<p>I'm planning on majoring in either political science, international affairs, or international studies.</p>
<p>Sex: Female
Location: Dallas area, TX
School: Ridiculously competitive public HS; largest exemplary (highest ranking attainable) school in the state of TX
Race: Black, of Somali descent. I'm 1st generation North American.
I'm an Canadian citizen, but I have a green card...I don't think that changes anything.</p>
<p>Rank: top 16%
GPA: 3.58 UW ughh (like an 89-90 on a 100 pt scale)
Not planning on sending in SATs
ACT: 31 first time, taking again next month and confident I can get at least a 33.
APs: 5 WHAP, 3 French (I fell asleep haha), expecting 5s on APUSH and AP Eng. lang. I'm taking 8 APs next year.
SAT IIs: took US history and lit, expecting at least 700 on both, taking Math 2 and French next month.</p>
<p>ECs:
-NHS
-Student council
-Junior World Affairs Council
-French Honor Society
-French club
-Students for a Viable Environment (treasurer/co-founder)
-Hope for Africa
-Athletic training
-Youth Action Council (selective non-school type club...we work directly with the mayor.)
~150 volunteer hours</p>
<p>I'm thinking about are Georgetown SFS EA (set on this), UChicago EA, UT Austin (top 8% rule I HATE YOU), Columbia, Brown, UPenn, Princeton, Duke, SMU, USC, . My safeties which I have automatic admission to are Texas A&M and OU, but I honestly really don't want to go to either. Input is appreciated :D</p>
<p>Yeah GPA’s stopping you hard budd. Id suggest like atleast a 3.7-3.75ish at the LEAST.</p>
<p>URM status helps you quite a bit though, and yeah, 33 ACT’s a biggie too.
Though I’d try racking up some good leadership positions in the clubs/organizations you’re apart of, consider organizing events and stuff too (like project manager for a park cleanup, etc.). </p>
<p>Though Georgetown SFS is HIGHLY competitive, and so are most of the schools you also mentioned. Not that anything more of a crapshot is achievable for the stuff you mentioned.
But yeah, GPA needs to be up (which’ll help bring you to atleast top 10%).
Good luck</p>
<p>ermm to be quite honest, i think that every school on your list is a reach. your GPA is pretty low, test scores aren’t great, e.c’s aren’t spectacular. you really need great recs, incredible essays and show a lot of passion to get into some of the schools on your list. your URM status may help you a bit, but it will only take you so far.</p>
<p>I have to agree with everyone else’s comments, the Ivies and Georgetown are huge reaches. Even with an increase in your ACT to 33, a 3.6 GPA 16% class rank is going to be a tough sell at the elite schools. Your URM status will help, but it’s hard to see it overcoming the GPA. That said, I think you have an excellent chance at SMU (probably a safety), and while your GPA is a little low I think USC is possible. Just to give you a more specific idea about the competition you’re up against here are two links, one from Gtown and the other from USC:</p>
<p>You’re right, the worst they can do is say no, but the risk is that you might be expending too much energy on “reaching for the stars” and short-changing yourself in going after more attainable “reaches”. I suggest dropping 2-3 of your Ivies and adding some statistically closer reach schools. Off the top of my head: Wisconsin, Michigan, Boston College as match/reaches and Northwestern & Notre Dame as reaches where your URM status could help.</p>