<p>Hey! I'm a junior and I'm trying to figure out where I should plan on applying so I can go visit as many schools as possible over the spring and summer. I realize this list does not include a lot of safeties, but please chance me for:</p>
<p>-Yale (top choice at this point)
-Princeton
-Georgetown
-UVa (I want to apply for the Jefferson Scholars program)
-UNC (Morehead-Cain)
-UGA (Fellowship Foundation, in-state)
-Swarthmore
-Williams
-Amherst
-Columbia
-UChicago</p>
<p>General stuff
White female at a public school in midtown Atlanta, GA. School has a solid reputation (sent kids to Columbia, Harvard (2), MIT, Brown, and Stanford last year) and is well-known for its publications. It's also a Title I school and about 70% African-American; there has been some speculation that this helps us out even us middle-class white kids in the admissions process. I'm interested in international relations and politics, particularly the Middle East. I'd like to go to a school that's strong in those areas but that also is good all-around because everyone says I'll change my mind. </p>
<p>Academics
Current Rank: 1/400 (this will probably change because I'm not taking as many APs as some others, but I think I'll still be top 5)
GPA: not completely sure but I think around 98 unweighted, 105 weighted.</p>
<p>APs:
-AP World (109 in class, 5)
-AP Stat (110 in class, 5)
-AP Econ (100 in class, 4 on micro)
-Currently taking APUSH (110 in class, planning on studying like crazy for exam), APUSGov (109, ditto on the studying), APLang (110, got a 5 on practice exam, will do practice essays and whatnot)
-Next year will take AP Comparative Politics, AP Lit, AP Latin, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, and AP Environmental</p>
<p>My other classes are pretty run-of-the-mill.</p>
<p>Tests:
-Taking SAT in May, hoping for a 2250; 226 on PSAT
-800 on World History subject test, will take US history, Literature and possibly Latin </p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
-4 years on speech/debate team. Served as social events coordinator last year, VP this year, will run for President next year. Sophomore year I won two national circuit tournaments in extemp, was state champion in extemp and impromptu, and made it to quarterfinals at the National Forensic League nationals. There are also some videos of final rounds I've been in that I will helpfully link to adcoms so they can watch me talk pretty in business attire. </p>
<p>-4 years varsity (top 7) cross country. We've been city champions for the past 3 years and I ran at state last year as a sophomore and this year as a junior. My times are just decent (5k PR is 20:02 on a VERY fast course). I also train fairly seriously for a half marathon every spring, but I'm not sure if that could go on the application anywhere...</p>
<p>-2 years on newspaper staff (it's only open to juniors and seniors). The paper is regularly a finalist for the Pacemaker award and is just generally pretty legit. I'm going to apply for an editorial position and since there are like 20 total the odds are good that I get something. </p>
<p>-4 years of Latin Club! Our junior Certamen team got 3rd at state last year. I did not buzz in on a single toss up and I'm not doing Certamen this year so I feel slightly guilty, but whatever. </p>
<p>-Gonna volunteer for Obama campaign this summer and next fall. The Democratic Party of Georgia keeps sending attractive college students to my house, and they say Obama can win Georgia in 2012 so it must be true!</p>
<p>Honors/Awards:
-Published on the Huffington Post High School website. Probably meaningless because they publish everyone who submits (I think), but it was pretty cool and my blogs were featured.</p>
<p>-Attended Governor's Honors Program (GA's is fairly selective and, I think, well-regarded) in communicative arts summer after sophomore year</p>
<p>-Silly project about plants went to state science fair way back in 9th grade. Would I look like a fool for putting that on an application?</p>
<p>-Wow I just realized how utterly award-less I am. Suggestions?</p>
<p>Essay ideas (do any of these sound like they might be on the right track?):
-Reflection on ridiculosity that ensued when I wrote a (VERY FAIR) story about the local Trader Joe's policy of barring students from getting free samples. They were highly offended and there was unpleasantness and threats of sanctions in the form of ending donations of cookies to the school. It was fascinating.
-Reflection on how my experience on the debate team has broadened my awareness of the class divide in the US. Many of my teammates come from families without a lot of disposable income, so when we travel we stay in very low-budget hotels and cut costs as much as possible; many of my extemp friends from other schools stay at Mariotts and have team dinners at Maggiano's. The juxtaposition is interesting to me.
-Discussion of cross country experience as lesson in teamwork. I haven't been especially successful at cross country but it has taught me SO MUCH about hard work and cooperating with people I otherwise would never even talk to in order to reach a shared goal.</p>
<p>Recommendations:
-One from debate coach and teacher should be very good. We get along really well and he knows I put a lot of time into extemp.
-One from cross country coach and physics teacher should also be pretty good.
-I guess my counselor has to write one but I wish she didn't cause I don't even know for sure what she looks like.</p>
<p>I apologize for being so long-winded. Please let me know what you think my odds are at all or any of the schools I listed, and suggest any schools you think I may have overlooked, especially potential safeties and matches!</p>
. Anyway, I don’t see why you don’t have a solid shot at Yale or Princeton or really any school on that list. Also, do you plan on running cross country in college because that could SIGNIFICANTLY help out in the admissions process. If not, I say: