<p>I'm currently a Junior at my HS. I'm taking the full IB diploma program and have taken the most rigorous course throughout HS.</p>
<p>My current schedule:
IB Math SL (Calculus 1)
IB Biology HL
IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL
IB English HL
IB US History HL
Honors Spanish 3 (No IB class available until Spanish 4)
TOK</p>
<p>From a very low income family.
I'm top 10 in my class. 4.4 GPA
Play volleyball and basketball.
Coach younger students basketball in city league (3 years)
SAT: Aiming for at least 2000 (Took it first time without studying and got 1830)</p>
<p>Questions: Do I need to take Physics next year? (I have to fulfill my schools art requirement so the only way i could take physics next year would be to take it over the summer which = NO FUN :( </p>
<p>Would I even have a good chance of being accepted to Harvard with an 1830 SAT? If I studied very hard for the SAT this summer and got at least a 2000 would I have a good (50%) possibility of getting into the following colleges?
Stanford, USC, UCLA, UCSD, Harvard, Princeton (schools I want to apply to)</p>
<p>What else should I do to improve my application?</p>
<p>Physics is not required, but it helps to have a background in all the sciences. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>What’s your unweighted GPA? Top 10 out of what?</p>
<p>As you currently stand, you have almost no chance; your SAT score is too low. Even if you increase it to 2000, your chance is nowhere near 50% for Stanford, Princeton, and Harvard.</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.9683
Number 10 out of 609 Students in junior class.
If I get a 2000 do you you think I have a chance (maybe not a 50% chance at each college) at one of the top colleges I stated: Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, USC
Are colleges required to accept a certain number of low income students (I think that may help me a little)?
By end of senior year I’ll have taken 5 years of science (I want to apply pre-med) 3 Biology, 1 Chemistry, 1 Environmental Science</p>
<p>You would have a good chance at USC but probably no chance at the others.</p>
<p>WHAT CAN I DO TO IMPROVE MY CHANCES AT THOSE TOP COLLEGES? Is it mainly my SAT score? </p>
<p>(I have a bunch of EC’s not stated)
Do you think I should take the art class this summer to fulfill my schools requirement AND take physics next year?</p>
<p>Are you comfortable sharing your additional ECs?</p>
<p>EC’s:
Basketball-2years
Varsity Volleyball (2 years) (club during summer)
Hospital Volunteering (2 years)
Youth Basketball Coaching (3 years)
Habitat for Humanity (1 week)
Selected/Member of Junior Fair Board (40 hours)
Young Democrats Club President
Environmental Club
Starbucks Summer Job
Soup Kitchen Volunteering (Summer)
City Cleanup Director (Summer)</p>
<p>California Scholastic Federation (CSF all 4 years)
Honors Geometry Award, IB Biology HL Award, Calculus Award</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s mostly your SAT score. It will be very difficult to raise your SAT score by 450ish points. Maybe try the ACT?</p>
<p>Thanks. I’m studying for it now I take the ACT in 2 weeks.</p>
<p>Harvard will absolutely not take a student with a 1830 who doesn’t have any notable hooks or interesting life experiences.</p>
<p>However, you do have some hooks, such as the low income background.</p>
<p>My advice: You can make yourself stand out by scoring over 2250. Otherwise, you don’t really stand out much. The 2250 from a low income background looks quite impressive. You already have a very solid GPA, so focus on those SATs!</p>