Chances (Weak Community Service)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>I'm going to start applying to universities this fall, and have realised, too late, that my community service record is...far from impressive. I'll be working and travelling a lot this summer, and will be busy with marching-band, eight classes, and clubs come fall, so there is little opportunity to make up for this. How much is this going to hurt me in my applications?</p>

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<p>ACADEMICS:</p>

<p>Rank: Top 10% (129/1350), extremely competitive school/district (MIT, Ivy League, etc. common in ranks 55 and above)
GPA: 3.625/4.0 (Unweighted) ; 4.05/5.0 (Weighted)
SAT I: 2250 (CR - 740 ; MATH - 760 ; Writing - 740)
ACT: 36 (Composite) ; 31 (English/Writing)
SAT Literature: 770
(I also plan to take the SAT Physics and Math II tests in October)</p>

<p>AP Human Geography: 5
Pending Results: AP English Language ; AP U.S. History ; AP Studio Art 2-D</p>

<p>Senior Schedule: AP English Literature ; AP Physics B ; AP Calculus AB ; AP Art History ; AP Music Theory ; AP Psychology/Pre-AP Sociology ; Honours Band ; Academic Decathalon.</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULARS:</p>

<p>Band (2004 - Present ; Squad Leader in 2008 - 2009, Logistics Officer in 2008 - 2009 and 2010 - 2011)
French Club (2007 - 2009 ; Vice-President in 2008 - 2009)
NHS (2008 - Present)
Academic Decathalon (2010 - ??)
Worked part-time in 2008, working again this year </p>

<p>AWARDS/HONOURS:</p>

<p>National French Contest, Top 5 Percentile (2008 ; 2009)
Six-time School Board Trustee Honouree
Perfect Score on the ACT
National Merit - Commended (Most likely; Got a 214)</p>

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<p>I'll be applying to twelve schools (Yes. Twelve. Long story short, it's a less stressful to just compromise with your uptight-even-for-Asians parents by adding a few more of "their schools" onto your list than to keep arguing the fact that it will kill you.) </p>

<p>My "Maybes" are UCLA, UC Berkeley, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, Rice (Though their acceptance rate this year has made me reconsider), and USC. Is the severe lack of community service (Outside of NHS) going to really hurt my chances with these schools?</p>

<p>(Also just for the heck of it, do I have any chance with these "HAHAHAHAno"-s? Brown, Columbia, Stanford, and Cornell).</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your time!!</p>

2

<p>Oops, hello, I can’t type. SAT Writing score should be 750, not 740.</p>

3

<p>I’d say the maybes are low reaches and the Ivies+Stanford are Reaches. One way you can make the lack of community service work for you is write a really strong essay that gives the adcom’s an idea who you are, because they are looking for a diverse group of ppl, and if you make yourself an interresting and diverse person they will understand that the community service isn’t part of who you are.</p>

4

<p>You can also immerse yourself deeply in a cause you like. Even though it’s late, it’s better to do it late than never. The fact that your school is really competitive, though, is a saving grace (especially for your GPA, which would not otherwise be terribly impressive for some of the schools you listed)></p>

5

<p>Yeah, community service is not a sine qua non for admission to a really competitive university. I think you have a shot at at least a few of your “HAHAHAno” reaches. :stuck_out_tongue: I didn’t even join NHS, by the way. >></p>

6

<p>MCMLXXXIV: I definitely intend to give them one hell of an essay. :smiley: Thank you for your input!!</p>

<p>pzevallos216: Haha, yeah, I realised that a while ago. XD;; Our rank one’s GPA is about…4.45, 4.55? 4.6 at highest. In other words, each rank differs by just over .004 of a GPA point. Thank you very much for your input, I’ll definitely see what’s available in my area. (:</p>

<p>Lirazel: Haha, thanks. XD;</p>