Help a senior out!

Applying to College
1

<p>I know I'm being paranoid, but I really want to know what you think about my list of colleges! So far, I'm applying to 11. Because my GPA and ACT don't really match up, so it's hard to determine where I have a shot and where I don't. Here are some quick stats and my list - if you can offer any advice on which are really reaches/matches/safeties, I'd appreciate it. Thanks! </p>

<ul>
<li>ACT: 34 (31 Math, 35 Science, 36 Reading, 35 English)</li>
<li>GPA: 3.0/5.0 (If I bring it up this year, I think my chances at my top schools will be a lot greater, right?) </li>
<li>AP's: 5 (Euro), 5 (Bio), 4 (English Lit), 4 (U.S.)</li>
<li>Decent Extracurriculars (plays, variety show, clubs, academic bowl, etc.)</li>
<li>Awards: won a free study trip to Germany my sophomore year, currently a National Merit Semifinalist </li>
<li>current course load: AP German, AP Chem, AP English Language, Medical Technology (not honors), Horticulture (not honors), two gyms because I failed twice </li>
</ul>

<p>University of Chicago - reach/super reach?
Oberlin - reach?
Kenyon - reach?
Illinois Wesleyan - match?
Beloit - match?
Knox - match?
Earlham - match?
Denison - match?
University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign - match?
University of Illinois @ Chicago (Honors College, probably) - safety?
DePaul - safety</p>

2

<p>You failed gym? .....Yeah.</p>

3

<p>...yeah, yeah, I know. But you so didn't answer my question...</p>

4

<p>I know, but that's pretty sad. I love how colleges measure all the academic stuff, but would completely disregard someone who fails gym...</p>

5

<p>stanford only takes academic GPA, they wont notice the gym thing...bwahahhaa...</p>

<p>you look pretty except for your gpa. thats ghetto. fix it however you can.</p>

6

<p>i know stanford and the UC's don't look at PE</p>

7

<p>Are you counting on merit money?</p>

8

<p>Umm... well I'm not the best at estimating chances. For one I'm not familiar with the 5.0 grading scale. If that translates to a 2.0/4.0 then that's really 'iffy' on the GPA aspect, no matter how great your fantastic ACT is.. it simply looks like your really smart but do not apply yourself to school, and that bodes badly. Not to sound mean, but how did you fail gym twice? How do you fail gym at all? Were their special curcumstances surrounding that? If so, you should explain in your application under additional information. Also, it would be a lot easier to evaluate your chances if you provided us with what classes you did poorly in. Fortunatly for you on the gym aspect, a lot of top colleges disregaurd non academic stuff completely, and that would help your chances a lot. My advice would be to simply work on your GPA this year... like hardcore.. really focus on raising it. Other than that, with such a great ACT, I can't see why you don't have a good shot at most of those schools. Definitely apply to all that you are really interested in. Best of luck to you!!</p>