If my HS does not weight GPA, does Rice admissions?/ What to stress on my essays

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
1

My gpa is:

UW 3.91
W 4.6 (not shown on transcript)

Also, what should I stress on my essays? What out of the list below would you consider to be positive factors in my application?

  • I am from a rural farm town in Washington
  • Multiracial/extremely unique family culture (Filipino, White Mix, Native Mix [Mohawk/Blackfoot])
  • Not many opportunities at my HS (no CS courses AT ALL) [That's why I dual-enrolled in a community college]
  • I could not apply ED because I didn't know sat ii's were a thing until a couple months ago... Is demonstrated interest valuable? If so, how could I demonstrate interest if I cannot visit or apply ED?
  • Female who is extremely passionate for discrete mathematics/computer theory
  • low-income
  • Living with just my dad for the past half-year because my mother is currently in the Philippines due to a bunch of legal issues surrounding her fathers recent death. [aka my dad and I are the only ones bringing in income]
  • Taking most rigorous math/cs courses at local community college (I also tutor all levels of math and cs at the college everyday and work as a tour guide)

I really need tips to compensate for my “below-Rice-average” SAT:

NEW SAT: 1340 super-score (700 Math 640 CR/W) <<< Third attempt BTW

Thanks.

2

Check this page out for a general idea of how Rice considers applicants:

http://oir.rice.edu/Common_Data_Set/

Honestly, any of those could be considered ‘positive’, you just need to present it in the right way. When you write your essays, you need to consider what makes you, you? What is it about you that makes you unique?

I think too many people write their applications as if they were going to be scrutinized and judged by their readers. Really try to focus on what makes you shine, your application is your tool! Surely, you’re not like the other 18,000 applicants right? Most of all, what can you bring to Rice with all the perspectives and experiences you’ve had?