<p>Hey guys, could you help me with something?
Well, my top college of choice is UChicago but I'm not really sure if I'm a fit
specially because I'm Brazilian.
So please judge me(lol that's kind of weird) and tell me if it would be a reach or something.
Thanks in advance :)
Damn almost forgot, I'm looking to major in Chemistry(or maybe Chemical engineering, not sure yet)</p>
<p>-----Academic info:</p>
<p>-SAT:2000(super scored)
-Gonna try the Chem and Bio-M SAT</p>
<p>-TOEFL: 110</p>
<p>-GPA: Well here we have a problem... In Brazil we don't calculate GPA, but my average grades are like 9-9.5 out of 10</p>
<p>-Course load: Another Brazilian problem... Well in our schools, all subjects are mandatory, which means that everybody has the same classes. Although these classes in my school are similar to an honors(college level), there are no official way of reporting that, because of the core curriculum. So I'll just tell you my classes:
.Portuguese(5 classes per week) 7/10
.Mathematics(5 classes per week) 9.75/10
.Chemistry(5 classes per week) 10/10
.Physics(5 classes per week) 10/10
.General and Brazilian history(3 classes per week) 8.5/10
.Geography(3 classes per week) 9/10
.Current affairs(2 classes per week)--- This would be something like actual geopolitics, like studiying Ukraine, Syria and so on 10/10
.Brazilian Literature(2 classes per week) 9.5/10
.English(2 classes per week) 10/10
.Biology(5 classes per week) 10/10
.Physical Education(1 class per week) No average grade(not graded)</p>
<br>
<p>Based on friends I've got on other schools and my class mates, I'd say the core curriculum is quite difficult, as the class average is 5.3/10</p>
<br>
<p>-Class Rank: 1/126</p>
<p>-AP/HONORS: Doesn't exist in Brazil :/</p>
<p>---------ECs</p>
<p>.Volunteering(Teaching English to kids from a slum) ~1 year
.National Model UN(Head of delegation and delegate representing Romania
Kenya and Poland) ~3 years
.Chemistry laboratory main assistant ~3 years
.Did a foreign exchange to the US(completed an English course in California State University of Fullerton)~1 month
.Tutoring(Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Math) ~3 years
.Head of the Medical Department on Sports ~1 year
.Varsity Basketball(Point Guard) ~3 years
.Varsity Swimming (not that good...) ~2 years
.Working solo(me+chemistry teacher) on creation of projects(For example we created a bottle that can purify water using reverse osmosis and distributed about 20 prototypes in a local slum) But I don't have a certificate or anything ~1year
.Participated as the protagonist in a school play(hated it, never going to do it again)~1 year</p>
<p>---------National awards</p>
<p>.Essay on Spacial Chemical Laboratories chosen as a top 20 out of 2934(Chemistry Olympiad)
Btw, this happened this year and it is not over yet so who knows maybe I can get a medal or something :)</p>
<p>---------Regional/School awards:</p>
<p>.Awarded a 75% scholarship for good academic results and engagement in EC's
.Bronze medal on a basketball championship in my city(which is São Paulo, a huuuuge damn city)</p>
<p>---------Personal info
.Male here
.A weird thing not sure if good or bad: I'm actually graduating younger, because when I was in kindergarten I already knew how to read and write so I skipped one year, so it means I have always been the youngest kid in my class(16 years old and on 12th grade)
.So I'm the kind of kid who would like to have a laboratory in his basement :D(yeah that is really true)
.Love to learn(reason why I chose UChicago)
.Everything the school offers I'll take(in terms of classes)
.I'd judge my self a good writer, but I've never really written a college application essay so I don't know
.The problem is my sat is pretty average for UC and other top colleges(maybe applying to Yale)
and also I don't have many ECs on chemistry which is the area I want so....
.The recommendations might also be a problem since the teachers I know best don't speak English</p>
<p>So do you think I'm fit for UC and maaaaaaaybe and Ivy or another top college?
And would you think I should apply to the early action of UC? I mean I dunno the pros and cons of it but it seems cool to receive a decision before and plan yourself accordingly.
Also could you give me some info on the essay? Like the to-do's and not-to-do's</p>
<p>Thank you so much you're all wonderful people!!!</p>