So I’m a current senior in the process of applying to, you know, college, but I still have absolutely no clue what level/caliber of school I should be applying to as safety and reach schools. I go to a bit of a pressure cooker high school already so my track record is sorta all over the place and any help/advice would be appreciated!
SAT: 1540 (770 on both parts), 6/4/6 on essay
ACT: 35 (idk the breakdown tho)
GPA: 3.2ish unweighted, 3.85 weighted
my extracurriculars are kinda mediocre but like they’re fine(?)
national merit scholarship semifinalist
i’ve also taken 7 ap classes with 2 4s and 5 5s and am going to take three more this year
ib diploma program
idk how relevant this is but I’m really good at math like this year I’m taking a 200s level math class first semester and a 300s level math class second semester dual-enrollment with a pretty good university
i can also claim three languages - english, french, and japanese (both french and japanese at AP/IB HL skill level, neither spoken at home or anything)
Normally I would just go ahead and be like “I’m an intelligent person who can get into a good school (let’s say UNC as an example bc I live in NC)” but my GPA and class rank (somewhere in the 60th percentile I think) are in conflict with just about everything else that I have
You have a lot going for you! I’d argue that it is good that you aren’t sure where to apply because you’re not hung up on prestige and you are open to all possibilities.
First, have a conversation with your parents about what is affordable. Decide if you want to attend in state or elsewhere. Large city, small city, suburban or rural?
What do you want to study?
Starting with your state flagship is a good beginning. UNC is competitive, but some majors are going to be less selective than others.
Check the Fisk Guide out of your local library. You’re certain to find a few possibilities in there.
Take a look at Wake Forest for languages, might be a target.
UNC should offer plenty of math. More highly rated colleges / reaches for admission for math may also be high pressure.
Compare / contrast with UNC for your academic interests and type of environment.
Look at University of Alabama for its outstanding scholarships for NMF-
https://scholarships.ua.edu/freshman/nationalscholars/
Use the weakest part of your application to set your safeties. My D’s close friend was burned a few cycles ago (high test scores, lower GPA) and way overshot.
While you should def. apply, UNC puts more weight on GPA than test scores so unfort., I don’t think you’re a lock even in-state – esp. if you come from an urban area like Charlotte or the Triangle. If you are from a rural part of the state you should be fine. Use Naviance, if you have it, and you should get a good sense of your changes for UNC.
Let us know what you think you want to study, your budget and you’re family’ EFC and we can provide other suggestions.
Did you see an upward trend in your GPA over your 4 years? I am a little flummoxed that someone capable of a 1540 doesn’t have a firmer grasp on college search by Oct Senior year. I’m not trying to be mean! But before you write essays and do interviews you should be prepared to discuss your passions, why is a good fit for you, what kind of academic environment you crave, etc. You don’t have to know you future career, or even major, but demonstrate that you know yourself and something about the school. Good luck!
If you are URM or disadvantaged in another way then this resume can be good enough for top 50 schools but if you are Asian-American and need merit scholarship, it’s a different ball game.