chances of getting it! OUT OF STATE!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Virginia
1

<p>i have a 3.5 gpa uw. Korean american, 2nd gen</p>

<p>Sats
math:750
reading:680
writing:690</p>

<p>Sat 2s
math 2:800
chemistry:690</p>

<p>Extracurricular
Korean youth program. 4+ years. president for past 2 years
key club (volunteering) 3 years
Varsity Tennis 4 years
captain of jv soccer team senior year
Anti-defamation league, 1 year
Praise team at church 4+ years
Conservation Club 2 years
break through(summerbridge) 2 years</p>

<p>really want to get into uva, its my number 1. i want to know if i even have a chance, especially from out of state</p>

2

<p>oh, extra information!</p>

<p>national merit scholarship letter of commendation
national honor society</p>

<p>worked at a computer programming company learning how to program for 2 months, 40 hours a week.</p>

<p>Ap exams:
Ap Calc AB: 4</p>

3

<p>your SAT scores are pretty good but I would say your gpa is a little low.. but still i would say you have a decent shot</p>

4

<p>bump!! (10char)</p>

5

<p>Your proofreading skills might keep you out. Unless you really do want to know your chances of getting it. You probably meant either "in" or "any."</p>

6

<p>What do you plan in majoring in? LA on the bubble as an OOS...your EC's seem weak to me for an OOS...many OOS have NHS/school leadership, and other reknown groups (i.e. model UN)...you might get the extra bump b/c you are 2nd generation, which I assume means Korean is spoken at home and English would be your families 2nd language = hook.</p>

7

<p>slight reach.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
your EC's seem weak to me for an OOS...many OOS have NHS/school leadership, and other reknown groups (i.e. model UN)...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don't really see why they're weak. And being a member of a "renowned" group isn't really necessary. (For example, my school's Model UN group was ill-funded, if not pathetic. Half of the year was spent fundraising to even afford going to the meet, as opposed to practice of any discernible value. I dropped out the following year, because I believed my time would be better spent on other endeavours.)</p>

9

<p>He has great EC's. Anyone who suggests the national honor society as a unique or special group is wrong. NHS is a joke and colleges know this. Most don't even consider this in the admissions process anymore because there are different standards for each school. Some schools have students pay to be in it.</p>

10

<p>You are missing the pt. There needs to be leadership positions that have some educational background...To make a generic statement well mine stunk, does not mean that it does not have weight in the colleges. If you don't think so...why do they show the % of kids in the program for their admission acceptance...I have yet to see booster be a part of that scoring. Model UN is another national program, you can't compare it to the Praise Team at Church (no offense). Class President maybe a popularity contest to win, but you do have to do a job, just like being the President of your NHS. There are meetings and things that need to be performed. You are in a leadership position and you will be in charge of other people and will deal with administration staff...you may even have to deal with budgets. Joining the booster is a fodder filler unless you can say you were in charge of the candy drive, the concessions, something that gives you responsibility. Same for Key Club, it is great, but how many hrs did you volunteer...40 (well that is about 1 hr a week for the school yr).</p>

<p>I am not meaning to tear this person up, but UVA is very difficult to get into, even from IS. You are going up against people who have a stronger academic/leadership ECS...people that are only the President of SADD will rank higher than the person who does volunteer work in clubs, remember SADD is a volunteer org and that president showed leadership, which required more time and effort than just the member.</p>

<p>BTW NHS does have national regulations on gpa...and does require every member to pay dues, it is up to the school to determine to pass the cost along or not. Schools get to determine what yr they offer it, but the gpa must be according to the NHS regs

[quote]
ARTICLE IX: SELECTION OF MEMBERS </p>

<p>Section 1. To be eligible for membership the candidate must be a member of those classes (sophomore, junior, senior) designated as eligible in the chapter bylaws. (Freshmen [ninth graders] are not eligible.) Candidates must have been in attendance at the school the equivalent of one semester.1
Section 2. The national minimum standard for scholarship shall be a cumulative scholastic average of at least 85 percent, B, or 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or the equivalent standard of excellence. Candidates shall then be evaluated on the basis of service, leadership, and character.2
Section 3. The selection of each member to the chapter shall be by a majority vote of the Faculty Council. Prior to notification of any candidates, the chapter adviser shall review with the principal the results of the Faculty Council’s deliberations.
Section 4. A description of the selection procedure shall be published in an official school publication that is widely available in a timely fashion to all students and parents of the school. The selection procedure shall be determined by the Faculty Council and shall be consistent with the rules and regulations of NHS.
Section 5. NASSP shall not review the judgment of the Faculty Council regarding selection of individual members to local chapters.

[/quote]
</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
Model UN is another national program, you can't compare it to the Praise Team at Church (no offense).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>In many parts of the country, I can.</p>

<p>And I will argue that LD/policy/forensics is far more intellectually rigourous than Model UN. Well at least it was far more rigourous than /my/ Model UN experience. At times sports leadership will outweigh certain 'reputable' ECs. This really shouldn't be a "Who's EC is better" contest, but I don't think someone should be blamed for not having participated in a conference/legislature-like activity.</p>

<p>
[quote]
There are meetings and things that need to be performed. You are in a leadership position and you will be in charge of other people and will deal with administration staff...you may even have to deal with budgets.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Leadership is not the same as "management". There is quite a difference. And again, the role and power (in terms of the freedom to actually take the initiative...) of leadership positions vary from school to school. I will argue that writing about you actually did during that time is quite more critical than listing the title/position...</p>

12

<p>I agree...but I hope you also agree, just because you joined doesn't mean you contributed to a significant level. Many kids join clubs to use as FODDER.</p>

<p>
[quote]
At times sports leadership will outweigh certain 'reputable' ECs. This really shouldn't be a "Who's EC is better" contest

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Unfortunately it is, it has been and it will be. Nobody is blaming anyone for not being in a conference/legistlature, My DD is in Young-Life...it is a church related organization, she has attended summer camp and has been on the board. Is it the equivalent of Praise Team...I don't know! Do you? Does UVA?</p>

<p>All I am saying is you can be on a lot of clubs with no position and not be seen as positively as the person who has a position.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Leadership is not the same as "management". There is quite a difference. And again, the role and power (in terms of the freedom to actually take the initiative...) of leadership positions vary from school to school

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Absolutely. However, when you are a HS student you have no idea what the difference is, and the admissions board understands that aspect. HOWEVER, they do understand that the position of President of SADD or KEY or BOOSTERs or anything else will force you to have a better control of time mgmt, to maintain your grades, than just the kid who shows up for the 45 min. meeting 1x a month. </p>

<p>Why do you think they will take an athlete (i.e. golf, tae-kwon do, volleyball) with the same gpa or slighlty lower? They do it because athletes, train for months at a time spending 20-30 hrs a week after school and still manage a high gpa.</p>

<p>Do you actually believe that the admission office does not see umpteen applicants with Booster, Key, Habitat for Humanity, SADD volunteer and can't realize that this person is just putting volunteer filler in the folder?</p>

<p>Finally, I have lived in VT, CA, NM, NC, AK, VA, KS, PA, and NJ in the past 20 yrs, plus England...I have never heard of a Praise team until today. Than again I never heard of Young Life until NC...I am not saying that it is not known, but to say as you imply that it is reknown like the model UN is inane....go and ask any high school kid anywhere in the nation do you know what the Model UN is and if their school has one, I bet the majority does.</p>

13

<p>Well I didn't claim that anything was renowned. Renowned activities aren't necessarily better activities. In fact one can probably get a decent EC list by being 'underground'.</p>

14

<p>hm, i am in nhs. i do over 50 hours a year for keyclub. and well i think i do much more as the president of the korean youth program, than anyone of the model un kids i know.
also, bullet, your assumption about me being 2nd gen and the family speaking english as a 2nd langauge was spot on.</p>

<p>so, good chance? reach? what exactly do you think?</p>

15

<p>I'm still slightly confused about your generation status. Are you the first one in your family to go to college (disregard siblings)? If your parents went, then being "2nd gen" won't help at all. </p>

<p>
[quote]
which I assume means Korean is spoken at home and English would be your families 2nd language = hook.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don't think that's a hook. There are a large number of immigrant families that speak one language at home and use English elsewhere. My family is educated (my parents have like 10-12 master's between them) but they prefer to speak in their native tongue at home, which forces me to. So, I'm not willing to say this applicant has any sort of hook until he clarifies if his parents went to college (that college could also be out of the country.)</p>

<p>Regarding your ECs. I'm going to have to agree with bullet; they are weak, especially for OOS. Your SAT score is average, not great. Your GPA is quite low for OOS. Sorry.</p>

<p>Also, have you taken more than 1 AP/IB/advanced class? And what is your courseload this year? Class rank? Your transcript is much more important than your ECs, so a little more info on that would help us give you a more accurate chance.</p>

16

<p>
[quote]
if his parents went to college (that college could also be out of the country.)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Are you sure db? That doesn't make sense to me. I thought first gen to college would mean parents did not attend college anywhere.</p>

17

<p>@ db
this year im taking ap stats, ap calc bc, spanish 3 (changing schools screwed my spanish levels up, counselor explained in the counselor letter), philosophy, and honors physics</p>

<p>i've taken ap calc last year and doubled up with precalc, and have always been in honors for all my science classes. the only other 2 ap classes in our school are ap us history and ap english, which arent my fortes. i've taken level 4 (honors) economics (now a senior class with same course work).</p>

<p>school doesn't rank.</p>

<p>hope that helps. i really want to know cause this is my number 1.</p>

18

<p>sorry vistany, that's what I meant to say but it came out garbled. Forgive me. To clarify: If your parents have gone to college (that college could also be out of the country), then you are not a first gen. If your parents have never gone to college, then you are a first generation.</p>

<p>yoyorks, I think UVa is a reach for you. You haven't taken many APs, but that's also because your school doesn't offer more than 4 or 5. (Or so it seems from the description you gave.) You're at a slight disadvantage because of that. And there are quite a few people who apply from CA who have much stronger applications with stronger ECs, transcripts, etc. But good luck!</p>