Grades n' Colleges

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am a bit annoying, as I post here so much, but as I am navigating the entire college process w/o help from the parental units...I have nobody else to turn to, haha.</p>

<p>So my college list currently consists of these colleges:
-WashU
-Northwestern
-Brown
-Macalester
-Occidental
-UIUC (safety)</p>

<p>So, I have gotten straight A's throughout high school, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to get 2 B's this semester (I'm a senior.) Will colleges think I'm slacking? Because I'm definately not; the B's will be in AP AB Calc and AP Physics. I'm really dissapointed about this as it was one of my goals to get straight A's through high school, but the way things are going right now, that's not going to be possible :-( And I don't want to be turned down because of this. </p>

<p>Also, what can you tell me about the colleges on my list? Does it seem like a GOOD list? Any others you could recommend? Thank you very much!</p>

2

<p>It definitely won't help, but they won't reject you just because you got two Bs. </p>

<p>That looks like a good list of colleges to me, but it really depends on what you want to go into.</p>

3

<p>I doubt it will hurt significantly. If your SATs or ACTs are as good as your grades, I'd say you have an excellent chance at three of those schools, and a very real chance at the other three. Good luck! Relax.</p>

4

<p>It's not going to affect your chances and after you get admitted you won't even care about it. Don't worry too much, and good luck.</p>

5

<p>Getting Bs in those particular classes will NOT make you look like a slacker. You will look as if you challenged yourself and got Bs.</p>

6

<p>Thank you so much...you are all definately easing my mind!</p>

7

<p>Adding to that:</p>

<p>I really really think that colleges will consider straight A's through senior year with 2 B's in AP classes senior year to be "straight A's"</p>

<p>I know that this is personally aggravating to you since you wanted straight A's but no admissions committee is going to think straight A's with 2 B's is any sort of failure. One or two B's is okay. Really.</p>

8

<p>GASP, not one B, but two? In silly classes like AP Calc and AP Physics? Im j/k of course, all it does is show you're human, which colleges like to see. The majority of applicants to the aforementioned schools do not have all As. Can't really help you with the list unless you mention stats and/or what you want in a school.</p>

9

<p>Haha thanks for the reassurance.</p>

<p>Here are my stats, btw:</p>

<p>General
Sex: F
Ethnicity: Indian-American (as in, my parents were born in India, moved here, and had me)</p>

<p>Academics
GPA: 5.0/5.0
ACT: 32 (35 W, 29 M, 33 R, 29 S, 8 on essay) <--Sending THIS in, not SAT...
SAT: 2070 (710 R, 690 M, 670 W, 10 essay)
AP US History Exam: 4</p>

<p>Extracurriculars
Theatre/ Thespians, 9, 10, 11, 12, Lead Roles
The Centinal Newspaper, 10, 11, 12, Entertainment Editor
National Honor Society, 11, 12, Secretary
Key Club, 9, 10, 11, 12, Hospitality Committee
Local News Channel, 12, Intern
WYSE, 11, 12, Team Member: English Division
Student Council, 10, 11, 12, Elected Representative
Voice of The School, 11, 12, Daily Bulletin Reader
Mock Trial Team, 12, Opening or Closing Speaker
Mu Alpha Theta, 12, Charter Member/ Tutor
Community Theatre, 10, 11, 12, Lead Roles</p>

<p>Awards
Highest Honor Roll (9, 10, 11)
Academic Letter Award (10, 11, 12)
Rotary’s Student of the Month: Academic Division (12)
1st place sectionals IHSA Illinois State Journalism competition in News Writing (11)
8th place in state IHSA Journalism competition in News Writing (11)
Regional winner in Live Poet's Society poetry contest (11)
Chosen to read poem in school Poetry Slam (10)
1st place in team regionals, WYSE (11)
1st place in team sectionals, WYSE (11)</p>

<p>What I want in a school:
A place where I won't feel just like a number, a place where academically motivated students are around me (I am sick and tired of having people who just couldn't care less about getting an education around me while I try to learn,) a place where the people are open-minded and friendly and not uber-competitive, and a place where I have some academic freedom to take the courses I want to take and not just the ones I have to take.
I want to major in either poli-sci or something else, with a double major or minor in theatre. I'll be heading towards Law School.</p>

<p>Yes...I think that's all :-)</p>

10

<p>You seem to have a passion for writing/literature/poetry, decent ecs overall. Those SATs/ACTs are a little low for Brown and Wash U (plus you need SAT IIs), making them moderate reaches to reaches. Your ACT is above the 50% at NW, with your GPA i think you have a good shot. The rest look good. Got a class rank, Wash U and Brown love Vals and Sals?</p>

<p>Edit: Fellow desi here, aren't your parents dissapointed you prefer law/theatre over science/medicine...lol</p>

11

<p>Oh yeah, my class rank is currently 1/~340, but if I get those B's, they'll drop me :-(</p>

<p>Sadness!</p>

<p>And Brown and WashU both say that SAT IIs are recommended, but not required, and the ones I took were bad (took them in October. Bad idea, as I had no time to study once school started) so I'm not planning on sending them in.</p>

<p>SAT IIs
Lit: 750
US Hist: 610 (OUCH)
Math 1: 620 (Doublequad OUCH)
Yeeeaahh haha.</p>

12

<p>Diva, are you sure Brown doesn't require SAT IIs, I'm too lazy too look it up. Besides, in ivy competition, you absolutely have to have those. That is a very good lit score (one of the hardest tests), the others, well...i'm going to go out on a limb and say they won't help. If you got a 690 on the SAT I math, you should be able to score similiar on the IC, maybe retake it if you want (I know, more st. tests is always a crappy idea).</p>

13

<p>Yeah, I just looked it up:</p>

<p>Standardized Testing</p>

<p>SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests; ACT
Brown requires every applicant for admission to Brown in 2006-2007 to submit results of either the SAT Reasoning Test and any two SAT Subject Tests (except for the SAT Writing Test), or the ACT taken with the Writing Test option. </p>

<p>Maybe I will just send them in...Oh well I still have time to decide, I suppose.</p>

14

<p>Oh, and thank you for the help, btw!</p>