Chances for Middlebury, BC, Stonehill, Geneseo, Stony Brook please =)

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Hello everyone, I was hoping for some general advice on which colleges I should look into.
I am a rising junior at a smaller public school in Western New York in the suburbs. My school does not offer IB, but I am on the committee that is helping to bring it. We have limited APs and only the basics in most subject areas. Also, where is everyone finding out about participating in research with universities? I feel like I got the short end of the stick, opportunistically.</p>

<p>Current rank: 38 out of 320, which is the top 11% I’m working on making it to around 30 or higher.</p>

<p>I will take the PSAT for the first time in October, so unfortunately, I don’t know scores yet but my strengths definitely lie in the reading portion. Mostly, I’m worried about the time constraints.</p>

<p>I have been in all honors/accelerated classes since fifth grade, this last year; I took my first AP, which was World History (the only one available to sophomores at our school). I got a four, which was kind of upsetting to me. Is it possible to retake it?</p>

<p>Next year, I will be taking:
• AP Physics
• Pre-Calculus
• Advanced Psych (I never took intro to psych)
• Sociology
• French IV
• AP US History
• AP Language (weird, our school doesn’t let you take AP Lit until senior year)</p>

<p>Other:
• My GPA right now is about a 3.8, I believe.
• I have been on the swim team for three years, four by senior year, and two have been varsity.
• I have been class secretary for three years; I plan on running for VP next year.
• I am secretary of French Honor Society (too many secretary positions? Should I run for something higher?)
• I plan on being in NHS, I was in JNHS in middle school.
• I am also part of a council of students that was selected to meet with the principal and discuss school-wide issues. Also, I was chosen to be the student representative on the school safety committee.
• I think I’m going to start volunteering somewhere; I definitely need more of that.
• I have no special racial or ethnic qualities, all I have are divorced parents with a low budget.</p>

<p>I recently visited my first college- Middlebury. I have fallen completely in love with it, but I’m afraid I have set my hopes too high. I’m also going to visit Barnard before the summer is over, another unattainable choice.</p>

<p>So, what colleges should I shoot for? Anything on what is attainable for me? I’d like to major in psychology, focusing on the sciences. Suggestions? I’m starting to believe that I am setting my hopes too high. I would like some realistic and honest analyses. Thank you for reading!</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t say you’re setting your hopes too high; you have a good mix of schools. Your resume is quite good, especially considering your lack of advanced courses at your school (mine had the same problem). Middlebury, Barnard, and Boston College are REALLY hard to get into, but not only do you have time to bring up your GPA, but you also have time to work on getting together some good recs and earning higher positions in your clubs and activities if you so desire. You should be in at Stony Brook, and Geneseo is a match; dunno anything about Stonehill, though, sorry.</p>

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<p>thanks so much!</p>