Chances of Duke, Wash. U., Columbia, etc.

<p>Hello, I am a sophomore in High School, and I was wondering about my chances to make it into Duke, Washington University in St. Louis, and Columbia, as well as other top schools.</p>

<p>I'm planning on going into pre-med, if that's any help.</p>

<p>Details below.</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure I won't get a scholarship (I'll list details below), but I might get financial aid since my parents are divorced and I live with a single mother. I'm not quite sure about this stuff, though, and I don't want to end up paying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of interest later on.</p>

<p>About me:</p>

<p>I'm a sophomore. Our superintendent is a fat self-indulgent twit who needs to die slowly and painfully in a food processor/blender. She doesn't weight our grades. As such, my GPA is around 3.5-6 and I'm ranked about 250 in a class of 1000 (I go to Carmel High School, the largest high school in Indiana. Apparently colleges know about Carmel, but I think that's what the teachers feed to us. Opiate of the masses, eh?).</p>

<p>I play the piano quite well, and the following is a list of the results of piano competitions I've been in since 2000.</p>

<p>(2000) North Carolina Music Teachers Association – Junior B – Superior
(2002) North Carolina Music Teachers Association – Senior A – Superior
(2003) CYO – First Place
(2003) Carmel Arts Piano Competition – Junior Division – Honorable Mention
(2004) CYO – First Place
(2004) Midwest Conservatory Piano Competition – Level 2 – Third Place
(2004) Hoosier Audition – Junior Division C Regional – Second Place
(2004) Carmel Arts Piano Competition – Senior Division – Third Place
(2004) Matinee Musicale Piano Competition – Junior Division – Winner
(2004) National Guild Auditions – National Ranking
(2004) World Piano Competition (AMSA) – Level 8 – Third Place
(2005) Matinee Musicale Piano Competition – Senior Division – Winner
(2005) World Piano Competition (AMSA) – Level 10 Solo – Honorable Mention
(2005) Hoosier Audition – Senior Division C Regional – First Place
(2005) National Guild Auditions – National Ranking
(2006) Midwest Conservatory Piano Competition – Level 3 – First Place
(2006) Carmel Arts Piano Competiton - Senior Division - First Place
(2006) Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Competition - Finalist
(2006) IPTA - Second Place
(2006) Matinee Musicale - First place</p>

<p>I'm doing Guild, World Piano Competition, IPTA, etc. again this year. I expect to do well. Guild - Nationals, World Piano Competition (I'm competing in a field of three, so I'll get at least third place) and all the local ones in which I'll get first or second. I don't think the local competition really matters, but the most important ones are Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and World Piano Competition. I've performed in Carnegie Hall twice as a part of the prize of placing in that.</p>

<p>My schedule/transcript:</p>

<p>Freshman year 1st semester:</p>

<p>H. Algebra II - B-
H. Eng - B
H. Biology - A
Orchestra - A
French II - A-
Health (mandatory) - A
AP. World History - B</p>

<p>GPA: 3.4762</p>

<p>Second semester:</p>

<p>H. Algebra II - B-
H. Eng - B
H. Biology - B+
Orchestra - A
French II - A
PE (mandatory) - A
AP World History - A-</p>

<p>GPA: 3.4872</p>

<p>Sophomore Year first semester:</p>

<p>H. Pre-Calc - B+
H. Eng/Speech - A
H. Chemistry - A
Orchestra - A
French III - A
AP Euro. History - B
AP Computer Science - B+</p>

<p>GPA: 3.6667-</p>

<p>Second semester projected:</p>

<p>H. Pre-Calc - B
H. Eng - B+
H. Chemistry - A-
Orchestra - A
French III - A
AP Euro. History - B+
AP Computer Science - A</p>

<p>Junior Year (full year)</p>

<p>AP Calc BC
AP Eng. Lit.
AP US. History
AP Chemistry
Orchestra
French IV
Biology II: Human Anatomy/Physiology</p>

<p>Senior Year (full year)</p>

<p>Multivariable Calculus (third semester college calculus)
AP Eng
AP Psychology
AP Biology
Orchestra
French V
[no clue]</p>

<p>I'm in French Honor Society as well, not that it matters.</p>

<p>AP Test Scores:</p>

<p>AP World History - 5
AP European History - [4 or 5...took it today and I thought it was pretty easy]</p>

<p>At school, I'm in Science Olympiad, but I haven't really done anything. I suppose I could try to actually do something next year, but oh well.</p>

<p>Projected SATs:</p>

<p>Eng - 750??
Math - 800??
Writing - 750??</p>

<p>I'm not sure which SAT IIs to take.</p>

<p>Anyway, I was just wondering if colleges would get put off by m low GPA. If I were at another school (I would be at East Chapel Hill High School if I didn't move), I would have one of the highest GPAs. But thanks to *****era Underwhore, I'm pretty much screwed in that regard.</p>

<p>Also, can I still send last year's AP exam grades to a different school?</p>

<p>Thanks for reading my post, and thank you in advance.</p>

<p>Errr...
It doesn't matter if the superintendent weights your grades or not. Colleges, after receiving your transcript, will recalculate your GPA themselves. At Ivies, I think, they don't assign "weighted" GPAs, but do note the presence of AP classes.</p>

<p>But anyway. Those schools are going to be pretty big reaches...have you considered looking into schools with stronger music programs?</p>

<p>Your going to need some safeties.</p>

<p>Yeah. I was thinking University of Indiana or Purdue University as "safeties". I was also thinking University of North Carolina CH, though I'll have to pay out of state fees.</p>

<p>Can I still send last year's AP test results?</p>

<p>If my dad lives in Chapel Hill, can I pay in-state fees?</p>

<p>Yes, your GPA will make these colleges very hard to get into. You're good to go a tier below, colleges ranking under 20 will be your matches.</p>