I posted this in the chances forum but didn't get much feedback, so...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>...I'll copy it over here; you guys seem a lot more knowlegable.</p>

<p>White Female, Florida. Class of 2006.</p>

<p>Old SAT: 1520 (790 M, 730 V)
nSAT: 2230 (800M, 730V, 700W)
800 IIC, 790 US History, 710 Chemistry (ouch)</p>

<p>Might retake the new SAT for higher V/W or a science SAT II.</p>

<p>Current Valedictorian in class of 450+ kids... about 30% go to college, I think.</p>

<p>UW GPA: 4.0
Weighted: ~4.6 (+0.5 for honors, +1 for AP)</p>

<p>Have taken/will take all the AP courses offered at my school except Art History.
Soph:
AP Stat 5
AP Euro 4</p>

<p>Waiting on scores for:
AP US History
AP Chemistry
AP Psychology
AP English Language
...and am expecting all 5's except chem (probably 3 or 4)</p>

<p>Next year I'm taking
AP English Lit
AP Government (Comp. and US)
AP Economics (Macro and Micro)
AP Physics C
AP Calc BC</p>

<p>Two years of Spanish at the community college since the courses at my school are an absolute joke.</p>

<p>ECs... my weakest point, I think:
Math team for 6 years (starting in MATHCOUNTS in 7th grade), w/ a few state level finishes.</p>

<p>President of school Mu Alpha Theta chapter, 2 Years (responsible for organizing schoolwide calendar girl production and designing calendar----> earned $25k+ to fund math team trips this way)</p>

<p>Mentor (de facto assistant coach) to middle school mathcounts team (two teams, actually... 8 kids). I go to competitions with them, show them tricks to use on the graphing calculators, and correspond regularly through email to help them with their summer warmups/homework.</p>

<p>Strong interest in cycling... no teams/juniors competitions in my area but I ride ~100 miles a week. Have been doing so for over 2 years.</p>

<p>Worked between 20 and 30 hours a week since last Christmas at local used bookstore.</p>

<p>Kept Statistics one season for Varsity Volleyball team. Produced individual stat reports following each game for individual players to help them assess their performance and progress toward goals.</p>

<p>A few miscellaneous honor club memberships, but nothing very noteworthy (NHS, Beta, Science)</p>

<p>Interested in mathematics, aerospace engineering, and planetary sciences.</p>

<p>Assuming glowing recs and strong essays (the 700 writing was a fluke... I still don't know what happened. One of the reasons I want to retake it), how would you rate my chances? Less than average? Higher than average?</p>

<p>In the chances forum they said my ECs were too weak to have a good shot at Princeton; if that's true i'm fine with it because I wouldn't change a thing about my high school experience, but I would like a second opinion. Criticism/Suggestions welcome.</p>

2

<p>I'd say you certainly have a shot. I don't think your ECs are too weak at all.</p>

3

<p>Well... your ECs do show interest and skill in mathematics and science, which is a big plus for a girl at a school where 30% go to college. You have a shot -- it looks like you've made a lot of the opportunities you have.</p>

<p>What does seem odd to me is how you'll have almost as many APs as I do (and I've taken every one available except Environmental Science), and my school sends 80% to college.</p>

4

<p>The AP classes are always small, but the school keeps offering them because there is enough interest. In a school of more than 2000 students, it's always the same 20 or so people per grade taking most of the AP classes. Some of the less popular ones are very small classes... my AP Chem class only had 8 people.</p>

5

<p>YOU ARE SO not IN!</p>

<p>:D</p>

<p>honestly, you have a good ticket.</p>

6

<p>Why would you take the SAT again. . . with a 2230!?!?</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
Why would you take the SAT again. . . with a 2230!?!?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Because i know I could do better.</p>

8

<p>You have excellent chances, I'd say.</p>

<p>Princeton really values students who strive to create academic challenges for themselves. When your peers don't even have the motivation to go to college, and you're out there taking AP classes, I'd definitely say you're demonstrating your thirst for learning well. I think your ECs are fine. I would retake the SAT (especially since you know you can do better) and get 2300+. Your old SAT score is pretty good, but you need an SAT II writing score too. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

9

<p>Thanks for the replies, everybody. </p>

<p>Just want to update: my AP score predictions were all correct.<br>
(English 5, US Hist 5, Psych 5, Chem 4)</p>