Do I have a shot?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

<p>Ethnicity: White Female
An underachieving public school in Vancouver, WA. Only roughly 60% of our students passed the state required exam to graduate in the math, similar numbers for reading, etc.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.94/4.0
Rank:7/306
SAT I: 1790(very bad, but I didn’t study) Am studying and retaking in Oct/Nov
-CR:580, M:600, W:610 (essay-8, mc-62)
Very bad AP scores Jr. Year: AP Lit.:3, AP Us history:2</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP Comparitive Gov’t
AP Calculus
AP Environmental Science
Intro. to visual art (req’d)
Aerobics (req’d)/Teachers Assistant(no other classes this period)
Ap English language
-currently considering an extra class at the local community college, but not sure since im getting a job</p>

<p>-I took/am taking most of the AP classes offered at my school, minus one or two</p>

<p>EC’s:
-3years class council
-3 years mock trial (varsity last year and this coming)
-2 years NHS (officer last year and this coming)
-3 years legal magnet (officer last year and this coming)
-1 year math club (officer)
-1 year red cross club
-volunteer at various places (local library, local homeless shelter, etc.)</p>

<p>-Job at local burger place for 9months jr. year. (currently looking for another)</p>

<p>Summer Experience:
-Economics for Leaders sponsored by the Foundation for Teaching Economics
weeklong intensive camp at the university of washington in seattle.
-I also visit my family in alabama when i am able.</p>

<p>Hoping for really good recs and essay.</p>

<p>Economic disadvantige: I come from a really disadvantaged family. I live alone with my mom and she is disabled so we only get about 12,000 dollars a year.(hopefully will make me stand out)</p>

<p>Possible essay topics:
-the experience of living with my mom being in the hospital while she was fighting for her life. (why she is now disabled)
-visiting my dad in prison
-growing up in a family that is surrounded by drugs and realizing that i don’t want that life.
-…among other topics im considering</p>

<p>Basically, I do not have a lot of opportunities available to me. I would love to do some of the stuff that i see on these sites, but i have no connections to get me in and i am clueless about how to try. </p>

<p>I really want to go to a top 20-25 school, but at my school my counselors are more aiming to get students into washington state or western washington, not vanderbilt, if you know what i mean.</p>

<p>I would greatly appreciate any and all input on all areas of my stats and how i can really stand out without having to aid in microbiology research or some of the things i see on these sites. Also any good websites you know for scholarships (fastweb hasn’t really given me anything useful) would be appreciated.
So…do i have a shot? (I feel greatly inadequate)</p>

2

<p>You have a shot, as does everyone else.</p>

<p>Tip: Don't get infatuated with rankings. Top 20-25 school? What's that? Go by fit. I see you've posted the same thing on the Tufts, Emory, UPenn, WashU, GTown and ND forums. They are all so distinct. I bet you're applying to them 'cause of the prestige, aren't you? Well, don't do that. You'd be best of going by fit. Like UNebraska better than Yale? Go there! Do you get what I mean?</p>

3

<p>I'm not applying merely on rankings. i know that i want to go to a really good school, but I can't seem to narrow it down...</p>

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<p>that's because you don't much about the schools besides "they are good"</p>

5

<p>No, what i mean is that i know plenty about the schools and have read all through the websites. I just can't figure out what I want in a college. I'm not so superficial as to want to go merely because theyre 'good'. Plenty aspects of each school appeal to me, and i can see myself living there for four years as well. I just wanted to know what you thought and to get some helpful advice. not to be told that i'm some idiot that doesnt look beyond the name and number of a school.</p>

6

<p>
[quote]

SAT I: 1790(very bad, but I didn't study) Am studying and retaking in Oct/Nov
-CR:580, M:600, W:610 (essay-8, mc-62)

[/quote]

Brown doesn't look as much at SAT scores as other colleges, but you should still study your butt off and give your best! Good luck
And don't forget that you must also submit SAT Subject test scores. These are also very important.</p>

<p>
[quote]

I would greatly appreciate any and all input on all areas of my stats and how i can really stand out without having to aid in microbiology research or some of the things i see on these sites.

[/quote]

Don't worry! Brown and most other good schools evaluate each applicant in the context of his or her opportunities and ressources available. You worked during the year to support your familiy and finance your education - in my opinion, that's one of the most impressive thing to put on an application.</p>

<p>You definitely have a legitimate shot (especially if you can raise your SAT scores and get decent SAT Subject Test scores)... Good luck, I hope you get in!</p>

<p>P.S. I like how you mentioned "microbiological research" - that's exactly one of my ECs ;)</p>

7

<p>much of what ive learned about brown didnt come their website!!</p>

8

<p>well websites are all that I have access to. im not really sure about what youre trying to say there, renix. where am i supposed to learn about them if not from their websites and discussion sites like this one?</p>

9

<p>college visits...</p>

10

<p>talk to current students as well. </p>

<p>you didnt mention this website before. you mentioned Brown's. I'm only going off of what you originally said not what you're saying now</p>

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<p>No.1 is college visits. Nothing can beat them for getting a feel of the place.</p>

<p>Second comes talking to current students.</p>

<p>Third comes talking to graduates.</p>

<p>Fourth comes books like College Pr0wler or Princeton Review.</p>

<p>Fifth comes the college site.</p>

<p>Fit CC somewhere between 2 and 4.</p>

12

<p>You definitely have a better shot at Vanderbilt than you do at Brown. Not saying you don't have a chance, but those scores are kinda low; but it helps that you're really poor.</p>

13

<p>Hi, Krista,</p>

<p>I opened this thread because my name is Krista, too :]
And I'm so glad that I did!</p>

<p>I, too, am a Caucasian female. I'm coming from a mediocre high school where very few students are ever sent to top colleges. We don't offer 20 AP classes, like a lot of other schools I've read about on this website do. My scores are about the same (you can see my stats if you click on my username and copy and paste the link under "Biography") and I haven't done anything outstanding in terms of research, athletics, or curing cancer or anything. I'm interested in Brown as well, and I wanted to let you know, as someone in a similar position, that I wish you luck. I'd like to think that a college pushing for diversity and one that has such a great reputation, like Brown, would look at our applications comprehensively and give us a shot. Anyways, thank you for posting. :]</p>