<p>Ok so I was wondering what my chances are for getting into the following Virginia colleges. I am an African American male junior living in Norfolk. I am from a low income area as well. Here are my following stats (as they will be by the time I apply for college) *Note: some stats are guesstimated </p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.2
Weighted GPA: 3.85
Rank: Around 70's out of 300 (Top 25%)
SAT: Current : 1680 Expected : 2100 by October
Course Load : 12 AP courses, 8 Honors courses
AP scores : (Thus far, I dont think I should predict future scores but Ill assume they are an assortment of 4's and 5's)
English Lang- 5
US- 4
Art History-5
Latin-2
Human Geography-3
Psychology-4
Extracurricular Activities: Scholastic Bowl, Future Educators of America, Latin Club, Volunteering for YMCA
Ethnicity: Black
Colleges Im aiming for: UVa, W&M, GMU, JMU, VCU, Mary Washington
So academically-wise I was pretty discouraged my freshman year which explains my low GPA however I have been on a steady upward trend for better grades (hence the title "reformed"; my GPA has made tremendous leaps, believe it or not). I would appreciate thoughts on my chances for those colleges, as well as tips/tricks on what I should do at this point to increase my chances at the following colleges. Any feedback, and I mean any, would be highly appreciated. Thank You.</p>
<p>They dont really care about freshman year. You will probablly get into all of those colleges if you bring up your class rank by like 10-15 ranks and also just get a bit more involved. I’ll give you some tips (btw, my mom is an admissions officer for uab and my brother got into harvard).</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Join some more clubs you are interested in and become an officer or president of that club</p></li>
<li><p>Join a sport</p></li>
<li><p>Do some volunteer work or more community service.</p></li>
<li><p>Find one thing that you are good at and focus on it the most. Colleges look for depth.</p></li>
<li><p>This will be the most important… Go to your principal and start a club. This will demonstrate your leadership skills.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Is scholastic bowl really considered a varsity sport?</p>
<p>Scholastic bowl is good, so’s the volunteering. But we don’t know your role and impact, how much is offered in your hs. I disagree somewhat with the advice above, it’s too formulaic. The idea is to show your breadth and depth, ability to see a need and take it on (not just with buds in the school, also in the community) and have some impact. </p>
<p>Leadership is not about a title, it’s what you actually do. Founding a club depends on the need it serves. Depending on your major, pursuing something along those lines can show vision and drive. More to say. But, see the difference? But I do agree your record as a junior and senior needs to be solid. </p>
<p>UVA is impossible to predict. W&M is right behind them. You have projected scores, don’t really have them yet. So we’d need to see more. Mary Wash has a high acceptance rate- it may be a safety- depending on the aid you need. Do well in the APs, get the scores. Decide who you are and how to show that in your applications. Show, not tell, in the essays. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the advice ! Ill make sure to try all those things. Btw I will probably be Captain or Co-Captain of Scholastic Bowl next year</p>
<p>How can u raise a 16something sat to a 2100 sat, which requires 700 on each section… That is really hard :/</p>