<p>Hi, I'm currently a high school junior (senior next year), and I'm really stressing out about my chances of getting accepted into the University of Washington. Everywhere I read, people are saying the junior year is the most important out of all the high school years, and I'm not even quite sure if UW even cares about the first semester of the senior year! Can you please look over my credentials and give me feedback on whether or not I can actually get in:</p>
<p>--General Information--
Washington State resident
Asian-American, and fluent in Vietnamese
Middle-class
1980 SAT score (plan to retake in October)
3.923 GPA (expected to increase by the end of this year)
Top 10% of high school class (but I know UW doesn't care about this)</p>
<p>Academic:</p>
<p>--Freshman Year--
PE/Health (graduation requirement)
Computer Applications (grad. req.)
Honors English
Geometry
Japanese 1st Year
Physical Science</p>
<p>--Sophomore Year--
PE (grad. req.)
Accelerated Biology
AP World History
Japanese 2nd Year
Algebra II
Honors English</p>
<p>--Junior Year--
REGULAR U.S. History
Pre-calculus
AP English Language and Composition
Advanced Entrepreneurship
History of Rock and Roll/Beginning Acting (art/grad. requirements)
Chemistry</p>
<p>--(Planned Senior Year)--
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP Biology
AP English Literature
AP Calculus AB
Anatomy (not guaranteed yet)
Technical Drawing (not guaranteed yet)</p>
<p>Extracurricular/Volunteer Work:</p>
<p>Played tennis my sophomore year
Over 100 hours of community service, and still currently increasing
Hopefully being admitted into National Honor Society next fall
Most likely getting a job this summer</p>
<p>The reason why I'm stressing out is because I didn't take APUSH this year. At the end of my sophomore year, I was stupid and decided to take regular USH instead. When I changed my mind over the summer and asked my counselor to transfer me into AP, she said the classes were full (40 kids in each class). My school offers a total of seven AP classes, and this will be the only AP class that I have not taken. But since this was my junior year, I fear that it will make a huge dent in my application to UW. My extracurriculars are a joke, and my volunteer work is nothing special. Do I at least have a decent chance of getting accepted into UW?</p>
<p>I think you have an excellent chance. Just spend a lot of time on your essays and don’t just say what you have done but what it meant to you.</p>
<p>I am sorry, that was not clear. When you talk about your community service or activities don’t just say what you did, but what they meant to you and/or how they changed you.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback! I consider myself to be an excellent essay writer, and I actually have an essay topic planned out in my head already! It involves my cultural awareness, but it’s not just me blathering about how I could make UW more diverse, etc.</p>
<p>The main reason I’m stressing out is because I know I have some serious competition coming from the Seattle students. I’m pretty sure the reason why UW has so many Asian students is because there are mass amounts of of them applying from Seattle, and I’m pretty sure the education over there is excellent. I’m just worried my small-town school’s status isn’t enough to compete with theirs.</p>
<p>Also, do you know if UW takes into account first semester grades for the senior year? I’m planning on working extremely hard next year to get A’s in all those AP classes, and I’d be crushed if UW didn’t take that into consideration.</p>
<p>You’ll get in just because your Vietnamese. Just kidding, but really, I think you’ll get in.</p>
<p>And no, UW didn’t look at senior grades. Only looked at 9-11. However, they look at senior grades after you get in to make sure you didn’t mess up your grades too bad. I don’t know if that will hurt you or not. I know a girl this year who didn’t take any AP classes 9-11, and her only one was AP Calc AB during senior year and she got in. I also know a girl who took all “regular” classes and got in. And another guy who only took APES and got in (minority).</p>
<p>Ditto to the comments above.</p>
<p>Hey, it’s good that you don’t consider yourself a sure in right now… because honestly, beast those essays, write good descriptions (about the activity, your roles/leadership, how it changed/formed you, etc) on extra curricular activities, and you’re good to go.</p>
<p>Most people, especially with that GPA, would consider UW a ‘safe’ school or ‘comfort’ school.</p>
<p>Your SAT is solid (in my opinion) although it may be lower than some other people you know ‘sporting’ 2200s and 4.0 GPAs. I’m guessing you’re probably not planning to retake it. That’s fine.</p>
<p>Just keep up the good work, and don’t give UW a reason to waitlist or reject you.</p>
<p>Thanks! But do you guys think the lack of AP U.S. History will put a huge dent in my application? After all, it’s my junior year, and not taking that class might make me look lazy to the admissions officers.</p>
<p>Oh, and even if they don’t look at any senior grades, do they at least look at the schedule? I mean, how are the admissions officers supposed to know you’re taking a fourth year of English if they don’t take a peek at your senior schedule?</p>
<p>@speedsolver, I actually will be retaking the SAT next October. I now know exactly what I need to do in each area of each section, and I know I have the potential to score over 2000.</p>
<p>No. I didn’t take APUSH. I didn’t take any AP History class at all. Don’t worry about it! You’re beating up yourself over one class. T___T Dont.</p>
<p>They do look at your schedule, but they don’t look at your grades until late June or so, after you’ve gone through the admissions process and are admitted. Your planned senior year schedule is rigorous, no matter what school you are at, it looks good.</p>
<p>Okay, sweet. Thanks!</p>
<p>More feedback would still be appreciated though!</p>
<p>From looking at your stats you look pretty set already, what might be lacking is a little of your EC’s but that shouldn’t be too much of a major determiner if you’ll be admitted or not. SAT and GPA are both excellent and your course load looks pretty good as well. I’m a junior as well and applying there as well, my course load is slightly more rigorous, but my gpa is a downer 3.7ish. So we shall see. Hopefully we both make it. Don’t worry about not taking APUSH, you have a good amount.</p>
<p>All right, best of luck to you too!</p>
<p>Oh and I’m still looking for more feedback, by the way</p>
<p>Not taking an AP course doesn’t make you look lazy, especially if you’re not interested in the subject. Take AP’s that interest you, they’ll see those.</p>
<p>Okay. Do you think the rigor of my freshman and sophomore years will leave a good enough impression on the admissions officers? I’m pretty sure I had one of the most rigorous, if not the most rigorous schedules among my class during those two years…especially since most students at my school start foreign language classes during their sophomore year.</p>
<p>Your schedule rigor seems ok, I know some people who had similarly or slightly less rigorous schedules who got into uw. The UW app had 5 EC spots when i applied. Since it seems you didn’t do your ECs continuously from 9th to 11th (although i could be wrong on that), I suggest you have enough ECs to fill out all 5 spots. Like the guy above said, what you did isn’t as important as what it mean’t to you. I would suggest you give ACT a try if your SAT retake produce the score you were hoping for. ACT is easier for some people.</p>
<p>Thank you for the constructive criticism :)</p>
<p>And, as always, I could always use more feedback!</p>
<p>By the way, how important are EC’s to UW? Can you rate it on a scale of 1-10?</p>
<p>“Thanks! But do you guys think the lack of AP U.S. History will put a huge dent in my application?”</p>
<p>Should be fine.</p>
<p>"By the way, how important are EC’s to UW? Can you rate it on a scale of 1-10? "</p>
<p>According to the CollegeBoard, it’s “important” – [College</a> Search - University of Washington - U-Dub - Admission](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>I got in (three times, hehe, computer glitch) with lackluster ECs.</p>
<p>Okay…but do you have any tips on improving my application next fall? And when were you actually admitted into UW? It’s harder to get in nowadays.</p>
<p>And do you think my lack of extra years of Japanese will hurt me? I mean, I know Vietnamese, so…</p>