Jr: Chances at selective Universities-help!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am reposting this topic with updated information; I would appreciate any comments on chances!!</p>

<p>I have a story that I am reluctant to tell, but I will give you the abriged version.
I did many bad things in the freshmen and summer of freshmen year of high school (including the prolonged use of controlled substances). I have changed, however, and have decided that in my junior year I would work to end up in a great school. If the full story is requested, why not? Do I bother writing about this in an essay, or will they assume I'm a druggie?</p>

<p>My GPA:
3.2 Freshman Year(3 C's some b's and a's)
3.8 Sophomore Year (1 b more A-'s than A's, no AP or Honors classes)
4.125 Junior Year (All A's except a B and a B+ in AP US History, finishing with a (current) A in the class. If that was unclear, it went like this: B(T2), B+(T3), A(T4), and the majority of my classes were AP's)
Reason for the B's? Laziness, obviously..
5 AP Classes(Calc AB, Statistics, Biology, US History, and Physics)
Cumulative by the end of this year: 3.8 Weighted(Our school weighs awfully, at a measly 4.333 for an A in an AP Class- my GPA would have been much higher)</p>

<p>I am taking the hardest possible senior-year classes.</p>

<p>Class rank: Probably by the end of my junior year: 13-17%(Unclear at the moment, definitely a good +2 or 3 percent from the top 10% minimum)</p>

<p>ACT: 35
SAT: 2300(Along with a PSAT of 230) 800M
Math IIC: 800
US History:?
Biology:?</p>

<p>AP Tests: Taking Stat, Bio, and AP US(Studying immensely, I'd expect at least a four) senior year I'll take Calc BC, Human Geog, Gov't and Politics, Physics B, Macroecon</p>

<p>EC's:
Medical Club - 10,11,12
Speech and Debate - 10,11,12
JSA(Founded) - 11,12 - President
Key Club - 11,12
National Honors Society - 10,11,12 - Running for Sec. next year
Internship at Attorney General's Office
JSA @ Stanford
Stanford National Forensics Institute - Advanced Seminar
NFL Nationals qualifier
Qualified to AIME
VBI @ LA</p>

<p>Before I list my colleges:
I realize that my stats are far from superb. My only hope is that I am not aiming far too high... I assume I will be either borederline under the 10% mark or just above the 10% mark in class ranks, and I should end with approximately a 3.82 GPA. I believe my recommendations will be very good, and I hope my essays will be as well. Depending on my class rank, I may or may not take a class over the summer for HS credit (Like PE..)</p>

<p>Schools: I'd go to basically any of the seven accepted, if you all predict I'll get in to ** at least ** one of these I'll be extremely happy..</p>

<p>Princeton University Econ/Poli 10/11/12 GPA #4
Stanford University Physics 10/11/12 GPA #1
Columbia University Econ/Poli #2
Northwestern University Econ/Poli #3
University of Chicago Physics #5
JHU Biology #6
Notre Dame Econ #7</p>

<p>safety: University of Missouri - Kansas City 6yr med hopefully, two cousins are attending it</p>

2

<p>I like your credentials, particularly the nice E.Cs. Your grade are a sore part man. I think that U of Chicago could definitely take a chance on you though. I would say that your chances are best at Hopkins and Notre Dame.</p>

<p>I would say, that Northwestern and Chicago will be slight reaches (as they are reaches for most people). Northwestern admitted under 25 percent this year. Plenty of students with 1400 and 1500s got denied.</p>

<p>This would be my rating.</p>

<p>Notre Dame / Hopkins - match
Northwestern / Chicago - slight reach
Princeton / Stanford / Columbia - major reach</p>

<p>good luck</p>

3

<p>good chance at all non IVYs</p>

<p>and i think ur a fool to be looking at different majors for each of the different schools</p>

4

<p>bump... any other chances on the colleges please</p>

5

<p>you have a good chance at NWU and perhaps some chance at Notre Dame and Chicago... but I'm not sure how the top Ivys will view your use of controlled substances, even though it's very clear that you're smart and you've changed. and yes, don't hide it, you're gonna be in a lot of trouble if they find out. I'm happy for you though, you're still gonna have a great future, good luck!</p>

6

<p>lol, nonono... I was never in trouble with the law.. (thank goodness)</p>

7

<p>hmmmmmm so there're no records, no rehab, no nothing? then what are you waiting for, go fot the Ivies! your poor freshman grades aren't that much a problem since you've shown great and consistent improvement. you could perhaps explain that you were just having trouble settling in the first year, but gradually caught up... it's understandable and even commendable.</p>

8

<p>ok...im going to be honest here. You have amazing SAT and ACT scores, and you seem to be very smart and probably deserve to go to any of those schools you listed. But the problem is, as much as it shouldnt, your previous grades are going to hurt you. I am a senior this year and I go to an extremely competitive high school. There is a girl in my grade who is number 2 in our class of 400 students. She has never gotten below an "A" in any class and had decent extracurriculars. She applied to all of the ivy league schools and georgetown and got denied from all of them, not even waitlisted. While she did get into other amazing schools, I was shocked that she didnt even get into Georgetown with her stellar grades. I watched the same thing happen to many of my classmates and it just proves how competitive it all has gotten. The problem is, while you are very smart and have great grades now, there is always going to be someone who had great grades for all of high school. I don't want to scare you away from these schools, by all means, apply to them! But just make sure you have a list of schools that aren't as competitive as well. Having gone through the college admissions process this year, I am now more of a realist and understand that even if you could handle the work at an ivy league school you might not get in. I would apply to those schools if you wish, but realize that there is a great chance that you won't get into any of these. You definitely deserve to go to a great school. But the problem with the schools you picked out is that EVERYONE applies to them because they are so well known. There are schools out there that are highly competitive and prestigious yet are not getting applications from every student in United States whos in the National Honors Society. Based on what I have seen this year with admissions, it feels like most of these schools are stretch schools (sorry). I would add in some more target schools and definitely a lot more safeties.</p>

9

<p>heh, as you said, that girl had only decent extracurriculars. the top schools have more than their fair share of applicants with her grades, and the ECs are how they differentiate. your girl lost out on that. good grades aren't everything. i honestly think our guy here has a better chance at Ivies etc than her. but yes always be prepared for rejection, you never know, but don't let that stop you from going for the best.</p>

10

<p>I appreciate it.</p>

<p>Do I or don't I explain the drug situation? Would that play to my favor?
Any other input on chances?</p>