Chances, Please! :)

<p>Hey everyone. Thanks for taking the time to look at this. Here are my HS credentials:</p>

<p>-3.4GPA (weighted, school doesnt release unweighted)-worst aspect of my app by far :(
-top 50 public school in Northern Virginia
-Total of 7 APs by graduation
-4 on AP Lang and Comp, 4 on AP US history, 4 on AP world hist, 3 on AP spanish
-2070 SAT:
-800 Reading, 590 math, 680 writing (1st sitting)
-Great essay on crew
ECs:
-State champion in Deca competition, honorable mention at nationals
-State participant at DECA competition in 2010
-Crew sophomore and junior year
-Spanish Honor society 10th,11th,12th grades
-Volunteer at Homeless shelter
-Volunteer at International Justice Mission
-Red Cross club, Ex-Pat club, Junior Civitan Club
-Cross Country
-Worked for 2 weeks during the summer</p>

<p>Prospective Schools:
William and Mary
Villanova
Bucknell
Boston University
University of Texas Austin(mother, father, uncle attended UT)
Michigan
UVA
Colgate</p>

<p>Are you applying RD, or ED? Are you male or female? Can you give a brief run-down of the classes you’ve taken each year, including this year?</p>

<p>Sure: I’m a male, applying RD
Freshman Year:
Pre-AP World History-B
Pre-AP English-B
Spanish 3-B
Debate/Forensics-B
P.E-A
Algebra 1-B
Biology 1-B</p>

<p>Sophomore Year (worst year):
Pre-AP English 10-B-
AP World History-C+
Geometry-B-
Chemistry 1-B
Spanish 4-B+
Drivers Ed/PE-B
Sports and Entertainment Marketing-B+</p>

<p>Junior Year:
AP English Lit-B
AP US History-B-
Algebra 2-B-
Physics 1-B
AP Spanish Lang-B
Advanced Marketing-A-
Nature of Knowledge-A-</p>

<p>Senior Year (1st quarter):
AP Macro/Micro Economics-B+
AP English Lit-A-
AP US and Comparative Government-B-
Political Science/Current Affairs-A
Precalculus-C+
Human Anatomy-A-
Spanish 5-A</p>

<p>I am just a random dude on the internet who happened to go to W&M, so take this with a ginormous grain of salt. </p>

<p>From what I know, your testing is fine. W&M only looks at Verbal + Math, so you’re sitting at 1390, which is toward middle/upper end of the mid-50% range. Since you’re applying RD, though, I would recommend that you retake the SAT, because your math score is low and you should be able to break into the 1400s very easily. Seriously, algebra and geometry are not that difficult. Grab an SAT Math book, review it over Christmas break, and re-take the test. You can very easily get above a 590 on the math section.</p>

<p>In terms of your course load, the lack of calculus is a bit of a blemish. I’d advise you to do whatever you can to get that C+ in pre-calculus up. Your GPA is low-ish, but you have something of an upward trend going (despite the grade in pre-calculus). </p>

<p>You’re no Mother Theresa or Michael Phelps, but you’re definitely involved outside of the classroom, which only really adds to the strength of your application. In short, your extracurricular activities don’t blow me away, but you haven’t been sitting in your parents playing World of Warcraft for four years, either. There’s strength there; you just haven’t started any non-profits, scored any winning touchdowns in a state championship football game, or saved any babies from burning buildings. There’s strength in your extracurricular activities–they’re just not the strongest thing that the admission officers will likely see.</p>

<hr>

<p>Apologies for the anti-climactic answer, but I’m not going to really offer a guess regarding whether you’re going to get in. There are far too many variables involved, and far too little context to offer such a response. I have no idea, for instance, how you stack up against the peers at your high school who will apply to W&M, which is a very big factor.</p>

<p>I have, however, offered some strengths and weaknesses in your application, and you still have a lot of opportunity to improve and strengthen the areas of your application that are weak. Your GPA, for instance, isn’t set in stone yet. Get a tutor, stay after school and ask for help, spend more time on your math homework. Calculus is not for the feint of heart, but it’s not impossible, either. I didn’t major in science or math at W&M, either, but I can do Calculus pretty decently; so can you, if you buckle down. Related to that, study for and retake the SAT, focusing as hard as you can on the math section of the SAT. A strong 1400/1500 will make your GPA and lack of Calculus a whole lot easier to swallow.</p>

<p>Anyway, best of luck to you. Let me know if there’s anything I can clarify.</p>

<p>thanks alot man… really helps!! i am definitely going to work on the weaker aspects of my app.</p>