**Chicago, Boston U, NYU, Brandeis, Northwestern, Pitt

<p>I know my GPA and rank are a bit weak, but I think I can make up for that somewhat with ECs and test scores. I'm totally new to this college process, so thank you in advance for your help. Please, above all, be honest.</p>

<p>Likely major: economics.
GPA (weighted/unweighted): 3.85/3.4?</p>

<p>Previous Classes: Honors History and English tracks, Academic Science and Math, Honors Wind Ensemble.</p>

<p>Senior Year - APs: US History, English Language/Comp, European History, English Literature/Comp, German, maybe Statistics. Honors Foreign Policy and Honors Wind Ensemble </p>

<p>Class rank: 199/725-ish</p>

<p>SAT Score (First and Only time): Superscore: 2120, CR:800, Math: 610, Writing: 710</p>

<p>AP Scores: USH - 5, English - 4</p>

<p>EC's: 4 years Speech and Debate - Vice President (2nd Place Statewide, National Quarter-finalist, Numerous local awards)
4 years Marching Band - Vice President, Trumpet marching section leader
JSA Summer School - (3 intense weeks at Georgetown University, studying AP US Government and Politics)
Current Events Club
Progressive Club (Discussion club with a leftist tilt)
My friend and I plan on starting a philosophy club this year.</p>

<p>Employment: I worked at a grocery store bagging for 4 months last summer, and also worked for my father, helping him with his business. The money is just savings.</p>

<p>Honors/Awards: Highest score in my school on Current Events League tests
Top ten, state-wide essay contest for PSU, there's probably other things I'm forgetting. </p>

<p>I can count on glowing recommendations from my english teacher, as well as my US History teacher, and a good (not great) from my science teacher, which Chicago would require. I haven't thought about my essays that much yet, but I'm a good essay writer, and I'm a definite match for the Chicago "type."</p>

<p>My school is a very large one, as well as fairly competitive. We usually get a handful of kids in to top schools (1 to Harvard, 2 or 3 to Penn, 1 to Georgetown, 3 to Chicago), and it's a pretty affluent school, generally. </p>

<p>As for me, I'm a pretty average person, demographically. White male, 2-parent household in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. I'm a voracious reader, active in politics (volunteering with various campaigns), and I write, produce music, and moonlight as a DJ in my spare time, just uploading the mixes onto the internet, though.</p>

<p>U Chicago - Low Reach (Make sure you write a great essay)
Boston U - Match
NYU - High Match/Low Reach
Brandeis - Low Reach
Northwestern - Low reach
Pitt - Low Match/High Safety</p>

<p>thanks so much. just a note: i do plan on retaking the SATs, and probably a few SAT II's</p>