<p>Before you read, please feel free to give me suggestions to improve because I still have a chance.</p>
<p>Hello. As of right now, I think by the end of my Junior year, I will have a 3.8 to 3.95 weighted gpa overall for sophomore and junior year. My SAT is going to probably be like a 2200 to 2300. I am trying to major in Psych, English, Asian American studies, or Philosophy (Im going to do Psych and Philosophy or English and Philosophy/AAS every time). I am trying to get into UCLA, USC, UCSD, UCI, UCSD, and SDSU
First off, I have a really terrible childhood and I have the best sob story ever for essay. It includes being bullied, being kicked out, abused by alcoholic, moving a lot, overcoming severe clinical depression, etc. I also moved high schools during the middle of my sophomore year and I am going through some potential domestic issues (not all of it involves me being abused) at home and may transfer one more time/ move high schools.
I did IB before I transferred
I am going to have about 1000 CS hours by the time I graduate college.
Took Korean SAT and got 740 plus
Taking US history SAT and will also get something around 750 plus (currently at 680 and I am taking APUSH this year)
I am writing a book right now and I have a good chance at it being published
I work. 2 jobs
Former Junior Lifeguard
Lots of extracurricular overall
Won many golf tournaments
Ironically, I am now in poor family
Played Varsity Golf Freshman year (technically)
I have some alumni and relatives who currently attend UCLA
California Resident
Male Asian
Moved around Los Angeles area about 7 times and may do it for an 8th time
Tri-Lingual
Overcame depression at a young age
In 3 clubs, philosophy, key, and red cross. Will make Korean/LiNK club next year and will be President. I may possibly found schools first MUN
Next years classes
Projected number of APs in high school is10
UCLA IS MAIN SCHOOL
My backup colleges are as follows
USC
UCSD
UCI
UCSB
SDSU</p>
<p>btw, the gpa is uc weighted. If I get straight As this year however, I will have 4.1. Realistically, I am in a situation that will prevent me from accomplishing this thus I estimated I can have a 3.8. And I am also top 10 percent at my school.</p>
How do you know? Have you taken full practice SATs in a real testing environment?
Are you better than ~95% of the test takers? Don’t get your hopes up.</p>
<p>
I personally wouldn’t recommend writing a sob story.</p>
<p>
Hours don’t really mean anything(Your passion, effort, and dedication matters), and 1000 community service hours by the time you graduate college?..</p>
<p>
Not going to help you if you are Korean. </p>
<p>We can’t chance you when more than 50% of your important stats/ECs are purely based on predictions.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice. My PSAT came out as a 228 which is why I made that prediction. When I take practice SAT tests, I usually have a score which is around a 780 math, 720 CR, and 720 writing. I do all my cs at one place and I really really love it. I rarely skip time doing it and I have been so passionate about it (I help children with disabilities) that I helped save a persons life and I had to be briefly hospitalized after defending one of the children. My statistics above are usually the bare minimum and my EC is strong for sure. The only question I have is why should I not write a SOB story?</p>
<p>Great! I personally wouldn’t recommend writing a sob story, because it tends to turn into those typical have-a-pity-on-me-waaaah essays(Basically whiny essays) filled with negative feelings. Why not write about your community service? Better essay topic for sure imo.</p>
<p>Ok thanks. I guess I shouldn’t have said sob story because I ended up overcoming all my problems. For example, I used to live in the ghetto, and would always get attacked by 16 17 year olds when I was 11. I then decided to learn a few martial arts and boxing. Eventually I would eventually be able to defend myself and little brother from being mugged or beat up.</p>
<p>I also will definitely write about my CS but my problems are important to me as well. For example, my friend sent me a text message of how she was going to die of cancer in a month 5 minutes before a golf match for school. That day, despite my grief, I set a school record for JV and would be allowed to play a varsity match the next week because of it.</p>
<p>For your essay, you have to take the reader right into the moment you decided “enough”, then backtrack and give concrete examples, and to finish, show how that transformed you, etc.
A “sob story” elicits pity, whereas a good essay elicits admiration :)</p>