<p>Any and all feedback, I'm okay with being torn apart.
Junior
-GPA: 3.93 (strange school GPA, this is my best effort at a conversion, UW or W- unsure)
-SAT: 2250, retaking in the fall. I'm content with my scores, but did 0 prep work, which I now plan to do.
-SAT II's in June: US Hist, English Lit and bio or math next fall
-Sophomore Year:
Honors Math, French, Hist, English and normal Chemistry. Journalism and "Close Up" Politics & Gov't. A B+ in History, a C in math (yikes)
-Junior Year:
AP: Hist & French 4, Honors: Math, English, Creative Writing. Then Journalism 2, and normal Biology. All A's, a B in French (among AP French 4 classes schoolwide, B+ was highest mark)
-Senior Year:
APs: Calc AB, French Lit 5, Psychology, Euro History
Honors: Philosophy as Literature, Physics
Journalism 2 again (signed up in order to work on the paper)</p>
<p>-French National Contest: 9th grade- 7th in nation. 11th grade- 5th.<br>
(wasn't able to take it 10th grade)
-National Latin Contest: Silver Medal, 9th gr
-Sophomore Year: Runner-up in schoolwide Writing competition (Martin Luther King-influenced essay; about 2000 students)
-Junior Year: First place in townwide analytical essay competition; 3rd in creative writing contest (out of about 3100 students)</p>
<p>ECs:
Mentor in Violence Prevention, 3 years, leader for senior year
Peer Mediator, 2 years
Newspaper, Editor positions 3 years (consumes my life)
Student Government/Student-Faculty Association, elected rep, 2 years
Yearbook Staff, Editor (a position I took because the school had NO ONE, not a full-on choice), 2 years
Varsity Track, 2 years (2 years JV). 2 years Varsity Field Hockey
Member of Code Pink (political activism group)
Volunteering on suicide hotline, 3 years</p>
<p>In addition, took extra courses at Boston College: Received a 4.0 in 2 sociocultural anthropology courses & a poli sci class (and credits for all)
Reccs:
Anthro Professor whom I've had 2 years (esp likes me)
Newspaper Adviser (known for best reccs in the schools, very well known at Columbia, Northwestern and a few other schools)</p>
<p>I'm confident I have an interesting and catching essay, and I was wondering how much impact family background will have. Essay discusses my mother (hadn't seen her for 6 years, went crazy, went to prison until recently), moment when I visited with her this year. Not whiny or sob-story at all. For explaining "whether or not grades are reflective of ability" etc, why or why not, during my sophomore year my brother became a heroin addict, stole my laptop and I lost a ton of work (much of which I couldn't make up, lost crucial credit). Not sure how I can describe that on a college app.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>