Chances, junior (suggestions)

<p>Hey, I'm a junior in Westchester, NY. I love Columbia and plan on applying early decision in the fall, but feel I don't have a strong chance...
Also, I'm wondering about my chances at Cornell, Yale, Tufts, Vassar, Wesleyan, BC... etc.</p>

<p>GPA (weighted): 95
School does not rank, very competitive school
December SAT: 710 Writing, 670 CR, 630 Math= 2010 (signed up to retake in June, any suggestions to improve me score would be great, I plan on just doing a lot of practice, particularly in math, to boost my Math and CR scores up to 700, and I think my writing score could improve with a stronger essay)
SAT IIs: Bio (freshman year): 670
Retaking Bio and Lit, US History in May (I am in AP Bio and APUSH now)
Questions on SAT IIs: I am signed up for 3, but should I only do 2 in May? Columbia wants 3, Yale wants 3. Can I cancel 1 SAT II?
Taking ACT April 8th, plan on attaching ACT score along with SATs if it is high (32+)
Junior Courses:
APUSH, AP eng, AP Bio, pre-calc honors, pre-AP Spanish, Art, Science Research
Senior yr:
Science Research, AP Eng, AP Physics B, AP Calc AB, AP Art, Spanish 5 regular, AP Psych</p>

<p>Other/EC:
Strong artist, oil painting since I was 8 with the same art teacher. Last year won state-wide 2 Scholastic Art Awards, entered again this year, taken pre-college courses 2 years in a row at Parsons, Arts Students League, volunteer at a art museum, did a student docent program at a modern art museum and plan to do a full year program at the museum next year where we meet with artists and make our own exhibit, will be sending slides to Columbia of my artwork</p>

<p>Writer: 3 week Young Writers Conference last summer at Bard, 1 of 2 students elected in my grade to Young Writers Editing Day in December, another in March, entered scholastic competition, plan on my english teacher writing me a recommendation (she knows my writing etc.) In my school poetry club and literary magazine (probably will be a leader next year)</p>

<p>Last summer: 1 week precollege brown philosophy mind and matter course</p>

<p>Community service: Appalachian service project 2 years (1 week in june we go down to appalachia and repair houses), will go again this summer
Saferides in school, officer
Hours at museum
Volunteered at counselor at a children arts camp, 3 weeks
This summer want to work in a hospital or nursing home, perhaps with creative arts therapy, also joining STAR, leadership program for students against domestic violence</p>

<p>Track in freshman year, regular runner but not competitively anymore, run on my own time independently. Campus Congress freshman year.</p>

<p>Science Research 3 year psych project (very interested in psych and neuroscience) on eating disorders, beginning my data collection now, mentor at University of Minnesota, testing adults for ed symptoms and then testing their emotional reactivity to visual stimuli. will be entering competitions next year, stat analysis over the summer, this teacher is also my ap bio teacher and will write a good rec, has known me for awhile.</p>

<p>So. thats all I got. I know my numbers are low, and am thinking I should focus on them. I basically suck at standardized testing. is my GPA all right?</p>

<p>you have good ec's, but i think you need more and better testing (sat's, sat ii's, aps, etc)</p>

<p>wow i'd like to get art awards lol. do you enter them on your own?</p>

<p>yeah, haha I did. Scholastic lets you. it is hard to get awards in visual arts though simply because there aren't many contests around, it's different from performing arts in that manner.</p>

<p>Sorry, but you'll need way better scores from a competitive high school in Westchester. You should try some good schools in the South at MW, Emory, vandy, etc.</p>

<p>dreadlocktear - Wow, you won scholastic?
Do you have your artwork anywhere online? I'd love to see it, really curious now (fellow artist). :D </p>

<p>Your SAT scores could use a little work, yes, but your GPA is high. Winning the scholastic art and writing awards is AMAZING, so I think if you get into Columbia your art will be what decides it.</p>