<p>I want to get into an elite level school with a track program. Some are obviously very hopeful, but I depend heavily on my extracurricular and athletic merit. So far the schools I'm planning to apply to include Stanford, Columbia, UCLA, and UC Berkeley.</p>
<p>My academic resume is far from flawless. I live in a small town and go to a very poor public school. There are 410 students and only about 3 or 4 AP and honors classes. I bombed my freshman year and got a 2.7 my first semester, but I think around a 3.8 my second. I've improved, and got straight A's both semesters my Junior year. I'm sitting at around a 3.5-3.6 right now. My SAT composite is 1700. Very average I know, but I've only taken it once and plan to bring it up to at least 2100 this coming fall.</p>
<p>My one strong point is athletics. I'm an Oregon state champion in the 400m, and the 4x100m relay. I'm a 3 time district champion in the 400m, District Champ in the 100m, 2 time district champion in the 400x100m, 4x400m relay, district all-star, all-state 2 years, honorable mention 1 year, state record in the 4x100m, Oregon Elite record for the 4x400m. School records for the 400m, 100m, 4x400m, 4x100m. I've lettered in Track, Soccer, Wrestling, and Cross Country. Played JV football one year as a sophomore, and did very well but gave it up due to injury. My times will improve substantially this upcoming season, and I plan to add at least three more first place titles to my resume and at least one more state record, but of course application deadlines will be far past due by then. </p>
<p>Besides athletics, I'm ASB president, and I'm very passionate about art. I'm starting up a web-design/ advertising business/service and plan to incorporate a charity into the mix. I know former Olympian Julius Achon personally, and would like to contribute to his efforts to dig a much needed well in his home town in Uganda.</p>
<p>What I mean to say is, in the admissions process, do the “elites” give a relatively average student some leeway if they’re very competitive athletically and extracurricularly?</p>
<p>49.6 in the 400m would be my most competitive time.
A 1:48 would be one of the top times in the nation, so a 400m of a similar degree would be around a 46. I can bring my time down to a 48 next track season, and that would be faster than most top IVY league competitors.</p>
<p>Well, I believe if you were athletically recruited or write on your application a specific desire to participate in sports (especially track), you’ll be OK. Also perhaps you should consider the military academies-- a girl in my school was a track standout and decent but not spectacular academically, and she’s at West Point right now.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tip. I have been considering military academies like West Point. I’ve heard they have the potential to be not only at odds with, but even academically superior than some of the most prestigious schools in the country.</p>
<p>I don’t know a lot about them (I’m really, extraordinarily NOT athletic) but the military schools are consistently ranked far above all the Ivies, top UCs, and top liberal arts schools. However, it is a really big commitment, so it definitely requires some thought, because not only are the programs far more rigorous than a regular college program in terms of time, discipline, ect. there’s also the 4 (I believe it’s four, not sure)-year service requirement. Not a decision to be made lightly just for the sake of going to a prestigious school, but a great education for students who fit.</p>
<p>Yeah that is a major factor to take into account. I’ve considered them, but I almost certainly won’t attend one. It’s no easy matter to sign away your freedom!</p>
<p>Woah there buddy. To serve in the service of our nation is not signing away one’s freedom but rather pledging to protect the freedom of the American people. Four Years of one’s life is but a small token of gratitude to the most democratic country in the world. God Bless America.</p>
<p>You are correct - your athletics are spectacular, but your GPA and test scores are VERY sub-par…even if you get your SAT score up to a 2100, it is still on the low end of Stanford and Columbia. Because you are out of state, it will be more difficult to get into UCLA and UC Berkeley as well. Study a whole lot for the SAT and really focus on grades along with your athletics this year. If you focus your application around your athletic achievements, that should certainly help. </p>
<p>Additionally, because your school is poorer and you don’t live in the Northeast (admission to top schools if you are from the urban New England area is much more difficult), it should help a small amount, but not a lot. I would say definitely go for it, but make sure you apply to a couple of safety schools. As I said, even though your athletics are spectacular, your test scores and GPA are not when compared to those schools. However, I’m not THAT familiar with how certain top schools value athletics when grades are sub-par…as I said, just go for it :)</p>
<p>To protect the freedom of the American people you must first relinquish your own. That makes sense! You lose the right to make decisions, think freely, see your family, have hair, wear normal clothing, and speak your mind, and if you’re human enough to do any of the above you can either be thrown in jail or executed. Fantastic! And all for the sake of killing innocent people thousands of miles away who poise no threat to American freedom whatsoever, for the sole purpose of exploiting resources that heartless fat cats can capitalize on. You’re right. God bless America!</p>
<p>It will be completely about getting recruited. There is no help for athletes in the admissions process unless they are recruited and then the coach will let you know what combination of grades and scores it will take to get you in. It will vary by school.</p>
<p>Yes of course I’ll go for it! If I have the slightest chance, why not? This is a one time opportunity! Suppose I were to supplement my application with art work? Even on a national scale I feel that I’d still stand out as I’m very good at what I do, but I’ve never entered any competitions. Does that matter?</p>
<p>Yeah, so I’ve been told redroses. Ivy leagues claim they can’t let students in based purely off of athletic ability, but that’s actually only a half truth. If athletes meet a certain academic criteria and commit to the school, coaches can send admissions officers a letter of “preference” or “recommendation” or something stupid like that, which pretty much guarantees that athlete admission to the school.</p>