<p>my family was born in the soviet union and came here when i was 2. i am jewish but i used to not be religious until a couple of months ago when i came back to my roots. I have a GPA of 93/94 (my school used a dumb system) and i actually am going to a new school for senior year because my family moved. I got an STA score of 1420 (740 M/ 680 CR/630 W) and i am starting to apply to colleges. i am so afraid however that i don't have the "right stuff" that these colleges are looking for. I am applying to Yeshiva Univeristy, Cornell, Columbia, Suny Binghamton (safety), UMiami, and Brown. I feel as though my grades/ SAT don't cut it for most of the ivys but i feel that my extracirrics might help.</p>
<p>helped set up a medical facility (like a therapy kind of place)in summer of 06 + 300 volunteer hours</p>
<p>NCSY (jewish youth group) from 05 till end of senior, set up to chapters, on chapter board (president), and new york state board (vp). very important to me/changed my love made me understand my love for being jewish.</p>
<p>i tutored kids for AP world, regents math, bio, chem
National honor society
math league
cadaver lab
summer of 07 i spent at Yeshiva university for a summer bio program/ jewish studies.
karate for the past 8 years
ultimate Frisbee team (played in various state tournaments)
ass. cantor for my synagouge (two of them)
debate club
archeology club
astronomy society
volunteered at community center
various awards/honorable mentions for shakespeare comp and writing contests..</p>
<p>many more to list but those are the major ones. being jewish is very important to me and i know that will help me with YU which is a jewish school (#40 and world news list) but i am afraid that if i go the jewish route with many other school that are liberal i wont get in because i've been told the columbia/cornell/brown dont like that kind of thing. i know it sets me apart and makes me unique, but i am afraid it my screw me in the when i want to get into a good college.</p>
<p>First generation is good. And no one is going to reject you because you're jewish. Seriously.</p>
<p>The main thing that I can see is that your SATs are borderline competitive and your ECs are all over the place. Aside from your impressive 300+ hour community service project last summer I doubt that you're really involved in all of the things you listed (science, astronomy, debate, math league, nhs?).</p>
<p>It's just seems like too many things. Although the cadaver lab things sounds interesting.</p>
<p>Odds are you spend a lot of team with your jewish youth group and working with your synagogue, right? Ok, great. Put that down.</p>
<p>Now sort through the rest of your extracurriculars and weed out the ones you spend the most time on/are the most important to you (odds are astronomy club and math league along with others will fall by the wayside).</p>
<p>AND ADD SAFETIES. UMiami or SUNY Binghampton? Are you kidding? They're completely different places with absolutely nothing in common. Figure out what you want in a school and go from there or you may end up somewhere that you don't like.</p>
<p>When you say first generation does that mean that your parents don't have degrees from US schools or that they don't have degrees at all? Because if they have degrees from any schools in the Soviet Union you're not first generation.</p>
<p>wow you really hit the nail on the head. what i meant by first generation was that i am the first on in my family to go to school in the states/first gen. immigrant. Now i realize that my grades are not as good as many who apply to cornell etc.. but do you think my judaism will set me apart and help me with the "unique" factor in getting in? and thanks for the advice it means alot.</p>
<p>sorry i keep doing this but 5's on AP World and AP US and taking AB & C physics this year with BC Calc and AP lang. 790 and US SAT 2 and 730 on World SAT 2</p>
<p>There are plenty of jewish kids. I'm sure that you are more than your religion. Your religion is part of you but not who you are and it sure isn't going to get you into college.</p>
<p>yeah NCSY! I love NCSY. Certainly helped me gain a better perspective on my Judaism. Make sure to speak to your NCSY/JSU chapter director, there's a special scholarship fund through YU (just started this year) in which he or she must fill out a recommendation form for you and you get a good amount of scholarship. Mention NCSY and you becoming recently religious in your YU app to get a higher chance of getting in and get a better financial aid package.</p>
<p>(You are as good as in to YU, let me know if I can help as I'm starting freshmen year in YU this year)</p>