Chances for Merit Aid/Honors Program

Colleges & Universities A-Z American University
1

<p>Current Junior
White, female
All-girls private school
Sends about 8 students out of 50 per class to top schools</p>

<p>Test Scores:
SAT M-720 CR-670 W-670 Composite-2060 (will be retaking to boost CR and W which should be possible since I scored 70 CR on PSAT)
PSAT - 200 (possible commended)
AP Euro - 4
AP Art History - 4</p>

<p>GPA - 3.97 weirdly weighted 3.89UW
Rank - Top Quintile, I’d estimate I’m about 6 in my class of 50</p>

<p>Course Load - All honors freshman year, all honors and 2 AP soph year (only one in grade to take 2), all honors and 3 AP junior year, 4 APs senior year. It is definitely most rigorous and my GC said she will make a note that it is the #1 hardest schedule in my grade.</p>

<p>ECs
-Science Olympiad (Captain) - All years
*Coach elementary science olympiad as well
-Young Idealist Assistant Editor, Writer, and Board Secretary - Junior/Senior years
*Edit a 501(c)(3) nonprofit political magazine
*Have a published research article on American education reform
-Lieutenant Governor Internship
*Assisted in judging for Models for Excellence in Education program
*Worked on grant applications
*Worked on web analysis of state recovery websites
-Math League A Team - Junior/Senior years
*Qualified for state invitational
-Tutor at school for underprivligeded girls a few hours per week and serve on student leadership committee there as well</p>

<p>Summer
-Before grade 9 - Johns Hopkins CTY Crafting the Essay and swimming lessons instructor
-Before grade 10 - Johns Hopkins CTY Writing Analysis and Perusasion and swimming lessons instructor
-Before grade 11 - Johns Hopkins CTY History of Disease and Lieutenant Governor Internship
-Before grade 12 - Johns Hopkkins CTY Utopias and Dystopias and possibly either a Bank of America internship or if I get rejected from there I’ll take a job at a fitness club</p>

2

<p>You might get honors or you might not. </p>

<p>This is a link to the stats for the 2013 honors program enrollees. Your SATs are below average but might be high enough (after all, they have to average to 1438- that’s not the cut off, they don’t say the cut off, if they have one) and your GPA is above average.</p>

<p>[Stellar</a> Class of 2013 Converges on AU | American University](<a href=“http://www.american.edu/americantoday/campus-news/20090820-2013-class-profile.cfm]Stellar”>http://www.american.edu/americantoday/campus-news/20090820-2013-class-profile.cfm)</p>

<p>There were more applicants this year than last, so the stats for this year might be higher - I think they try to yield a certain number of honors students (because they have to provide special housing, special programs, etc.). I would guess that they will update this next August.</p>

<p>I have heard that merit aid goes below honors (on a sliding scale), so you will probably get offered some money but perhaps not as much.</p>

3

<p>My son was surprised that he was offered the honors program, his ACT was above average and his GPA was slightly below. </p>

<p>That is a weird weighted GPA - I’ve never seen one lower than the unweighted.</p>

4

<p>Well the higher one was the weighted one. Basically my school only adds .25 for AP courses making my weighted GPA appear lower than it actually is. I’m hoping to boost my SAT scores to 2120 which I am thinking is doable with a good deal of prep.</p>

5

<p>Here is a brief description of the honors program. I didn’t realize that they invited 15% of the admitted class. So if you are in the top 15% then you will get an invitation.</p>

<p>[Honors</a> Program](<a href=“http://www.american.edu/aupedia/Honors-Program.cfm]Honors”>http://www.american.edu/aupedia/Honors-Program.cfm)</p>

6

<p>Thanks so much for your help!</p>