Hey everyone!
I am a very confused high school student in need of help.
I guess I’ll begin by telling you guys about myself.
I attend a public residential high school for “highly motivated” students that are interested in STEM fields. It requires an application and has a 25% acceptance rate. Students enroll their junior year and remain here until the end of senior year. Prior to my acceptance into this school, I attended a public high school in North Carolina. My freshman year I took AP Stats (got a 4) when freshmen were not allowed to take AP math courses. My sophomore year I took AP Chem (4) , AP Bio (5), and AP Human Geography (5), while being dual enrolled at a UNC system university (I also took other classes, but those are less important – typical sophomore classes). I took Calculus from this university because I had taken all the math classes available to me at my home high school. I ran cross country for two years at my home high school, and was a captain both years. Since I left this high school for boarding school, I have taken AP Calc BC with Topics, Physics with Topics, American Studies (AP Lang and AP US combined), Environmental Chemistry (a 400 level class), Organic Chemistry (a 400 level class), and Intermediate French. I was also accepted into a competitive research program with a 6% acceptance rate that allows its students to create and complete an independent research project. I have one computational project that focuses on breast cancer treatments and another that is a collaboration with Duke University about cancer genomics. I ran varsity cross country at this high school and also took a seminar on Health and Sexuality. I am now finishing my junior year, and I’m trying to decide where to apply early. I visited and loved Rice, however, Ivy League schools have an allure that I cannot resist. If I applied early to an Ivy, do I even have a chance of getting in? Or should I not waste an early application on an Ivy and go with Rice (or another institution) instead?
A few more things about me you should know:
ACT composite: 34
SAT composite: 2150
All A student (so far – only 3% of students at my school leave with all A’s)
GPA: 5.8 ish
Volunteer history: 100 hours with the American Heart Association, 100 hours with a local soup kitchen, planning a 5k to benefit the American Heart Association (finding venue, procuring sponsors, and creating interest within the community all on my own), frequently volunteer at 5ks in my community
Extracurriculars: TEDX (my school hosts independent TED talks; I was on the food and sponsors committee for this event and have been chosen to be the committee head of two committees, however, I am only allowed lead one and it will most likely be food and sponsors); cross country all years of high school, captain two years (I improved dramatically-- I went from being 43rd on my team to 3rd. My first race I ran a 28:40; today I run a 21:28); track freshman and junior year; teaching two seminars my senior year (one on healthy living and one on the environmental and personal health benefits of veganism); a triathlete; participant in Africafest (a cultural event held annually at my boarding school); member of Key Club all years of high school; member of math club; founder and head of a club that benefits the American Heart Association; will most likely be a physics TA my senior year of high school; an attendee and tour leader at a GAINS Women in STEM conference, where I met women involved in many STEM fields
Unique things about me: I am a vegan, and have been for over a year now. I am passionate about the environment and personal wellness, and would like to become a Gynecological Oncologist (this could change, but I know I want to work with women’s health). I genuinely enjoy learning, and hope that I can spread that love to others. I also enjoy traveling, and am currently planning a school trip to Turks and Caicos called “Physics, Veganism, and Sustainability in the Caribbean.” It will involve cooking and healthy lifestyle lessons while also investigating the physics of solar and wind energy. I am creating flyers for this trip, choosing students, writing a letter requesting funding, planning events, and buying plane tickets. Switching to a different subject, I struggle with insomnia and often do not sleep for more than four hours a night. I am extremely organized and am very skilled with time management. My school does not offer many vegan options to me, so I mostly prepare my own food and live independently. I have good relationships with all of my teachers, especially my research advisor. I plan to submit my research projects to competitions in the fall, and know that I will present at multiple science fairs and symposiums.
Well, that’s me in a nutshell! I want to go pre-med, and I’d love to go to the best school that I can. I want to major in biochemistry or global health and minor in women’s studies. I love the warmth, I love nature, and I love people.
Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate it! Please let me know if you have any suggestions/advice!
studentsos