<p>SATs: 700V, 750 M, 700W
SAT II: 700 World History, 750 US History, 770 Math II, 720 French w/listening, 780 Literature
GPA: 4.0UW, 4.38W
AP/IB: full-IB, plus 3 APs</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
-School Newspaper (9-12): Editor-in-Chief (11-12), Lifestyles Editor (10), Assistant News Editor (9); won multiple awards individually and as a paper from CSPA, NSPA and VHSL; articles published in local newspaper
-Cappies Reviewer (10-12): reviews of local school plays published in the Washington Post
-Debate Team (10-12): President (12), VP (11), Regional Qualifier (11), District Qualifier (10-11)
-Young Democrats (10-12): President (12), VP (11)
-MUN (10-12): Committee Chair (11-12), Regional Qualifier (11), District Qualifier (10-11)
-NHS (10-12): VP (12), Secretary (11)
-SSHS (11-12): President (12)
-SCA (9-12): President (12), VP (11), 2nd VP (10), 3rd VP (9)
-UVA Summer Enrichment Program
-Columbia Summer Journalism Workshop
-Princeton Summer Journalism Conference
-United States Senate Page
-Au pair in Quebec
-Volunteer for Democratic Party of Virginia (10-12)
-Scorekeeper of Freshman, JV and Varsity Girls Basketball Teams (9-12)
-Youth Basketball Coach (10-12)
-Metropolitan Area Grant Committee (11-12)</p>
<p>You have a chance. Get your SAT's up a bit, and it'll be much better.
However, when CC's acceptance rate hovers around 9%, you really never know.</p>
<p>i dont think retaking the SAT is going to help you at all. your test scores r good enough and your courseload and grades r awesome. It's all going to come down to how you present yourself in your application. Good luck</p>
<p>show some personality, choose a good essay topic thats out of the ordinary and that reveals something about who you are or how you have grown as a person...try to stay away from the usual boring topics of race or elaboration on your resume. Also show some interest in columbia...apply early decision maybe, write a good, well informed "why columbia" piece, visit the school. Oh and you better have some monster recommendations to back up your grades. Thats pretty much it, i'm quite sure you will end up somewhere very good though.</p>
<p>Possible recs: English teacher (had him for 9th/11th grade), History teacher (10th/12th grade - she suggested becoming a Senate Page and sending in my papers for awards), my newspaper advisor (known me for all of high school, I have a very personal relationship with her), the VP that oversees the newspaper (he came with us to the CSPA convention last year and I meet with him nearly every issue to convince him to let us run controversial articles), the Principal (I'm on his Advisory Board and we meet weekly - he also was my principal in middle school), my Debate coach who will also be my Physics teacher this year.
I could send more (VA Democratic Party rep, my Senator, the head of the grant committee), but I don't want to overdo it.</p>
<p>As for applying ED, I don't want to be tied down to a school. I like choices. Columbia's definitely up there and if they were EA, I would totally apply early. I'm just not sure if I'll get enough aid.</p>
<p>I'm still working on my essay topic. I want to wait to decide until I come back from Quebec because that might foster some ideas. Currently, I'm thinking of my basketball involvement, but I don't know if the "rejected, so I found another way to participate" thing is too cliche.</p>
<p>those all sound like good recs....just make sure its someone who knows you personally and can write good things. Also try to mix and match....dont pick two or three people who will say the same thing, choose your recs carefully and of course dont send more than three. </p>
<p>ED was just a suggestion, u should be fine in the RD round too.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Currently, I'm thinking of my basketball involvement, but I don't know if the "rejected, so I found another way to participate" thing is too cliche.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>haha, nice, that was my topic...and i guess it was a good one. Its not cliche because everyone will have different twists to it or a different take on it. If you want more personalized advice on your essay feel free to send me a PM so it wouldnt be out in the public domain like this.</p>
<p>s snack seems obsessed about people needing to have the very best SAT scores. Unless there's been a shift in policy that i'm not aware of (i.e. a decision that we want to boost our average SAT score, so we start filtering for more 1500+ apps), your scores are plenty good enough.</p>
<p>It'll come down to your essay/why-columbia blurb, and whatever superlative success you can demonstrate in your academic and EC pursuits. I'm sure, of that long list of activities, that you have one or two things you really love. Put extra time into them and let that be obvious in your application.</p>
<p>I think all top 30 schools want to "boost their average SAT score". However, the OP's scores are relatively strong and all parts over 700. Retake only if you think your scores can go up. You have a very good chance, especially being the Prez of like 4 clubs,...congrats!</p>