Hi! I’m a current junior, and I’m mildly terrified for college apps. I want to apply to:
University of Washington, Seattle
University of Michigan
Cornell
Penn
Brown
Northwestern
Johns Hopkins
Yale
Harvard
Princeton
Columbia
(+some in-state safeties)
I’ve taken the most rigorous course load available to me: all honors courses in freshman and sophomore year, and all IB courses (specifically bio, chem, history, literature, Spanish, ToK, and math SL) junior and senior year. I’ll have my IB diploma at the end of high school. My school does not weight honors courses, but they do weight IB courses. I had a rough freshman year, so right now my GPA is a 3.57 UW and 3.74 W. At the end of this semester, it will hopefully be a 3.64 UW and 3.94 W, at the end of first semester senior year it will hopefully be a 3.7 UW and 4.05 W. If you take freshman year out of the equation (as I think Princeton does?), then at the end of this semester I’ll have 3.8 UW and 4.23 W and a 3.85 UW/4.36 W at the end of first semester senior year.
I have a 1550 on the SAT. I haven’t taken the ACT yet, but I’ve gotten 36’s on my most recent practice tests. I’m also hoping for pretty solid SAT II scores based on practice tests (750+?).
I’m lower middle class, female, white, and want to major in chemistry. I think my LoRs will be solid, there are two teachers that I have established really strong relationships with that I want to ask to write my letters. I’m usually a decent writer and plan to devote a lot of time to my essays.
I feel my extracurriculars are above average, but probably not stellar. I’m captain of our school’s Science Olympiad team and have regional, state, and national awards from it. I worked at a small business for about a year and I have an internship this summer with a political campaign. I went to music camp for 2 summers. I play the harp and percussion.
I’m really worried that my GPA will prevent me from being a competitive applicant. My guidance counselor basically told me I should seriously consider community college….
Will I be a competitive applicant for the Ivy leagues based on this? If more information is needed, I can give it in a private message.
Thank you!!! 