Help please? not very creative I know but... I will chance back!

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Hi everyone- alright, so I already posted another thread before but I haven't been getting much feedback. Hopefully this one works out better!</p>

<p>I'm a female at a pretty strong public school on Long Island.</p>

<p>GPA: 4.24 (out of 4.5)
Though we don't rank: Top 20% of my class- though my GPA is a bit on the lower end of the spectrum because of a few slip ups freshman year and sophmore year (nothing below a B: 2 Bs and 1 B+ on my transcript), I believe I have shown progress throughout my 3 years so far (all As and A+s in my junior year- 3 honors classes and 1 AP) and I plan to get straight A+s throughout my first semester of senior year. I realize that trying your best in high school is worth the effort, but I just hope i didn't realize that too late.</p>

<p>AP/Honors Courses=
-Sophmore year: Honors Latin 3 (A+), Honors Chemistry (B, ouch)
-Junior year: AP Biology (A in class, 5 on exam), Pre-Calc Honors (A), Physics Honors (A), Latin 4 Literature Honors (A+)
-Senior year, I'm taking: AP Chemistry, AP Calc AB (but trying to switch into BC), AP Vergil, AP Government, and AP Economics</p>

<p>Test scores=
SATs-
in one sitting: 2240 (730 reading, 710 math, 800 writing)
superscored: 2270 (the only thing different is a 740 in math)
ACT- 33 (retaking in September)
SAT Subject Tests-
Biology: 750 (in 9th grade)
Chemistry: 670 (retaking in October)
Also taking Math 2C in October- should I also take another test in a different subject other than Math and Science?</p>

<p>ECs=
-Clubs in school such as S.A.D.D. (students against destructive decisions), Kaleidoscope (my school's literary magazine), Latin Club, Student Council, National Honors Society, Science Honors Society, Tri-M Music Honors Society, Natural Helpers, Academic Decathalon
-Leadership positions: Natural Helpers, Running for president of Latin Club, organizer of annual community event= last year, was the first to film and report the event for my community's local news and the school district's website, acted as a reporter and interview, got to speak to many prominent members of my community
-50 hours of volunteer at local hospital
-100 hours of volunteer at NYU Medical Center
- 2 years of independent science research= one year at the Chemistry Department of NYU and the other year at the Neurology Department of NYU Medical Center
- flautist and vocalist= compete in NYSSMA</p>

<p>Sports=
9th grade- Junior Varsity Volleyball
10th grade- Varsity Swimming
11th grade- Varsity Volleyball
12th- don't plan on doing any</p>

<p>Awards=
The most impressive I think are:
-Siemen's National Semifinalist in '09 (planning on submitting again this year, and also to Intel)
-Cum Laude Awards for the National Latin Exam
-Scholar Athlete
-Competed in the 2010 USA Biology Olympiad
-Principal's Honor Roll (GPA of 4.0 and higher) throughout my 3 years</p>

<p>Extra info=
-submitted science research paper for publication: worked with NYU grad student on a project dealing with ways in improving the environment/being eco-friendly when it comes to cleaning drinking water contaminated with pharmaceutical pollutants
-submitting to Intel science competition and Siemen's in the fall as an individual applicant
-expecting great recommendations, including a great one from my counselor who, even though has over 300 students, has come to know me very very well
-good writer so hopefully my essays will be steller!</p>

<p>Schools I'm looking at:
College of the Holy Cross
Boston University
Tufts
Boston College
Wellesley
Brandeis
George Washington
Cornell
Northwestern
Georgetown
Brown
Columbia</p>

<p>Please be honest with the evaluation- I would just like a better understanding of where I stand in my chances. I'd appreciate it tons!</p>

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<p>dudes… come on…!</p>

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<p>You’re a solid applicant. I’m assuming once you retake your Chemistry, you’ll do well in that, and I know you’ll do well in math lvl 2 too. The only school you’ll have to fight for with your application essay content will be Brown and possibly Cornell, but that’s it.</p>

<p>Chance “me” back, smiley:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/974587-chance-guy-who-shooting-ucs-csus.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/974587-chance-guy-who-shooting-ucs-csus.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Thanks Sagert! I’m hoping to get in the high 700s for those 2 SAT IIs and raising my ACT score by 2 or so. I’m just a bit worried about my GPA, because it’s not that high as compared to others in my class, but there’s no point fussing over that now! </p>

<p>Just wondering, do you have any ideas on a personal essay topic? I’ve written two already, but my college counselor said they weren’t all that great… “not intellectually engaging nor original”. It’s pretty hard to be original when there are millions of kids just like me. Well, I’d appreciate the help!</p>

<p>Anyone else? :)</p>

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<p>you seem extremely strong, i’d say the ivy’s are a stretch and georgetown, but the other schools seem to be completely in your range of ability. you have focused ec’s and a great academic record and gpa. SAT scores aren’t the highest on the 2 part, but are definitely strong. you have a great chance. :smiley: </p>

<p>Chance me?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/981888-chances-getting-skidmore-union-f-m-chance-me-ill-chance-you.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/981888-chances-getting-skidmore-union-f-m-chance-me-ill-chance-you.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>College of the Holy Cross IN
Boston University IN
Tufts IN (but you can do much better)
Boston College IN
Wellesley IN
Brandeis IN
George Washington IN
Cornell PROBABLY IN
Northwestern IN
Georgetown IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT
Brown REACH FOR ANYBODY, BUT YOU HAVE A SHOT
Columbia MAYBE IN</p>

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<p>Thanks soze and halllu- you guys are too nice. Seriously! The thing is, there are quite a few people in my class with GPAs of 4.5 and higher, so I’m a bit nervous as to how I will compare. I appreciate the input, though :)</p>

<p>Halllu- I will chance back!</p>

<p>More input please? :)</p>

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<p>If you apply ED to Columbia, you have a decent chance (make sure you increase that Chem score though).</p>

<p>Your ECs are fine.</p>

<p>I agree with soze’s predictions.</p>

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<p>I’ll have to disagree with most of the other posters. Being only top 20%, rather than top 10%, will hurt you at NU, Gtown, Cornell, Tufts, Brown, and Columbia.</p>

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<p>Thanks brownman23! I’m working on the chem, don’t worry. I know the the ivy league schools are a reach for sure. I’m looking more at getting into Tufts and Boston College :)</p>

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<p>Glassesarechic- I know, that’s the problem I have. Like I said before, my GPA isn’t as high as I’d like it to be. But there’s no pain in trying. Thanks for the heads up!</p>

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<p>Allright I’m just going to say what I think, even though it might sound a bit harsh.</p>

<p>SAT’s are excellent, SAT 2’s are decent. </p>

<p>GPA is quite low, 20% class rank for a unhooked applicant is pretty darn low. Most unhooked applicants with a good shot are top 10 in their class, but at least top 5%. From what you wrote, the course rigor is not hard at all. 1 AP Junior year??? Senior year schedule looks fine, have you taken the most rigorous curriculum available in your school? </p>

<p>Hey, I also did research with a professor too! :slight_smile: Yeah, the submitted research will look excellent, along with the Siemens award. EC’s are fine.</p>

<p>“Competed in the 2010 USA Biology Olympiad”- Did you just write the exam? Advance to the second round? qualify for the camp? qualify for the national team? What did you exactly do, I don’t see how that is an award.</p>

<p>Cornell-low reach
Northwestern- low reach
Georgetown-no idea
Brown- reach
Columbia- eh, not likely </p>

<p>Rest look fine (you are a very strong applicant for them).</p>

<p>GPA is just the thing that’s bringing down your chances at top schools, everything else looks fine.</p>

<p>Good luck :)</p>

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<p>Wongtongtong- thanks!! I appreciate the honesty. As long as I have a high chance at the schools on my list other than the ivies, I’m quite a happy camper. Where did you do research? Who did you work with? :slight_smile: and yeah, the Biology Olympiad thing isn’t really an award hahaha, but I missed the semi-finals by 1 point… not going to add that as an award! And well about my course work, usually juniors at my school only take APUSH and take only one science (usually Regents/Honors Physics). But I didn’t want to take APUSH so I took double science- honors Physics and AP Biology. For my senior year, the only AP I’m not taking that is part of the core curriculum is AP Lit. So I hope that clears things up a bit (I took AP Euro sophmore year, the only AP offered for sophs, but I dropped out haha). </p>

<p>Anyways, that was a lot. I hope things work out!</p>

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<p>Yeah I’m going to have to say that chances of getting into some of those top schools having a class rank out of the top 10% are slim… </p>

<p>If you go to the college board website it will generally breakdown the percentage of students who are in the top 10% of their HS class as opposed to those who are simply not, regardless of how low… </p>

<p>each college may also list this as well.</p>

<p>sorry, but you’re going to have to pull that class rank to at the very MINIMUM 15 % imo</p>

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<p>^ thanks stocker93 :), but for which schools? I mean I’m automatically going to assume for the ivies, but what about the others? I appreciate it</p>

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<p>For all except GWU BU Holy Cross Tufts brandeis wellesley</p>

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<p>and BC? How sad :(</p>

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<p>UR in everyone. And most likely cornell too. two that stick out: Brown is possible, and columbia is possible.</p>

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<p>Delmonico- I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that? Brown and Columbia you think will give me the most trouble?</p>

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<p>bump please :)</p>