I am a hopeful student for the class of 2021 at Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Chapel Hill, and NC State; I am not sure I will be admitted to any of these schools. My grades are far below average for the majority of these schools if I am correct, with a respective unweighted and weighted GPA’s of 3.8 and 4.6. I have a fairly rigorous schedule; having taken one of five AP classes that my school offers and the remainder of my classes as honors credits by the end of sophomore year; I proceeded to take twenty-one dual enrollment classes and finish an Associate of Arts degree at my local community college with a college GPA of 3.8 as well.
I have three important extra-curricular activities; these are Cross Country, Science Olympiad, and Youth Leadership Council. To start I am on and off varsity cross country, because I am at the bottom of the totem pole, which I guess makes me look well rounded. I am the president of my Science Olympiad team having won first place in all three of my events at regionals last year and two first place medals at the state competition. Youth Leadership Council organizes fundraisers, does community service both directly and indirectly, and offers a grant to other youth groups trying to make a change with some of the money that we raise each year.
My test scores are the only thing I am really proud of with a 1540 SAT and a 34 ACT.
One thing that I am trying to make clear in my essays is my love for computer science. I have been programming since I was twelve, but because I go to a rural school we have no computer science classes or even clubs and I am not at the high school enough to establish a club. I do a club at the college where I program the sensors for a balloon that collects data for NASA but that is all I have been able to show for that. I have made everything from websites to games and it deeply disappoints me that I cannot share this love with the admissions officers.
If this means anything I am very personable and outgoing so if an interview is bestowed upon me somehow I have been told by everyone that it will strengthen my application ten fold.
Thank you all for the help!
Just comment if you have further questions that could help you in your evaluation. I ask you all to be honest; criticism will not break me.
Ivies can be unpredictable, but I would say that your accomplishments in extracurriculars would definitely make you stand out. Something to consider - does your possession of an associate’s degree make you a transfer student instead of a freshman? I think that would change your admissions chances and process. I would say that you have a good chance at NC State and Cornell, but Duke and Columbia might be a little harder to get into. Congrats on your high SAT scores!
@Nat1201 It is strange but no I have looked into this and I am still a freshman applicant. Thank you!