<p>White Male from CA
34 ACT(36 math, 35 english, 34 science, 32 reading)
800 on SAT II Math Level 2
Most likely National Merit Finalist(224 on psat)
GPA: 4.84 weighted/4.0 unweighted</p>
<p>Varsity Tennis #1 Player, highly nationally rankedwill play at BC on team
Essays and Recs will be good
AP Classes:
Jr Year: AP Chem, AP US History, AP Calc AB, AP Spanish
Sr Year: AP Bio, AP Physics, AP Spanish Lit, AP English, AP Calc BC</p>
<p>Extracurriculars: Volunteer Tennis and Basketball Coach, Red Cross Club President(2 yrs), National Honor Society President, ASB Clubs Commissioner</p>
<p>Work Experience: Started my own tennis racket stringing business</p>
<p>Any input on what I need to improve to get the Presidential Scholarship?</p>
<p>Is this for this year or next year? This year Presidential Scholar candidates have already been selected. If it for next year, I say you might miss out on a hair.</p>
<p>Your stats are way impressive, but the so are the rest of the Presidential Scholars. I think Reddune just means you are an average Presidential Scholar candidate. They select the first round and invite you to campus for interviews for the final selection process. You may make that round, but at that point it depends on how you impress the selection committee. And it isn't all about stats, when you read what BC has to say about PS. Also, wouldn't you be getting a scholarship for varsity tennis or no?</p>
<p>i know its not all about stats but the fact i started my own business(i will be applying to business), strong community service involvement and leadership positios, and i will play a varsity sport in college should make me stand out right? u are correct in saying that my stats are similar to other ps candidates but from what i understand they look for students who are leaders in every aspect of their life. also, bc doesnt offer tennis scholarships(only fin aid) so thats why i wouldnt be getting a scholarship</p>
<p>Let me extrapolate my previous statement. The Presidential Scholarship is BC's investment for prestige and attention, basically it's a advertisement campaign. It's a simple formula really.</p>
<p>Prestige is gained in many ways, but one of them is getting students who can win prestigious fellowships--i.e. Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Goldwater, etc. Because of this, most of the students they selected are heavily geared toward the humanities, social sciences, and sciences rather than any from the professional schools. If you look you all previous winners from the past 4 years, the vast majority of them are in A&S majoring in the liberal arts; the closest you'll get to a business-esque is all the econ majors. I could only find two who are in Nursing and CSOM. Finance and Nursing major don't win you fellowships (unless the nurse plans to study AIDS in Africa, then she might win a Fulbright). Many of the activities that are reserved for President Scholars are heavily geared toward networking them to prestigious grad schools or fellowships. I attended one of their meetings as a guest and the Dean of Harvard Medical was there to speak to just the Presidential Scholars. Most of their summer events are geared toward preparing them academically as well. </p>
<p>Here's a direct quote from the BC site about PSP:</p>
<p>"While at BC Scholars are encouraged and supported in applying to a variety of undergraduate and graduate level fellowships and grants. You can see a list of awards won by Scholars."</p>
<p>So unless you come in with a strong determination to be a scholar, more so than a business which you are portraying yourself as, your chance will be lower. You might one day be the next Warren Buffet or Michael Dell, and BC would love you to be an alumnus then, but that might be twenty-thirty years from now. Right now, it wants immediate rewards for its 6-figure investment. </p>
<p>Students who win fellowships automatically put their school on the map with administrators and professors from other schools (definitely helps with the USNEWS popularity contest), this tells prospective professors--the really big name ones--this school has very bright students and teaching here would be a benefit. One professor at an elite liberal school told me that his job is awesome, and 75% of the joy comes from how great and engaging the students are. Even professors who are all about research would still like bright students so their lives would be a bit easier (no professor, holding a distinguishing PhD, would like to explain Newton third law to a nitwit).</p>