<p>Okay, so my reason for posting this “chances” thread should become obvious as you go through the information, and if it doesn’t I’ll address it at the end anyway.</p>
<h2>BASICS</h2>
<p>Suburban Public School (Pennsylvania)
White Male (Lower-Middle Class)
Entering My Senior Year This Coming Fall
Major: Political Science
Goal: Law School (my ultimate goal, regardless of undergrad, is to attend law school at Yale, Harvard, or Georgetown).</p>
<h2>GRADES (weighted/unweighted)</h2>
<p>Freshman GPA: 2.8/2.6
Sophomore GPA: 3.9/3.7 (most rigorous courses available that I met the freshman prerequisites for)
Junior GPA: notapplicable/3.9 (school this year didn’t weight grades) (most rigorous courses available)
Senior GPA: TBA (5 AP courses, expecting almost entirely A’s. Possible 4.0/4.8)</p>
<h2>SCORES</h2>
<p>SAT I:</p>
<p>Crit Reading - 720
Math - 720
Writing - 740</p>
<p>Total: 2180</p>
<p>(Taking them again in Nov, expecting about a 50 point jump in each category, maybe a little less. Expectation is based on practicing and seeing this jump in the practice tests pulled from the College Board Official SAT Guide).</p>
<p>SAT II:</p>
<p>Physics: TBA
Math 2: TBA
Biology E: TBA</p>
<p>(Expecting ~780s across the board. Taking them in Oct, been studying for months already.)</p>
<h2>EXTRA CURRICULARS</h2>
<ul>
<li>Captain of the debate team (competes nationally).</li>
<li>Should be ranked nationally in debate for the NFL senior year <a href=“not%20the%20football%20kind,%20the%20original,%20national%20speech/debate%20society%20kind”>top 5 or top 10</a>.</li>
<li>Employed as a Photo Lab Technician at CVS/Pharmacy (18 hours/week).</li>
<li>Intramural soccer from kindergarten through 12th grade.</li>
</ul>
<p>The following are all taking place this senior year:</p>
<ul>
<li>Co-founder of book club.</li>
<li>Member of key club.</li>
<li>Chairman of politics club.</li>
<li>Elderly home volunteering (1 day a week).</li>
</ul>
<h2>HOOK</h2>
<ul>
<li><p>Overcame BiPolar Type I Disorder (accounts for freshman year and a transfer to online schooling mid-way through Junior year. I’m transferring back to my regular school for senior year) to become a nationally ranked debater.</p></li>
<li><p>By “overcame” I mean once I realized there was an issue I had it addressed and since having it addressed it has not resurfaced in a debilitating manner since.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>LIST</h2>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Princeton (doesn’t look at freshman GPA)</li>
<li>Dartmouth</li>
<li>Williams</li>
<li>Amherst</li>
<li>Wesleyan</li>
<li>Boston College</li>
<li>Northeastern</li>
<li>Penn State (University Park)</li>
</ol>
<h2>QUESTION</h2>
<p>I think I have a pretty good list going. My only concern is that I’m putting too much faith in the colleges’ willingness to look past freshman year. I e-mailed all of them and they all said they definitely take considerable improvement into consideration, but I’m just not sure.</p>
<p>Northeastern and Penn State are my safeties. Should I be aiming lower? Are there any colleges on my list that I just don’t have a shot at?</p>
<p>I am completely okay with harsh criticism. If you honestly think that I should be aiming lower because of my freshman GPA, I would rather know now than apply to these colleges and get rejected by all of them. Any specific suggestions for colleges not on the list are also very appreciated.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>EDIT: Major/Goal updates.</p>