<p>Background:
Location: New Jersey
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian) American
Gender: Male
School Type: Public, sends many grads to top schools </p>
<p>Stats:
GPA: 3.49 UW, 3.98 W (downward trend with a C in AP Chemistry junior year)
SAT: 1490/2220 (800 math, 690 critical reading, 730 writing)
SAT IIs: 800 Math Level 2, 660 Physics
APs (not sending): Chemistry (2), European History (2); will take Calc AB, Statistics, and Spanish
Courseload: Will have taken 5 APs and 10 honors courses by end of high school
No Class Rank or Percentile</p>
<p>Extracurriculars/Volunteer/Work Experience:
1. Future Business Leaders of America (10-12)
2. Debate Club (10-12)
3. Games Club (9-12) - Secretary, President
4. Economics Club (10-12) - Secretary
5. Volunteer at library (Summers 2006-2009), Volunteer at Hospital (10-11)
6. Business Internship (Summer 2009)
7. Teaching and Counselling at an orphanage in India (Summer 2009)
8. Part-time employment as a lifeguard (10-12)
9. Music - Piano (9-12), Trumpet for school band (9-12)</p>
<p>Essays/Recommendations:
Essays: Working hard on them
Teachers Recs: Generic
Guidance Counselor Rec: Generic</p>
<p>Honors/Awards:
Will probably get National Merit Semifinalist (217 PSAT)</p>
<p>So how are my chances for the Schreyer Honors College?</p>
<p>GPA and grade trend will hurt you. If your essays and teacher recs turn out great then they may make up for it. I’d say go for, what do you have to lose?</p>
<p>Unfortunately the SHC doesn’t consider SAT scores, but that 800 is impressive. The outcomes of SHC admissions are hard to predict. One girl from my high school applied and I thought that she would get in and I wouldn’t, but the opposite happened. One thing I’m pretty sure of though is that your essays and recommendations have a lot of weight, so you should definitely think hard about your essays and who you ask to write letters for you.</p>
<p>Location: Pennsylvania
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
School Type: Public</p>
<p>Stats:
Cum GPA: 4.0 UW/ 4.734 W (consistent grades over 4 years)
Class Rank: 5/ 554
SAT: 690 M, 680 CR, 670 W
Senior Schedule: AP Calc BC, AP Physics, AP Government, AP English, Band, Orchestra, Forensics, and Dual Enrollment at Lehigh University (taking Chinese I & II as part of a high school scholars program)
Rigor of Schedule in General: 6 AP courses, 11 honors courses, and 2 college classes at Lehigh</p>
<p>Extracurriculars/Volunteer/Work Experience:
Concert & Marching Band- 4 years, Section Leader
Orchestra- 1 year, Vice President
Pit Orchestra- 4 years
Scholastic Scrimmage- 4 years
Private Music Instruction- 9 years
2 community Bands- 5 + years
Science Olympiad- 4 years, regional and state medals
National Honor Society- 2 years
Assistant Coach for soccer- 3 years
Middle School Science Olympiad Tutor- 1 year
Church Volunteer- 4 + years (30 hr. famine, Crop Walk, and Souper Bowl activities which helped raise funds and awareness about World Hunger!) </p>
<p>Honors/Awards:</p>
<p>Science Olympiad Medals
PMEA District Band- 2 years
PMEA Regional Band- 1 year
Kutztown University German Film Festival- 1st place for independent film
SAR/DAR Knight Essay Contest- 2nd Place</p>
<p>My recs are lined up and I’m working on my essays! Schreyer’s is my no.1 pick! Do you guys think I stand a chance!?!?!</p>
<p>There is never any guarantee with SHC admissions, but it looks like you have shot. Just make sure you spend some time on the essays. Which college did you apply to? If you applied to Eberly, there’s a scholarship (google Braddock Scholarship) that’s available only to accepted scholars that, along with the $3500, covers tuiton, room, and board for four years. To be eligible your recommendations need to be from a science teacher, a math teacher, and a teacher that can “evaluate your oral/written communication skills,” so I asked my English teacher. If you aren’t already asking your counselor, you probably should too. If you’ve opened the SHC application on the website, you should get an email from someone about it. There’s an application, but it’s just stuff like your name and address. Good luck!</p>
<p>I actually applied to the College of Agriculture with a prospective major in Immunology and Infectious Disease, so I guess that I’m not eligible for that scholarship. I’m curious though, do they give out more than one of those scholarships? I think I heard that there’s just one in which case I’m assuming it’s really competitive.</p>
<p>The application says that about ten are awarded each year. I don’t know exactly how many were actually awarded this year, but there are five Braddock scholars that started this fall. It is competitive, but I met a lot of people during orientation that didn’t even know about it so they didn’t apply.</p>
<p>The IID major here is amazing though. It overlaps so well with the Microbiology major that I can keep my scholarship and still graduate on time, and the research going on in the department is amazing. The College of Ag is generous with scholarship money too. Faculty have told me that they match the SHC’s $3500. I’m not officially in it yet because I applied to Eberly and I think I have to wait until next year to officially declare IID as a second major, but it’s such a great environment. Dean Fernandez is really nice, the buildings are nice and new, the departments are small, and people know who you are. </p>
<p>Like I said, you have a shot at the SHC, but even if you don’t get in, still consider Penn State. IID is amazing, and you don’t have to be a Scholar to do research in this department. We actually spent an hour in my first year seminar talking about how everyone should get experience and it doesn’t matter if you’re an honors student. You can always try to get in as a sophomore or junior if you do well during your first year or two. You may not get the $3500, but you get every other benefit. The award for best thesis this spring went to a graduate of the IID program that got in as a junior.</p>