Chances for schools

<p>I have a 3.6 grade average
I'm currently a sophomore and taking AP Statistics, Honors English, and Honors Chemistry, French III, and regular World History, gifted is not offered. plus Advanced Orchestra. I am planning on getting a 3 or 4 on Stats exam.
Over the next two years, my planned courses are AP American History, AP English, AP Chem, Honors Analysis, Latin II, and Drawing I/II, for junior year.
For Senior year, I plan to take AP English, AP Euro, AP Calc, Latin III or IV, depends on if I finish the summer course, AP Art, Goverment and Economics (required). </p>

<p>I marched on color guard my first two years. I don't plan to continue this because it lowers my grades, and is incredibly stressful. I am also dancing 9 hours a week at my studio next year. I am a really intense dancer. </p>

<p>I volunteer 3 hours every two weeks at the High Museum. I also am the school officer of my Interact club, an active Beta Club member, and an Ambassdor. I am the most active member in my class representives, I practically planned the entire homecoming, which was a fabulous experience. </p>

<p>I have been to International Science and Enigneering Fair for two years, and have an eight week internship in line for this summer. </p>

<p>Colleges I plan to apply to:
Oberlin
Carleton
Barnard
Bryn Mawr
Kenyon
Amherst
Smith
Swarthmore
Middlebury</p>

<p>and I know all these schools, except for amherst, really are homogenous as far as level, but what safety schools would you suggest? I live in the south, so if at the last minute I decide to stay nearer home, it would nice to have applied to some schools in school.
and I know this is my first post, but I fully intend to help people, but I little to know knowledge on most of the posts.</p>

<p>homogeneous as far as level? what do you mean by that? i would consider swarthmore on the same or similar level as amherst in terms of selectivity. middlebury is pretty up there as well.</p>

<p>your GPA is a bit low and since you're only a sophomore your GPA can change quite a bit (and things may not go according to plan). also, we have no information of standardized test scores since you're so young. sorry... but i don't think any of us can give an accurate measure of your chances at these colleges with such limited information.</p>

<p>i'm not deterring you though. strive high and work hard and i'm sure you'll get into a good college. good luck... and remember you still have some time until you actually apply.</p>

<p>oh, gosh. I have test scores. I just completely forgot about them.
I got a 192 on the psat. and a 1300 on the old SAT in 9th grade. AP classes required it, and they didn't let us take the new one.
but honestly, I'm really looking for safety schools to match my reach and match schools listed.
I know the schools I'm looking at are often safety schools for people applying to ivies, but where do I go to for safety schools for me?</p>

<p>Good schools will definitely ask why you did not do better with your ability. Unless you go to one of the toughest high schools in the US, in most cases, they will send you a very thin letter if you can't show them better performance your last two years. If you continue to rise in your scores as is possible, do well in your AP courses, bring that presumably unweighted GPA up, and get some good letters of recommendation from the AP teachers, etc, then you are likely to get some admits from interesting schools. </p>

<p>Bright or gifted alone doesn't cut it. If you can totally turn the grades around starting next year, you will have nicer choices to be with the peers you may desire to meet most. Advanced out of grade doesn't cut it, good schools want great students. Although there is <em>some</em> trade off between brains (scores and advanced courses) and grades, it is pretty low. Also things are extremely competitive at the peak of this "baby boomlet" , era of good (better) financial aid, and more available international elite students. </p>

<p>You may need to find ways to challenge, reward or motivate yourself to stay on target with the GPA. It is very important now that you find teachers and courses that draw your best efforts out. Continued rising scores (40-80 points per year, i.e. 1420-1540, out of 1600, old style) and <em>good</em> grades (straight A) may still catch you an Ivy or their equivalents. Interestingly, for many, once in gear, challenged and working hard is easier than thinking or groaning about it.</p>

<p>If you can beat your state cutoff for National Merit Semifinalist, for which your grades are acceptable, NM Finalist / NM Scholar earns a certain amount of respect at many high ranked schools. Even then, think an unweighted 3.75+ for your last two years with 3 or 4 APs per year for top 20 universities.</p>

<p>Schools, as I recall, such as DePauw and Trinty University may take high scores if you deliver them for some merit aid. But you will still need to develop study habits for college to succeed.</p>

<p>Study, read, challenge yourself and participate. This is key. You should qualify for some of the top 5-7 LACs and top 20 national universities if you can turn it around a little.</p>