Junior looking for some college advice?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi all, new to this forum :slight_smile:

Completing the full IB diploma and currently getting 7s in everything (the extra 3 points are not counted yet). I got a composite score of 33 (English 31, Science 30, Math 35, Reading 36) in my ACT, and I don’t plan on doing an SAT (bombed my first try and I don’t want to waste time on it again).

I want to study English literature or philosophy in college… and I’m thinking of applying to U chicago, Tufts, Williams, NYU, Pomona, Carleton, Rutgers New Brunswick, and maybe Amherst? I also want to try my chances at some Ivies but I’m just not sure if it’s worth it. In particular, Princeton and Columbia. I’m thinking of EDing Princeton.

I guess I just want to know if I even have a shot at my current choices. My academics are strong but I’m not exactly what you call ‘leadership material’. In my free time I translate quite a lot of stuff, and I’ve also done some work for a publishing house to translate books on Confucianism from Chinese to English. I’ve also published some articles in the newspapers, but in Chinese. (I’m Chinese Canadian and I live in Beijing)

Any advice would be deeply appreciated!! Thanks so much xx

P.S: A short review of my ECs… Because I’m doing the full IB Diploma, so I have loads of ECs in order to complete CAS. In particular, I have my own book club to introduce young students to new genres of books; and I have a psychology club for younger students since psych is only offered in IB in my school.
I visit a Migrant School monthly.
Peer tutoring (math) and peer mentoring (sort of like a Big Brother program to help younger students fit better into a new school).
Play the piano pretty well although I don’t particularly enjoy it.
Write for the school magazine.
Part of a club that’s sort of like ‘tech support’ and teaches teachers/parents to use the Mac system since most people are only familiar with Windows.

I’m also the student librarian :slight_smile:

2

Do some more research on each school, and maybe include more match schools. Since you have already delved into some LACs, I recommend Swarthmore, Bowdoin, and Haverford. Definitely do some digging and (if you get accepted or have the chance before you apply) visit the school! I can’t emphasize that enough. My D was set on Swat then visited Carleton and loved it. She later visited Swat and felt it wasn’t right.

3

Bump… >< Any help is deeply appreciated!! Thank you!

4

Help please! D: Thank you ><

5

Hey! thanks so much. I live in China so I don’t really have many opportunities to visit beforehand, but I’ve done tons of research and I feel like all these schools fit me academically… But it’d still be great if somebody could chance me?