Last Chance to Chance Me! (long thread)

<p>I am a 17 year old Asian in his senior year of a competitive and very large, diverse high school in IL (4400 students split between a fresh/soph campus and a junior/senior campus) </p>

<p>Chances at:
Northwestern University (Recommends 3 SAT Subject Tests)
University of Chicago (Considers SAT Subject Tests)
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Considers SAT Subject Tests)
Johns Hopkins University (Recommends 3 SAT Subject Tests)
Washington University in St. Louis (Considers SAT Subject Tests)
University of Notre Dame (Considers SAT Subject Tests)
University of Wisconsin Madison (Considers SAT Subject Tests)
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana</p>

<p>My current school includes physical education in the GPA. Also, in IL, PE is a required course all four years of high school (you can opt out, but I did not take advantage of that by taking it over the summer 5 hours a day for several weeks).
At my previous school, I took the most rigorous courses except for Honors Spanish (I sort of regret not doing that now).
At this school, I am also taking the most rigorous courses.</p>

<p>GPA UW: 3.71
GPA W: 4.27
Projected graduating GPA W: 4.35 ~school no longer ranks (magna cum laude GPA= 4.2-4.4 and summa cum laude GPA= 4.4 and above, which is about top 3%)
Projected graduating GPA UW: 3.73
Still, top 6-7 percent in a very large public school (class of 1000) (highest GPA is 4.63ish)
Freshman year: 4.0 UW/4.42 W
Sophomore year: 4.0/4.42
I transferred schools during summer vacation, and struggled during my the first semester of my junior year. I would easily be ranked in the top 15/1000 had I not struggled, probably with a 4.52 GPA
Junior year S1: 2.43/3.0 (I know)
Junior year S2: 3.71/4.57
Senior year S1: 3.83/ 4.67
Senior year projected S2: 4.00/4.83 </p>

<p>If I could somehow ignore that junior year S1 GPA (counselor does explain why it's so low), I'd have a 3.93 UW GPA/4.54 W GPA and would be ranked top 15/1000 in my school-at least half of these kids are going to Ivies and other top 10 schools with one accepted to MIT EA, at least two at Yale, at least one at Harvard, a few at Brown, and a few at Cornell</p>

<p>ACT: 32/32
Math: 33/32
English: 31/33
Reading: 30/31
Science: 32/30</p>

<p>SAT II Chemistry: 700
SAT II Biology: 750
SAT II Math Level II: 750</p>

<p>College course at a community college last summer:
Introduction to Psychology -A/3.0 credits</p>

<p>Classes:</p>

<p>Freshman: Honors Biology, Honors Freshman English, Honors Geometry, Spanish I, World Geography, PE</p>

<p>Sophomore: Hon Algebra II, Hon Soph English, Hon Chem, Spanish II, Child growth and development semester 1 and health semester 2, US government semester 1 and Drivers Ed semester 2, PE</p>

<p>Junior Year: AP Language and Composition, AP US History, AP Microeconomics/AP Macroeconomics (S1/S2), Honors Pre-Calculus BC, Honors Physics, Honors Spanish III, PE</p>

<p>Senior Year: AP Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, PE</p>

<p>AP tests: </p>

<p>Freshman: none available</p>

<p>Sophomore: none available</p>

<p>Junior year:
AP Language and Composition-3 (mentally exhausted during essay portion)
AP US History-4
AP Macroeconomics-5
AP Microeconomics-5</p>

<p>Senior year:
AP Literature and Composition: projected 4 (20-30% chance of 5)
AP Statisitics: projected 5 (70-80% chance 5)
AP Chemistry: projected 4-5 (60-70% chance 5)
AP Biology: projected 5 (90-95% chance 5)
AP Calculus BC: projected 5 (70-80% chance 5)
AP Physics B (self study): projected 4-5 (60-70% chance 5)</p>

<p>Honors:
Illinois State Scholar (12)
AP Scholar with Honor (12)
AP National Scholar (hopefully later this year)
Who's Who Among All American Scholars (11)-not the scam
Inclusion of 2008 U.S. Achievement Academy National Yearbook (Who's Who in Minority Leadership) (11)-not the scam
National Society of High School Scholars (11) (does this mean anything?)-evidently a scam
Recipient of Sigma Theta Delta In-House Scholarship at UW-Madison (does this mean anything?)-not mentioned in any applications</p>

<p>ECs:
Researching Influenza A (H1N1) virus to suggest potential ways to improve people's health, 60 hours (12)
Shadowed a gastroenterologist 30 hours (12)
Volunteer at a nursing home 40 hours (11)
Volunteer at a hospital in guest services 60-70 hours (12-I start tomorrow)
Tutoring a student peer in AP Chemistry and AP Calculus BC 50-70 hours (self-studying for both, but in Calc AB)
Track (no leadership roles) 9,10
Math Club (no leadership roles) 9, 10, 12
Varsity Academic Team 9, 10, 12
SOS (Students of Service) (no leadership roles YET-probably will be the committee chairman for 1-2 events) 12
Robotics club (no leadership roles) 11, 12
Indian Club (no leadership roles) 12
Future Doctors of America (Founder and President) 12
-this club will take about another month before it is established</p>

<p>Essays:
Common App Personal essay is excellent and philosophical, really revealing my character, others are in the great-excellent range (except for the generic ones that ask "Why do you want to attend ___ University?" or "What will you bring to our University?" which are excellent)
-some figurative language in the essays for creativity and my own unique style
-University of Chicago essay = (How Did I Get Caught? Essay) promoting myself as a humanitarian who wants to help impoverished people in third-world countries (established goal following a trip to Pakistan in the the summer of 7th grade) become caught in their own web of satisfaction by becoming a doctor and using my knowledge and tools to open hospitals and education centers, deliver and administer vaccines, and provide innovative, modern medical technology
-Notre Dame essay was similar to Chicago essay</p>

<p>Counselor recommendation:
great, also mentioned my struggle during the first semester of my junior year</p>

<p>Teacher recommendations:
Excellent
-AP Biology teacher: I am the top student in AP Biology out of 60-70 students, and this is reflected in the letter
-Honors Sophomore English teacher: One of his favorite students, exhibiting a "mastery of the English language"
-Honors Physics teacher: Not only comments on my work ethic and "good student" qualities, but elaborates on good character (polite, respectful individual)
-all comment (to my surprise) that I am a rare student who wants to actually understand the material and that I grasp concepts most other students miss, that I think through problems rather than rely on formulas, that I have gained the universal respect of my peers who come to me for guidance -They actually state this verbatim; I am not being conceited lol</p>

<p>Sent all three to:
Northwestern University
University of Chicago
Johns Hopkins University
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Notre Dame </p>

<p>Will send either the biology or physics one to (don't want to trouble my English teacher too much; I had him mail 7 envelopes, only 4 of which had stamps!-hard to give to a teacher at a different school):
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor </p>

<p>Work experience:
Physicians administrative assistant (basically a secretary)-summer, 06/2009-08/2009, 10 hrs/wk
-checking and responding to emails, answering phone calls, typing of letters</p>

<p>Optional info (for Common App):
Math team
Track and Field
FDA (forming it)
Self-studying for AP Physics B exam
Presently learning Arabic and Mandarin Chinese, both of which I commenced learning last summer.
Intro to Psychology at community college, received A</p>

<p>Hopefully will engage in biological/medical research this summer.</p>

<p>All feedback is greatly appreciated! I will chance those who chance me!</p>

<p>Match/in at public schools, you will probably get into 3 or more of the private ones, one bad semester wont kill you</p>

<p>bumppppppppp</p>

<p>Same as JonRuben1. You have lots going for you to compensate for that semester.</p>

<p>bump for the last time</p>

<p>Northwestern University - match
University of Chicago - reach
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - match
Johns Hopkins University - match
Washington University in St. Louis - match
University of Notre Dame - reach
University of Wisconsin Madison - match
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana - match</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/841375-bombing-senior-year-will-chance-back-quickly.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/841375-bombing-senior-year-will-chance-back-quickly.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Northwestern University - match
University of Chicago - mid-reach
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - safety
Johns Hopkins University - mid-reach
Washington University in St. Louis - match
University of Notre Dame - reach
University of Wisconsin Madison - safety
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana - safety</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK!!</p>