<p>I'm currently a sophomore at a small Catholic school in the Northeast and I would like to know what my chances are of getting into Princeton University. I have a 4.0 UW GPA, putting me at first in my class, and my PSAT was 70 English, 69 Math, and 78 Writing (equivalent to 2170), and I plan on bringing each of these up for the real SAT. I'm taking one AP course (school doesn't offer AP to sophomores but they made an exception for my Spanish, even though I don't speak it natively) and plan on taking at least seven more in my Junior and Senior year. I am extremely active in the school's newspaper and have plans for becoming president and refurbishing it in the coming years. I have also won awards for my writing. I am the youngest pioneer of the school's debate team. I am very politically active as well, and have my own blog (with quite a lot of traction) dedicated to politics. Do I have a good shot so far?</p>
<p>And you posted this on the Yale forum why? :o</p>
<p>Oh crap, I posted this on Princeton’s first then copied and pasted. Guess I didn’t realize that I’d included the name. I’m new here… :P</p>
<p>Being that you’re new here, I guess we can cut you some slack.</p>
<ol>
<li>Your transcript is the first thing colleges will look at. Admissions Directors want to see that you took the most rigorous courses at your high school and did well in each class. So, grade-wise, you’re on the right track. </li>
<li>The next most important part of your application are your teacher recommendations. Colleges want to read from teachers that RAVE about you as a student and scholar. They want teachers to proclaim you as one of the best students they have had in their teaching career. Your recommendations should basically look like those on MIT’s site: [Writing</a> Recommendations | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs]Writing”>How to write good letters of recommendation | MIT Admissions). So, raise your hand in class and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful and thoughtful way. Earn the respect and admiration of your teachers over the next two years and you will be on your way.</li>
<li>Your PSAT scores are in-line with your GPA and you should do about the same or better on the actual test.</li>
<li>Your essays should be thoughtful and reflective. They should be in your own voice, almost as if you were standing in front of the admissions committee reading them out loud. Save all your creative writing, as you might be able to reuse a sentence, a paragraph, maybe an entire essay for your college apps.</li>
</ol>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Thanks again, Gibby!</p>
<p>Are the extracurriculars okay though? I hear that Yale stresses that a lot.</p>
<p>Extracurriculars show what you are interested in doing outside of the classroom. One EC is not better than another, or one EC is not stronger than another – so forget those phrases. Everything you do is okay! What matters most is your commitment and passion to your extracurricular activities, whatever they may be. So over the next two years, continue with the newspaper and debate team, if that’s what you are interested in. If something else comes along that interests you, do it.</p>
<p>Thank you, Gibby!</p>