<p>I apologize in advance for the lengthy post.
For a long time, I've considered my self a fairly bright student (I've made all A's in courses many of my fellow AP classmates struggle to pass). After being introduced to college confidential, I've come to realize that my accomplishments, when compared to the hyper-intelligent students posting chance threads, are awful.
I've come across threads with students who were far beyond my level (as well as the level of many students that attend my terrible school), taking BC/MV Calculus in 10th grade and acing AP Bio/Chem. I'm currently in 10th grade and taking Pre-AP Algebra II and Pre-AP Chemistry, planning on taking Pre-AP Physics over the summer. My ECs (which I truly care for (i.e. math and science club, mu alpha theta, orchestra, robotics, etc.)) are about as generic and pathetic as my courses.
Is it too late for me to make it into a prestigious (non-Ivy) school? I have a genuine thirst for knowledge (which I'm sure isn't made evident by my courses).Would finding some insane way to complete all the AP math/science courses at my school (AP Stats, BC Calc, AP Bio, AP Chem) provide me with a better chance? What kind of opportunities should I find outside of school that would boost my application come senior year.
Extra info:
UW GPA: 3.93
W GPA: 4.53
Rank: Not given (yet) but I'm estimating around 30/550
Race: African-American
PSAT: 200
All my core courses have been/are Pre-AP, AP, and honors</p>
<p>I plan on majoring in some form of engineering.</p>
<p>(I say "non-Ivy" because I know I have now chance at making it in lol)</p>
<p>I apologize, again, for the lengthy post (This was my first). Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>College Confidential is a convenience sample - it attracts hyper competitive students and their parents. Most students aren’t like them, either. I went to a top 100 LAC with a 3.6 GPA, a few “generic” extracurriculars that I really liked, and about 7 APs. I didn’t take any AP classes until my junior year. I did have high SAT scores - I was an above average student, but definitely not a CC student. I also got a full scholarship to that school.</p>
<p>You have a high GPA, your PSAT scores indicate that you will probably have a medium-high to high SAT score and you are in the top 10% of your class. Likely you will do just fine in college admissions.</p>
<p>You are right that schools are competitive, but you are wrong to think you have no chance of getting in. There are students with lower grades getting accepted to Ivy and other top schools. Why? Because they have some other thing that really stands out.</p>
<p>The first think you need to do (considering you are in 10th grade and have 1.5 years to get things in order) is stop being so negative. That won’t fly anymore.</p>
<p>After that, you need to move from top 10% in your class to top 5%. Why? Because if you are hyper smart, you can.</p>
<p>You should not do many ECs. Instead, focus on a few ECs and become the leader. If you want to get into engineering, try to do youth internships or summer programs at mathy/sciency programs.</p>
<p>If you go to a poor school (as you mentioned), then I’ll assume you live in a weak school district. That creates an assumption about your financial situation. If awesome summer programs are out of the question (because of financial limitations), you need to spend after schools and summer in on-campus ECs and internships. If you have the brain and put in some hustle, you could find an internship at an engineering firm in your town.</p>
<p>That would count for more than an AP English towards your Engineering pursuits.</p>
<p>How will you get an internship or other off-campus and non-traditional EC? You’ll have to be creative and you’ll have to hustle.</p>
<p>Will it be hard? Sure. If it was, all students would do it. But you are not all students. So go out and get it.</p>
<p>I am not sure if you already know this, but if you study hard, get a 2100+ on your SAT, and mantain your high grades, you have a good chance of being accepted anywhere. You seem fairly new to CC, so I’m not sure if you’re yet aware of affirmative action. The fact is, your race (African American) gives you a huge boost when it comes to college admissions, akin to going to the USAMO or becoming a finalist at Intel. It may be surprising to hear, but you could very well be accepted to Harvard/Yale/Stanford and the like in a few years. Study hard, and I wish you the best of luck!</p>
<p>^ Definitely. AA in science related ECs like you, with your interest in math and science is a HUGE hook. I predict that you will be accepted to Ivies in the future. Continue working hard, and believe me, you have fine chances. Good luck. :)</p>
<p>Thank you guys!
I agree, craiggonzales, I was being a bit too negative. I will work a lot harder these last two years both inside and outside the classroom. I would have never guessed I had a chance at such amazing schools.
I see why some many people come here. Thank you guys again for your posts.</p>