<p>Hey guys, I'm a junior, yep.</p>
<p>I was wondering about some things.</p>
<p>I'm just starting to think about college, we'll I've been thinking about it for a while.</p>
<p>I really want to go to Harvard College, and have for a very long time. </p>
<p>I was wondering if my "Stats?" fit.</p>
<p>My class size is around 380. I go to a public high school in Massachusetts that supposedly is ranked like 20 something nationally.</p>
<p>My school is very tough and demanding and a lot of our students get into pretty good schools.</p>
<p>The other day I was in the guidance office and found some interesting documents. One was a school profile that told about "class rank" (we don't disclose class rank to colleges); it was a bar graph that had GPAs and percentages. I found out that 4.0 WEIGHTED to 4.4 [the highest GPA] was the Class of 2008's TOP EIGHT percent. Previous to this I thought a 4.0 weighted was still pretty low to be considering Ivy League schools and whatnot because everyone on CC has like a 4.6 or 5.0. </p>
<p>Right now I have a 3.7 GPA, and I did the math out with 3 APs and 3 Honors this year, that I can get a 3.97 by the end of the year, and by Term 2 of Senior Year, I can acquire a 4.05 GPA. Which I guess would put me in the top 7ish % of my class? </p>
<p>So now, I in a way have more I guess, "hope" for a top college? Though, I'm still not sure. </p>
<p>I also found another document that showed all the colleges people got into with certain weighted GPAs. In the Class of 2008, kids with 2.6-2.69 GPAs got into Boston College, kids with 3.1-3.19 GPAs got into Dartmouth College, Brandeis University, Tufts, and Dartmouth College.</p>
<p>And kids with my predicted GPA, borderline 3.98 and 4.05 weighted got into Cornell, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Yale, Duke.</p>
<p>Because of this, I'm really thinking of my chances. </p>
<p>If I truly am going to actually be the in the top 7%, which is around in total like 26 kids, that means I really am going to have a chance at Harvard College. Every year our high school gets around 30 kids into Harvard College, this is mainly because my school has connections with Harvard College, connections that have lasted over 300 years.</p>
<p>I'm going to start working harder, pushing myself even more to take this opportunity.</p>
<p>Also recently, I found out that there is a higher chance of kids from my neighborhood of getting into Harvard. And now, I think it might actually apply to me. I live in a certain part of my city that has land issues and growing community relations with Harvard College. I heard that kids in my neighborhood are accepted with lower standards and stats to create "friendlier relations" between the two.</p>
<p>Since I am just at the beginning stages of the college admissions process, I am a bit more relieved than previously. Before, I was really stressed out, because I felt I had fewer opportunities than my peers. </p>
<p>Right now, Harvard seems realistic to me, but then again, Harvard is always a reach, something you can never be sure of because it judges people based on personality, "fit", and whether they can truly contribute to their student body.</p>
<p>But, seeing how I am starting the college admissions process, I still don't know much about a lot of other colleges out there. </p>
<p>I'm going to disclose some bits of information about me:</p>
<p>Asian Male, First Generation College Student
Middle-Class</p>
<p>SAT: 2250</p>
<p>President of 2 major clubs which fund raise (one is for red cross), secretary of an ethnic club
Member of an outside organization (american red cross) that my club at school branches out of, which I hope to Co-Chair next year (random possibility)
I do a Varsity sport, I want to become a Co-Captain next year
I play the piano, though I'm not great
Science Olympiad, I want Co-Chair next year (might be difficult)
I tutor kids with homework, spent this summer volunteering at a hospital
I've done multiple programs at Harvard Medical School
Internship at Harvard, might do a Harvard Medical internship this summer if they want me
50 hours volunteering at school (mandatory)
Studied Arabic for a summer course (received highest marks in interview in arabic with ACTFL administrator but got a C+ for the course, which colleges WILL NOT find out about)</p>
<p>I don't have the best grades. In 9th grade, I got a B in Latin and a B in Algebra 2 Honors. In 10th grade, I got a B in Latin and a B- in Geometry Honors. I'm not very proud of this. I hope to get an A this year in math and next year, and get an almost percent Math 2 SAT. I did well in the SAT math section. I never learned Latin because I despise it. All other grades are A- and A. No A+ at all.</p>
<p>Will these 3 B's and one B- hurt me? Do colleges really look closely at that and care?</p>
<p>What colleges do you guys think will fit me? I don't want a small college, I prefer medium. I'm not a shy person, but at times may like to be alone. I like to talk and discuss with other people about random things and current events. I definitely will not consider MIT or CalTech because I don't think I want to die miserably in math. I'm probably not that bad, just probably average compared to my classmates. Math teachers are crazy, they think every test is a math competition.</p>
<p>I've heard good things about Tufts and BC. </p>
<p>And I'm interested in doing Early Action. I'd like to do Early Decision, but I feel its too risky. What colleges should I consider for Early Action?</p>
<p>Lately, I've been really interested in UPenn, I don't know why. But it's probably too selective and hard for me to get into.</p>
<p>Thanks guys for any suggestions/answers, and other random suggestions and tips non-related but that pertain to this long road ahead.</p>