<p>Hi! So this is going to be a multi-question post, so bear with me! </p>
<p>I'm currently a junior amidst the stress and anxiety of 11th grade and had a few questions about college.</p>
<p>Just to give you an idea of the type of student and human I am, here are just a few, non-specific statistics:
ACT: 32 (practice test taken a year ago, so not an accurate representation on two counts-- retaking in June!)
Academic GPA-- 5 core classes (9-11): UW 4.0, W 4.3 (The weighted doesn't include advanced/honors classes, just AP)
I would say that my extra curricular activities and volunteering are fairly good considering the opportunities and circumstances in my life, though others may have a different opinion.
I'm planning on majoring in biology with a minor in Italian.</p>
<p>My first question is: what kind of schools should I apply to as backup? I live in California, so I am wondering at which UC's I have high chances of being admitted. In addition, I was wondering if you could offer up some other back up schools. One that I am thinking about is the University of Washington-- do you agree that this school is an appropriate "backup" school?</p>
<p>My second question is: This is more of a worry, actually. My school doesn't give out any academic awards other than honor roll, and it is my understanding that the Common App requests a list of academic awards. What can I do about this?</p>
<p>My last question is: My dream school from my research thus far is Rice University. Any advice to achieve this goal? </p>
<p>Again, thank you very much for your help. If you need any supplemental information from me to effectively answer my questions, please reply on this "thread".</p>