<p>Hello,
I am interested in the following colleges: Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Stanford and UPenn. These would be my reach schools.
I have a gpa of 3.86, I am a part of my school's plays, I play golf (as a hobby but will soon go to national rankings), I am part of my school's general volunteering program, I am part of my school's Operation Smile, I won a Spelling Bee, I have attended a camp to learn French (1-month in France), I am attending NSLC Business & Entrepeneurship Program, I have started my own recycling business (in my 45 storey apartment building), and I am trilingual (English and Spanish fluently; French intermediate). I am a sophomore at a very competitive school in Panama, so I am 13/91 students.
I have also worked at an authorized reseller of Apple (Mac Store)
Interest: economics or finance
Will my ranking affect me so much?
My school's alumni have been accepted to the following colleges last year:
American University
Babson College
Ball State University
Bentley University
California College of the Arts
Cornell University
Duke University
Elon University
Emory University
Florida State University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Johnson and Wales University
Louisiana State University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Moorpark College
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University
Roger Williams University
Saint Josephs University
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Southern Methodist University
St. Edwards University
Texas A&M University
The University of Southern California
Universidad Católica Santa María la Antigua
Universidad de Navarra
Universidad Latina Escuela de Medicina
University of Louisville Panama
University of Miami
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
University of Southern California
University of Texas
University of Virginia
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Please reply!</p>
<p>I think you still have those schools at around the reach phase, just because, for those schools, i think your ECs are slightly limited although you do have lots of depth in the ones you do. I dont know if those were awards or ECs, so I think you should balance them out. But other than that, scores?</p>
<p>Here are my observations:
-The GPA is a little low for these schools, but if you go to a school where it’s really hard to get all A’s, then that’s a different story. Are there others in your grade with a 3.9+ GPA?
-We need to know your SAT or ACT score to make an adequate estimation. SAT/ACT is VERY important in college admissions: according to admissions officers I’ve talked to from Harvard, Brown, and Tufts, the admissions committee looks at your GPA and SAT/ACT first; if your SAT/ACT is subpar, they usually throw out the application pretty quickly (not always, but usually).
-It’s not a big deal that you don’t have a thousand different ECs. If you spend a lot of time involved in theatre and golf, that’s enough for colleges, especially if you’re taking an overwhelming course load. (If that’s not the case, and you don’t really have a strong passion for any of your ECs, then that would be a problem.)
-Do you have any awards? If not, that could be another issue. Not everyone has tons of awards, or any at all, but with your GPA, rank, and ECs, some impressive awards could help. </p>
<p>Honestly, these schools would be a reach, as you know. Since you’re 13th in your grade, others ranked ahead of you may be applying to the same schools, and unfortunately, top colleges tend not to take many kids from the same school (unless it’s local; for example, my school is only a few miles from Harvard, and ~7 people get accepted each year). </p>
<p>Don’t get discouraged though! If you write a thoughtful and unique essay and procure glowing teacher recs, you could definitely be in the running! I know some people look crazy impressive on this site, but most applicants don’t look like that, so don’t feel bad. Your GPA and ECs are still amazing, and I’m sure you’ll get in somewhere you love :)</p>
<p>Thanks for your response! Since I am a sophomore I am not able to take an SAT or ACT yet. Apart fron that, the highest gpa in my grade is a 3.95.</p>
<p>Ok so I would advise you take as many advanced/AP classes as possible next year while also maintaining a high GPA. Also make sure to take at least two SAT II’s.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reponse! I am planning on taking macroeconomics, microeconomics, and calcuclus (All AP), apart from that, some honors classes (These are the most rigourous classes available at my school)</p>
<p>Are you going to NSLC at northwestern?</p>
<p>Yes! To the Business and Entrepeneurship Program</p>
<p>Are you a US citizen? Admission is a lot more difficult for internationals.</p>
<p>I am Panamanian. I know it is more difficult, but not necessarily in all schools (UPenn accepts 1-2 applicants from my school each year) *My school has an average of 90-70 kids per grade.</p>