finalizing list of schools; feedback and advice on how to improve app appreciated!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>hi i'm new on CC, and i'm going to be a HS senior in the fall. starting on my college apps, so do you think i have a chance at these schools?</p>

<p>HYP, Stanford, UPenn, Columbia, Rutgers, Wash U in St. Louis, UChicago, Berkeley, Northwestern, Georgetown, NYU (i hope to narrow this list down a bit... are 13 applications too much?)</p>

<ul>
<li>SAT I: 2390 (one time)</li>
<li>SAT II: 800 US history; 800 bio M; taking math II in october</li>
<li>GPA: 4.13/4.33 UW, 5.57/6.33 W. <<misleading, because the highest weighted GPA in our school was like 5.9. (Yeah this is straight off my report card b/c my school has a stupid GPA system, so i'm not sure how to calculate my GPA properly. fyi, i have straight A's except for 2 B+'s.)
*Rank: not disclosed; maybe Top 10%?</li>
<li>AP: US History (5), Eng Lang (5)</li>
<li>Senior Year Course Load: AP Eng Lit, AP Euro, AP Gov, AP Calc, AP Stats, Physics</li>
<li>Awards: two writing awards from local universities/newspapers, published in student poetry mags, NMSQT Commended Scholar</li>
</ul>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<ul>
<li>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): school newspaper (EIC), lit mag (Mag Director), Natl English Honor Society (treasurer/historian), yearbook, quiz bowl</li>
<li>Job/Work Experience: Exec editor for community newspaper student section (should I put this as an EC or as work? I get paid, but less than minimum wage); Intern at Science Center for 200 hours last summer, created an educational program for kids; secretary at doctor's office 5 hrs/wk</li>
<li>Volunteer/Community service: Volunteer at Science Center- 180 hours; Hospital- 100 hrs; summer camp counselor since middle school til 9th grade- 500ish hrs (does this count?); i carry a garbage bag and pick up litter on the streets as i'm walking to work</li>
<li>Summer Activities: drove to Florida with the 'rents, NYU's Journalism Workshop, AAJA J Camp, Women's Leadership Program, getting through my "50 Movies to Watch Before I Graduate" list</li>
<li>Essays: haven't started yet <em>fail</em></li>
<li>Recommendations: I want to get them from my english teachers but would have 2 recs from english teachers be bad? should i get my math teacher, who is super nice, write mine even if he doesn't know me that well?</li>
</ul>

<p>Other</p>

<ul>
<li>State (if domestic applicant): NJ</li>
<li>School Type: Public, 2200+ kids</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Asian</li>
<li>Gender: F</li>
<li>Income Bracket: High</li>
<li>Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First generation college, immigrant</li>
</ul>

<p>i'd like to go to colleges that have good journalism and/or law programs, or at least are located in an area with many media outlets, since my dream is to become a media lawyer or a journalist covering the courts. you don't have to major in journalism to be a journalist, though, so i'm thinking of majoring in econ with a minor in communications.</p>

<p>any advice on how to improve my application, career dreams, prospective schools list, etc. is appreciated. thanks!</p>

2

<p>Very impressive academics. Your scores are definitely the caliber needed for the schools you want to go to. </p>

<p>However: </p>

<p>1.) You can definitely make your ECs sound better. You’re being modest!
2.) You need to space out your recommendations. Two english recommendations coming from an english-favored applicant isn’t that impressive.
3.) “50 Movies You need to Watch before You Graduate” is not a summer activity.
4.) If you want to narrow down your list, start crossing them off with strict criteria. Do they have any specific programs that are good for your intended major? What DON’T you like about each college? Is this college located in a good location? and etc. I recommend organizing your list from you’re top dream school all the way down to the least. Then you can start being picky from there. </p>

<p>Chance me back!</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/976138-top-tier-schools-chance-me.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/976138-top-tier-schools-chance-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>EDIT: Just curious, what’s your backup? Rutgers?</p>

3

<p>Most likely acceptance at Rutgers, Wash U in St. Louis, UChicago, Berkeley, Northwestern, Georgetown, and NYU considering your near perfect SATI&II scores, first generation status, and decent UW GPA</p>

4

<p>n0vad3m0n: rutgers is my backup, though i’m hoping to get a scholarship. they have a good communications program there too. thank you for the helpful advice!</p>

5

<p>Hi I’m glad you’re excited about your college apps coming around the corner.
Needless to say your test scores and GPA are perfect. Now try to keep those grades up as you start your senior year it still counts a huge lot. Your volunteering and extracurriculars list looks really good too. The only thing I need to warn you about is your Personal Statement. You can be the smartest and most involved High School senior in the world BUT if your personal statement does not communicate, or it doesn’t grab the admissions committee then you’ll end up like any other statistic applicant. with your scores and GPA I would say that you’re good enough to apply to all Ivy League schools and get into at least 2. </p>

<p>I myself last year applied to Harvard, Yale, Brown, Berkeley, and UCLA. I didn’t make it into any Ivy school but I did get into both Berkeley and UCLA and I decided I wanna go to UCLA. Since my family can’t afford college I had to go for the school that was offering me a full ride…so there you go and wish you the best luck.</p>

6

<p>thanks. is it all right to focus on my love for journalism (even in my personal statement and most significant EC essay) even though most of the ivies i’m applying to do not have a journalism program?</p>

7

<p>^to the above statements. Most have programs, but not majors. you major in comm or something with an emphasis in journalism. They have clubs for that rather than majors.</p>

<p>Anyways, your academics are ASTOUNDING!! Sadly, your APs are kind of lacking, showing a non-rigorous course load until senior year…idk what classes you took, coulda been honors, but just generally it could have included more APs. I don’t understand how your GPA works, so i’ll neglect it. Your ECs are perfect for what you want to do, and that is what matters: Dedication rather than laundry-lists. I like your hooks though…</p>

<p>Probably get into all of the schools except HYPS…The HYPS depend on your essay/school compatibility…will be a reach due to course rigor, but you can compensate for that. Yale would be your most likely out of any of them. You have a few fall-backs in case you don’t get into any ivies & such; which is good. :)</p>