<p>Hi NATAS, </p>
<p>Thanks for chancing me. Right now, I'm happy to return the favor to you by evaluating your profile in as much depth as I can.</p>
<p>Your GPA of 87-89 UW equates to approximately a 3.52 UW GPA on the 4.0 UW scale. That GPA is on the low side, especially for some of the schools you're applying to, even if you do attend a competitive high school and have challenged yourself with Honors/AP classes. Your 3.52 UW GPA - I have to be honest here - is definitely one of the lower GPAs I've seen for top school chances. However, if you have any extenuating circumstances - for example, if you had a loved one who passed away or you were forced to move to another state and had difficulty adjusting in your new school environment, make sure to discuss it in your essay and the admission officers will understand your situation better. Moreover, you should tell them what you did to try to improve your situation, and if you failed, how you would change it the next time. You're obviously not a perfect student, so in your essay, show your weaknesses - the trials and tribulations of your high school career - make you a stronger and better candidate for a college. Inspire them, but make sure you don't over glorify yourself. Be truthful. Be yourself. In addition, have your guidance counselor talk about your situation in her letter of rec. The better you know your counselor, the better she'll/he'll try to write a better rec for you. If your counselor doesn't know your name even now, it's not too late -- make daily visits to her/his office if you have to. (Not kidding) Even if you manage to do all that, you should also work to improve your grades. Aim for all higher grades ... show that you can work around obstacles and make yourself a better student. An upward grade trend will tell admission officers something, especially when you have 5 APs this upcoming year.</p>
<p>Many schools do not calculate class rank - as far as I'm aware - there are about 40% to 50% of high schools in the US that don't rank, because many schools are so different in difficulty and even within a school, a student can have many varying levels of rigor in their courseload. So, in this case, I wouldn't be too concerned about your class rank, but admission officers will - unfortunately - take note of your class rank. </p>
<p>Now, your standardized test scores are much more impressive. An SAT score of 2210 places you in the Top 1% in the US ... bravo ... and based on your test scores you seem to be more skilled in math than in the arts. That's okay. Our brains are all wired differently. Your SAT II scores are also highly impressive, but those test scores aren't very significant in college admissions. They're typically used as supplements. Your AP scores will earn you credit at most schools; however, at more prestigious schools, they'll usually only reward credits for a 5, if any at all. (I read through one of your previous posts ... screw that MIT kid!! Calc isn't for everyone!)</p>
<p>Now to your ECs. Your ECs are good, and I can tell you were seriously looking for things that interested you (e.g. the activities you started in 9th grade and stopped in 9th grade) not for things to fill up your app. That's very admirable. I also like the Classical Indian Dance as one of your ECs, because it adds some flavor to who you are in your app. In fact, I would also write about it in your essay and what it means to you. Once, I knew this girl who got into Brown Univ (hard to get into) even though she only did Hindu Dance, but it really meant a lot to her so she went ballistic writing about it in her essay. Brown admission officers could tell about her interests, so they found her intriguing and admitted her. She still dances to this day as a junior at Brown. </p>
<p>Other than that, your volunteering is pretty good, because you have logged in more than 200 hours, and dealing with Hispanics is definitely unique. If you want to write about this, you can talk about how it was difficult to reach out to them, and what you did to communicate effectively with them. </p>
<p>Finally, your awards/honors are relatively few in number, but that's okay. You don't need to be an international winner just to get admitted into your top schools. Mainly, your awards are from the regional level in the sciences and arts --- at least something is better than nothing, right? </p>
<p>OK. So you're obviously not a 4.0 student with outstanding test scores. So what? This is your oppportunity to shine by writing oustanding essays. Show admission officers who you are and what you made out of your high school career. You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself, yet you shouldn't be too proud. Good luck ... I can tell you're a very hard-working person. </p>
<p>Chances:
Georgetown: Reach (GPA)
Duke: Reach (GPA)
UVA OOS: Reach (GPA)
Emory: Reach (GPA) but depending on the college you apply to - I would apply to Oxford College at Emory to boost your chances
Ga Tech: Match - you're IOS so it helps
JHU: Reach (GPA) </p>
<p>Good luck!
-ab2013</p>