I’m currently a sophmore in highschool. It’s been a dream of mine to get into any of the very competitive colleges, namely the ivies. I’ve been slightly careless the past two years, and I’m worried I ruined my chances.
Background:
I was unanimously selected for a 100,000 scholarship to a private school I applied to
I take the most challenging courses available to me.
My freshman year, I got a 3.68 gpa. This was largely due to my depression, which I have since mostly gotten under control.
This year, I will likely end with about a 3.77 gpa.
NOTE: I did the math, and if I get a 4.0 next year, I will have a 3.8 overall on my transcripts.
Extracurriculars:
I’ve been taking voice lessons for a long time. I performed as a lead in a local (kids) opera.
I’ve also been involved in theater, and have done all but one of the school shows.
I was involved in the a capella club this year.
Next year:
I plan to start a playwriting club, and submit a play to a national contest
I’ve been promoted to a leader position in the tutoring program
I plan to enter the national History Day Competition
Is it still even conceivable that I could get into a top ivy? If so, what can I do to improve my chances? I’m willing to work as hard as it takes.
you have a possibility of getting in. improve your gpa and try to get more awards and stuff. I made the mistake of not having any national-level awards. I had a 2350 SAT, 36 ACT, top 0.1% in class of 900 but got rejected from all ivies (waitlisted Cornell and Dartmouth).
But don’t make the mistake of thinking “If I can just get a national award, I’ll be in.” I won a national gold medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (which you should check out anyway – sounds like you’re a writer) and it didn’t help my decisions any when I applied two years ago. 2330 (2350 superscore), 4.0 uw/4.5w, top 2%…waitlisted Penn, waitlisted Case Western, in at PSU and Pitt.
^^ ya. actually, the most important thing is to have something unique that makes your application standout. One of the best way to make your application standout is through your essays. I firmly believe that essays are, for most colleges, the most important factor in decisions.
Anyone has a chance to get in if their gpa is at least close to 4 and an Act above maybe 31.
Of course better numbers helps, but what I think gets you in is personality, passion, drive.
I think you should set your mind in a way similar to this " I know I will likely not get in, but I will submit my best possible application; I will show the admission officers why I want to be in, why I am interesting, why I am driven to be great and do great things." If you can convince the admissions officers that you will contribute to the class as a whole, that you have a chance to do something truly great, they will admit you (probably). Just give it your best shot, If you are good enough for the college you want in, they will most likely let you in. I will be applying towards the end of this year. Good luck.
Bear in mind that thousands of students who apply to the Ivies are stellar students with national awards, unique personalities, stories, etc. They can’t all get in just because the schools only have so many slots.
@funambulist44 The fact that there are thousands of students just like me also applying. There are so many valedictorians in this country that they could fill their freshman classes with #1 rank only. And the people just below the valedictorians are exactly the same – took one fewer AP class, maybe, but no difference otherwise. That’s a heck of a lot of competition. With so many applicants they can afford to be choosy.
@bodangles Right, so what could I possibly do to compete with that wall of 4.0s and 2400s? Even if I end next year with a 4.0, I’ll only have a 3.8 overall. Is there anything I can do to make up for that?
