Help!! Chance me.

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi, I'm Alexa:)
I recently created this collegeconfidential account because I was, and am, seriously worried about my low stats.
I'm a rising senior at a competitive high school.
I'd like to get into schools like: WashU in St. Louis, Wellesley, Amherst, and RISD (AND YALE! DX...) but am afraid I'm only good enough for local state schools or worse...community college (as my mother constantly reminds me). My main talent (perhaps only talent) is art, but I love biology and international economics/relations as well.</p>

<p>Here are my stats. Please chance me and give me other honest feedback:</p>

<p>gpa: 3.4 </p>

<p>(other notes: I'm a pretty poor student. However, excluding level 1 geometry and level 1 spanish, I took all the highest level honors and APs offered at my school. My lowest grade is a B- in honors precalc.)</p>

<p>SAT I score: 2190. </p>

<p>(other notes: I'm taking the test again and I'm aiming for a 2300+ (I tend to improve a lot when I do things more than once). I'm confident I'll at least get a 2200+, anyhow.)</p>

<p>ECs:</p>

<p>art:
-Congressional art competition, district 1st place winner -> art is on display in the entrance to Capitol Hill for a whole year
-National Chinese world journal Vitasoy Competition: finalist & honorable mention in creative advertisment work.
-multimedia club vice president and secretary</p>

<p>(other notes:
1. When I visited MA for colleges, I went to portfolio review at Boston University and the school of the museum of fine art and both schools were impressed with my portfolio. Both reviewers spent a strangely long time selling their school to me. The director of visual arts at Boston University told me "You're in!" after I showed her just two pieces of my 15 piece portfolio.
2. I have only been making/learning art seriously for a bit over a year. I'm improving fast and hope that my finished portfolio will be maybe even a notch higher than right now.
3. I will be entering in the crazy intense national competition that might - hopefully!- give me some more awards :P (and more importantly, confidence and resources). I want to note that I love art though and that I truly draw for enjoyment as well. The awards are necessary for me to get into a good university where I can flourish in inspiration and hone my skills.)</p>

<p>biology
-AP biology test: 5
-SAT II Molecular score: 720 (Should I retake this? Or should I take the E one? I like bio so this score might be a problem for competitive schools)
-finalist at AP science fair at high school for work in microbiology, moved on to the regional fair and received money as a honorable mention award as well as a $120 textbook</p>

<p>(other notes: Will be submitting my project to siemens, though I will truthfully note that it is highly unlikely I will win anything in that competition)</p>

<p>economics
-took college classes at a top 10 university with professors at the "extension school" and received an A- in the first class, then a B in the second level class.
-created an economics challenge club from scratch at my high school as a sophomore and coached them. We went to the challenge in the state and we won fourth place. </p>

<p>(other notes: I'm planning on asking the AP econ teacher at my school to be an assistant in the intro econ course. I want to help the lower classmen who are not allowed to take AP econ (stupid policy) to learn more and explore more opportunities. Is this a worthwhile venture? Or should I just focus on raising my gpa??)</p>

<p>piano
-played for 10+ years</p>

<p>(other notes: I've never won any awards, but I'm entered in a national competition in september. I'll see how it goes. I deeply love piano and music in general, but it's unlikely that I'll win anything at this, weell, competitivee competition)</p>

<p>Student government
-elected senator/class council member 3 out of the four years</p>

<p>(other notes: will be holding two office positions in the fall)</p>

<p>Oceanography
-National ocean science bowl team member for 3 years
-won thousands of dollars in scholarships for summer programs last year at the regional competition (the team I was on - B team - didn't even place top 3 at regionals though) </p>

<p>(other notes: hopefully I will be on A team next year? I was one of the better B team-ers this year, but there is only one slot open. Our A team last year placed top 3 in the nation - I won't say 1st, 2nd or 3rd, so you can't check up my high school and stalk me :P lol.)</p>

<p>Ending/By-the-way comments:
PLEASE BE HONEST! BE CRITICAL! ALL FEEDBACK IS WELCOME! DO I HAVE A CHANCE AT WASHU? OR IS MY GPA JUST FRANKLY, TOO LOW? IF I DO, IS IT A DECENT CHANCE? WHAT ABOUT AT WELLESLEY? </p>

<p>other things to consider:
-one of manyyy children
-AP scores and SAT IIs in junior year were bad
-asian female</p>

<p>----thanks for taking the time to read my extremely verbose post! May God Bless You :)-----</p>

2

<p>I think you’re good. A 3.4 GPA is a B average, so that won’t look too good. Piano is ridiculously generic too. But you’ve got a wall of EC’s and a strong SAT that should cover for your GPA somewhat.</p>

3

<p>Nobody but the admissions committees at the schools you list can evaluate your qualifications or assess your chances. Your GPA is lower than average for any of them;that’s not good, but may not be fatal. Especially if you plan to apply for an art program based on a portfolio. </p>

<p>Make sure your college list includes some safeties - schools where your stats are well above the norm, that you can pay for under most pessimistic FA assumptions, and where you’d be happy. </p>

<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>

4

<p>Bump.
Thank you both for your comments! They’re already illuminating things for me.
However, I’d still like to hear more opinions and criticisms before I let this post melt into oblivion. I realize I posted this at almost 2am too…</p>

5

<p>Alexa:</p>

<p>Here’s the problem with giving you an opinion – your grades look low. Your SATs look fine. From what you say, your portfolio looks fantastic. No one here has seen your portfolio, and frankly, no one here would be qualified to comment on it if we did. If chance me opinions are worth anything at all, it’s because many students can be categorized. However, even under the best of circumstances, they’re really not worth a lot – no one here really knows what they’re talking about.</p>

<p>So, starting from the premise that none of us really can give you a “chance me” that’s worth a lot under the best of circumstances, opinions become even less important for you, because you have a unique talent and a unique application. There’s really no basis for evaluation by us.</p>

<p>Given a holistic approach to admissions, you might get into any of the schools you listed. Given the grades (and the process in general) none of them are certain.</p>

<p>Overall advice – apply to the schools you’re interested in. Don’t eliminate any school, because your application is unique (in a good way). However, you should also consider the next lower tier of schools in case your portfolio doesn’t overcome the GPA.</p>

6

<p>^ Excellent advice.</p>