<p>GPA- 3.5 Unweighted, but I have wonderful stories of child abuse, lung infections and surgeries that explains my dismal Freshman and Sophomore year (3.3 and 3.7 respectively)
Class Rank- 98 out of 500
Rigor of schedule: Just about every class I have taken has been advanced to the highest degree when and if possible.
AP's Taken or Will Take
Chemistry, Physics 1 and 2, Macro/Micro Economics, World History, US History, Chemistry, Literature, Composition, Psychology, Calculus AB
Test Scores: 32 ACT
Extracurriculars:
Debate Club, Board Games Club, Chess Club, Young Americans for Liberty President, Programming and Video Game Design
Intended Major: Physics and Mathematics if possible.
Dream: Buckle down in college, go to prestigious university, get Phd in Nuclear Physics, become professor or something equally cool.
Potential Applications
Harvey Mudd
Reed
Indiana University
Purdue University
University of Alabama
Rose Hulman</p>
<p>You have a great list there, a good mix of small and big. I think you have a good shot at all of them except Harvey Mudd just because it’s so small, so I think it’s super selective, but don’t quote me on that! Make sure your essays are well written and thoughtful, and you’ve got a bright future ahead of you 
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<p>You have a good chance for every one on there, except for perhaps Harvey Mudd and Reed. Make sure those essays are spectacular and that you have some sort of positive spin on them talking about how it helped you develop as a person. You have a good shot, good luck!</p>
<p>Have you run the net price calculators for all these schools and determined if they are affordable? You can find them on the financial aid webpage for each college. I agree with others that Mudd is likely out of reach for you, and Reed is a reach (but possible). Regarding your “wonderful stories”, consider discussing with your guidance counselor and asking if they can explain in their recommendation. It probably isn’t the best use of your essays to discuss – colleges are looking for interesting people to add to their community, and you want to use your essays to help with that. It can be super easy to come across as making excuses if you tell them yourself, too.</p>
<p>I’m not really sure how to make bacteria attacking my feet and lungs positive. </p>
<p>I assume these are the stats prior to your senior year; If you currently have a 3.5 gpa, it would show that you had a 3.5 your junior year too, would it not? considering that you had a 3.3 and a 3.7 your first years. Also I would advise against writing about your “wonderful stories of child abuse”, I’m sure that they are largely important to who you are, but it’s a risky topic to write about considering that it could make the person reviewing your essay feel uncomfortable.</p>
<p>It’s left a pretty ugly mark on my life, and it still does to this day. Is there anyway to bring it up without making the reviewer feel uncomfortable?</p>
<p>I’m also open to other schools that offer good a good program in Physics that are within reach, </p>
<p>Another question.
Why is Harvey Mudd so much more selective than Rose-Hulman when Rose is higher ranked? Is it a conspiracy, or are rankings pretty much worthless as I suspect them to be? </p>
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<p>You don’t have to make it ‘positive’. You don’t have to talk about it in your essays at all, you can ask your GC to mention that you had serious health issues during that timeframe.</p>
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<p>Look at the test scores, Mudd is significantly higher than Rose-Hulman. And location – I have been to R-H, it is not a garden spot (while Mudd is in Southern California). Plus, Mudd is a feeder to the Silicon Valley (2nd only to Stanford). Another reason would be the Claremont Consortium – as a Mudd student, you can easily take courses at Pomona, Pitzer, Scripps, or Claremont McKenna (they share one large campus space). Mudd also attracts students who have non-STEM interests as well as their STEM major – they require a secondary concentration in an non-STEM subject and their mission statement is quite specific about wanting to training scientists who have a view of the wider world. My kid went to Operation Catapult for a summer, and now attends Mudd. She really didn’t like OC, thought the staff (RH students) weren’t all that bright and hated the location. Oh, and Mudd has beaten R-H on the Payscale ROI for the last few years, too.</p>
<p>@intparent I was also considering Case Western Reserve, do you have any “insider” info on them? </p>
<p>Those are all reasonable options, Harvey Mud will be the hardest.
Chance me
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1660487-chances-for-ivy-league-mit-berkley-and-uchicago.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1660487-chances-for-ivy-league-mit-berkley-and-uchicago.html#latest</a></p>
<p>@BurgerMan1 , I don’t know as much about Case Western as I do about Mudd. One D2’s friends just finished his freshman year and likes it a lot (and he is a very smart cookie). I believe he has decided on a CS major, but he was also thinking about math before starting college. I know they give good merit aid. Sorry I can’t tell you more.</p>