<p>Hello, I'm currently a rising senior who's really interested in applying ED to Columbia and EA to the University of Chicago. What are my chances? I'm also interested in Johns Hopkins, Brown, and Wesleyan.
Intended major: English or Creative Writing with a second major in History
GPA: 4.29 w, 3.68 uw (I should add that my private school is super competitive and there's only around 95 girls in my grade. I think I fall within at least the top 1/4 of the grade). I expect that by the end of this semester it will be somewhere between 4.34 to 4.39 and uw will be 3.71.
Ranking: none
SAT Score: 2240 (780 reading, 800 writing, 660 math) (probably will retake for math score)
Subject test: 760 US, and I'm currently studying for the Spanish and English Lit tests
APs: 5 on APUSH
Schedule: three honors ninth grade, two honors and one AP (US) tenth grade, three APs (Spanish, English, and World) and two honors this year, and I'm planning on taking one AP (Calc AB) and four honors senior year
also, I'm the only person in my grade to have pursued a research class program for both my junior and senior year, both of which include 100 hours of research in the summer and 8-10 hours per week in the school year. This year I studied 1950s American cinema in Cold War context and next year I'll be studying the works of Vladimir Nabokov.
Extracurriculars:
-reporter and editor on my school newspaper since tenth grade, a columnist this year, and will be Head Copy Editor next year.
-on the staff of the school literary magazine since ninth grade, assistant editor last year, and may be Editor-in-Chief next year/some sort of head editor
-intern and writer at Ms. Magazine, the feminist publication founded by Gloria Steinem
-Editor of the newsletter for a nonprofit literary organization
-Secretary of a nonprofit club at my school that assists children with cancer
-avid writer on my own time (I've written five book manuscripts, a few novellas, three screenplays, and multiple short stories)
-in ninth grade worked with a production company and International Creative Management on developing a young adult series of books in the vein of Nancy Drew
-tutored disadvantaged middle schoolers for the high school entrance exams in ninth grade
-tutored underprivileged children in the local elementary school during tenth grade
-took an improv class at the Groundlings, a famed theatre troupe
Awards:
-Head of School's List four semesters, Honor Roll two semesters
-California Scholarship Federation
-National Merit Commended Scholar
-two silver keys from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
-multiples honors from the Center of Talented Youth
-regional spelling bee participant in middle school
-given entry into and presented at a local literary conference in which only 1/3 of applicants were accepted
-History and Social Sciences Book Award
Summers:
-attended CTY for five years (classes: Heroes and Villains, Writing and Imagination, Philosophy of the Mind, Ethics, Creative Nonfiction)
-took a six-week Advanced Screenwriting class at USC School of Cinematic Arts as the only high schooler among college and graduate students
-Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop
-Barnard Young Women's Leadership Institute
-Continuing internship at Ms. Magazine</p>
<p>You have a decent shot, but you should be aware of how hard it is to get into the schools. Apply to a decent range of matches and safeties because those schools you mentioned are usually reaches for everyone. You have some great ECs and standardized tests scores, very unique ones too. Focus on your essays and finishing as close to the top of your class as possible. Good luck</p>
<p>Those are tough, but possible. Like @shawnspencer said, these schools are tough and many qualified applicants get rejected. Look at some schools maybe similar to Wesleyan, since Wesleyan seems like more of a match! Good luck!</p>
<p>I think both are high reaches, not really one thing that’s making you stand out, but good luck.</p>