<p>My major reaches (and ideal schools, sadly) are Macalester and UChicago. There is little to no chance I'll get in there. So, I beg you to provide me with safety ideas. I'm getting desperate.</p>
<p>Have been looking at: Kalamazoo, Kenyon, Dension, Grinnell, Augustana (IL), U of I - Urbana, Beloit, Lawrence, Vassar, Hamilton, DePaul</p>
<p>I'm mainly looking Midwest, though there are a few East Coast schools on there. Small, LAC, though I'm almost open to anything. I know where I <em>want</em> to go, but I need some help in being realistic. I'm from Illinois. Does that really give me more of a chance at IL schools or is that a rumor?</p>
<p>My scores are not the avg CC by ANY means.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.4, 3.5 weighted (1 AP class, taking 3 my senior year. My GPA frosh yr: 3.2, soph yr: 3.1, junior year: 3.9. I hope this can be taken into consideration. I was an underclassman in mediocre classes. My first AP class, junior year, turned around my entire perspective on school, and it is shown through my GPA turnaround. I do plan on explaining this to colleges.)
Class Rank: 26.2% or something ridiculous like that. Hopefully with my summer course I'll be at top 25% -- i'm so close it hurts. =P</p>
<p>ACT: Shudder. 26. Retaking. I freak out during tests. I've been taking loads
of practice ones though, to get used to the format.
SAT: Shudder. 1790. Retaking. Ditto to above.</p>
<p>Senior year classes:
AP Lit, AP Macro/AP US Govt, Physics, AP Euro, Trig/PreCalc, maybe Spanish IV if I'm up to it. O_o I despise Spanish, but I know it'll look better if I continue it, argh. I love my Social Studies classes. I'm taking an Independent Study Psychology course through my school this summer. </p>
<p>Potential Majors:
I realllllllly want to major in Political Science + Geography. Really, really bad. But Geography is not offered in a lot of places. If it comes down to the fact that I just can't major in it, history or urban studies are my back ups. I want to be an urban/regional land planner. Or a journalist. Preferably the former, but often that occupation requirse a masters. So possibly a journalist in the mean time? I am insanely driven, for your information.</p>
<p>Grade in brackets. [12] includes this summer and what I'm definitely going to do in the upcoming year.</p>
<p>Volunteer: Retirement Home [9], Special Olympics [11, 12], PAVE (raises awareness of sexual violence) [11], WINGS (homeless shelter for victims of domestic violence) [12]</p>
<p>Work Experience: Nearby nursery (flowers, not children) about 10-20 hours a week [10]</p>
<p>School: Student Council [9, 10, 12], Literary Magazine [11, 12], Newspaper reporter [10], Newspaper Entertainment editor [11], Newspaper editor-in-chief [12], Yearbook editor [12]</p>
<p>Awards: Quill and Scroll [11], National Honor Roll [11] -- okay, fine, it doesn't mean anything. =P</p>
<p>I can get awesome recs and I write amazing essays. </p>
<p>I'm also preparing all summer for SAT and ACT. BUT -- lets say I only raise ACT to a 28 and SAT to a ... 1900, or something. What are my chances? Where can I get in both to schools I listed and ones similiar?</p>
<p>I'm open to any ideas.</p>
<p>Okay, fine: I'm BEGGING for ideas! Help! Bring me to reality, someone!</p>