Increasing Chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Okay, well I am going to start of my Junior year soon and I am pretty focused on getting really good grades. I am interested in a couple colleges and just thought what I really need to work on in order to make these colleges extreme reaches to high matches.</p>

<p>So the colleges I am looking into are University of Michigan [being number 1 choice], NYU, USC, Penn State, Boston U.</p>

<p>I do not know my unweighted GPA since our school class rank is based on our weighted so that's all I pay attention too.
State: PA
Race: Indian (US Citizen)</p>

<p>Freshman - GPA: 3.39 (2 honors courses)</p>

<p>Sophomore - GPA - 3.46 (5 honors courses)</p>

<p>The reason my grades were so low was because I didn't really care much. I woke up a little bit the second semester of my Soph year, but was still too late to change effect my GPA.</p>

<p>Junior - GPA <a href="4%20AP%20Courses,%20AP%20US,%20AP%20Comp,%20AP%20Chem,%20AP%20Calc%20I%20and%20Music%20Theory%20II%20Hons.">Goal-5.11+</a> I am really going to try to get straight A's in all my classes and I am confident that I can do it (1.5 weight for AP, 1.25 for Hon.) That still leaves me at a total of a 3.99 GPA, and the Top 10% is usually at 4.1. So I will have to rely on my first Semester Senior year as well to get me up there. Will Colleges look at the uphill as a good thing but then get turned off due to not being in the Top 10%?</p>

<p>I took a couple practice SAT I and my averages for the 2 where,
Math: 710 and Crit Reading: 680
My Goal is 720+ on both.
SAT II Chem - 780</p>

<p>Some EC's:
Varsity Indoor and Outdoor Track (Letter) (9th)
Marching Band (10th, 11th, 12th) (30 hours a week commitment from Aug-Nov)
Indoor Drumline (10th, 12th) (25 hours a week from Nov-late May)
I am an Eagle Scout which includes a ridiculous amount of community service
My father is extremely active in the Indian community and does a lot of fund raisers with various organizations and politically he is known because of this and I tag along with him. (Alot of community service hours that go with that)
FBLA member (10th, 11th, 12th)
Key Club - Leadership Role (10th, 12th)
Student Council - Leadership Role (Running for class president) (11th 12th)
JV Tennis (9th, 11th)
NYLF
This year I am going to start a major fund raising event to help raise awarness about the genocide in Darfur. I am hoping to raise around $1000
Another one earlier in my freshman year for the Tsunami Recovery raising $2000.
Hopefully Varsity Tennis (12th)
I am going to apply to a bunch of summer programs such as Governor's School, presidential class room etc. and see how that goes.</p>

<p>And also I play a lot of music, a lot of it. I am not sure if this helps at all, but I mean I record my own music and make Electronica using synthesizers along with my own home studio which I started up. I play the Saxophone, Sitar, Tabla, Guitar, Drums, and I can get by on basic theory on Piano.</p>

<p>So basically this isn't really a chances topic, but more of what do I need to improve on to get these school within my reach. I am not doing Indoor Drumline which runs from Nov-May in order to concentrate on my school and I have an hour and a half block of study hall every other day to help me. So please tell me your thoughts of how my chances with these schools can increase.</p>

<p>Warm Regards.</p>

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<p>31 views and no replies, any form of advice would be good. Thank you! =D</p>

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<p>Your ECs are interesting especially your work with your dad and the music stuff.</p>

<p>But I'm wary of accepting practice test scores and goal GPAs. And if your school really doe weight things as heavily as 1.5 for APs and 1.25 for Honors, then your weighted GPA is really low.</p>

<p>Penn State and BU (with your projected test scores) are the most achievable schools on your list. UMichigan out of state is probably going to be a reach coming from PA, though. Ditto with USC and NYU.</p>

<p>But solid, high grades and a test score of what you predicted or more would go a long way to help you achieve your goals.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I calculated my unwieghted GPA including all the +/-'s not including any electives and it is <em>Holds Breath</em> 3.16 - Freshman, 3.05 - Sophomore. The decrease in the Sophomore was due to the only C I have ever received in my Honors Pre-Calc class where the avg was a C. If I were to get a 4.0 GPA this upcoming year, it still leaves me only at 3.40 [Fresh-Jr.] and 3.52 [Soph-Jr.] =( So yeah my grades were pretty low. I got like all B's =(</p>

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<p>You can keep the +s and -s in, but add and subtract .3 respectively.</p>

<p>But that's really going to hurt your chances at Michigan oos. Study for the SATs, though. They could be your saving grace.</p>

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<p>you have very solid ec's, so def do well on the SAT and bump up your GPA junior year and you should have a decent shot at UM</p>

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<p>How well on the SAT, and thanks everyone for feedback!!</p>

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<p>calculate your GPA on a 5 point scale. Give one point extra for an A in an H/AP class, 4 for a B in H/AP. For an A level class, give 4 points for an A, and 3 for a B. Thats how 90% of colleges do it.</p>

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<p>for the 5 point scale do I include +/-'s?</p>

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<p>add or subtract .3</p>

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<p>Ok then, not including any electives and assuming I get straight A's next year I will have a cumulative avg of 4.23 [Fresh-Jr.] and 4.45 [Soph-Jr.] Now with this data can anyone give me an update?</p>

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<p>Get that 4.0 Junior and then do well on your SAT's and then you'll have the a strong chance, but you gotta work hard.
I had a 3.17 sophmore year, then i got a 3.83 junior but I told myself I would get 4.0's was close but not exactly. Good luck.</p>

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<p>thank you everyone. anyone else have any thoughts?</p>

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<p>[Bump =(]...........10 char</p>