just make sure that whatever in your experience reflects privilege is balanced by some focus on others. Do you tutor or mentor, teach filmmaking, vol in other ways with the needy at home- the roll up your sleeves stuff? Work out which GC might be better to write your rec. Be sure you can fit yourself into Brown (that it really matches your goals) and write a good “Why Us?”</p>
<p>Thanks so much. As far as privilege, what in my stats reflects that? I have worked on multiple benefit runs, for causes like breast cancer cures and the homeless. As leader of Peace Jam I have lead numerous letter writing campaigns to our school board, to local leaders and to the federal government. With this same organization I have done all sorts of local volunteering (starting recycle program, canned food drives etc)</p>
<p>The nature and extent of you vol work doesn’t really come through in the posts. I’m suggesting you evaluate. Also, what one does on occasion- a run, a letter campaign, a food drive, etc, isn’t quite the same as, oh, let’s say working on a regular, on-going basis. This is somewhat about getting out of your comfort zone. I can’t evaluate that. Yes, you did that in Cambodia- but who underwrote the costs? I don’t mean to argue the points. Just present an app pkg that shows your maturity and perspective, your ability to have an impact.</p>
<p>The trip to Kenya and Ghana was a month long stay with intensive service work, that was entirely paid for by the government. Kenya money came from myself. I saved for three summers and kept all babysitting money I could. I do nanny part time so that helped.</p>
<p>The more you reveal here, the better the picture looks- just try to capture your spirit as well as this determination and focus in your app. You will appeal to them. Don’t know your possible major but somehow make your experiences relevant to that. And, as ever, make sure you have safeties you love. And, that you’ve faced any financial aid needs. Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree with other people about the ACT score of course. Perhaps you could retake it and really just focus on math when you study since your other subsections aren’t bad. You could also try the SAT. I think your ECs can really help you out though. They’re pretty solid and just show some personality in the essay. Btw, how do you have 3.9/4.7 without an incredibly large amount of APs/IBs? How does your school weight?</p>
<p>I’m not entirely sure. Thats what it says on my transcript. I’ve taken all honors level or ap classes except for french 1-3 which wasn’t offered honors. French 5 is honors though. We are on a 5.2 scale. Each honors, college or ap class we take is 5.2 based. I suppose they just average my results…?</p>
<p>Okay that’s fine. I thought you were on a 4.0 scale so I was extremely surprised about a 3.9/4.7. I just wanted to make sure your stats weren’t accidentally messed up in the computer or anything.</p>