Lots of meneutia regarding my future application

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
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<p>I go to a small (320 kids) school in northwestern Montana, and we don't offer AP or IB but we have honors english and history. I am the first girl to ever take calc before her senior year and the first nonsenior ever to take physics at my school. I have run out of math and science to take; the community college an hour away offers little. I will be taking stats, Calc 2 (and perhaps 3) and a lab science, although I cannot say if it will be chemistry or biology from the CC. If my only option for taking any math or science at all is to do all of that first semester (and in order to do so I must take alternative night school for my English credit from HS,) would it be worth it? Scheduling is so difficult here; options are nonexistant.</p>

<p>Rank 1/93
GPA (unweighted) 4.0
PSAT 212
SAT 1 Math 770, Verbal 630
New SAT Math 720 Writing 760 CR 680
800 IIC 750 CHem 630 Spanish
AP Calc AB-5
Core classes I've taken: Honors US/ World History, Honors English I, II, III, Spanish I, II, III, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Earth Science, Anatomy and Physiology, Precalculus, Geometry, Algebra II, Band ( I know, not a core, but three years of first flute) Note: these are the MOST demanding courses my HS offers; I will be going to community college to take Calc 2, Stats, and Biology this year</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: President of Speech and Debate team, President of Interact, President of Spanish club, Vice president of NHS, PEACE volunteers, Varsity XC(2years state team championships while I ran) and track, Varsity Impromptu ( state semifinalist sophomore year and 7th place finalist junior year,) Student Counsil, Bigfork's Junior Miss, AIME qualifier, Top school score on AMC 10/12, Winner of MTCM (montana teacher counsel of mathematics?) 3 years in the region, once at state, 7 state superiors for the same competition, Band, Music festival, Brainbusters(first nonsenior to be nominated, grades 10,11,12) Montana Academic Challenge</p>

<p>I know I need to retake the SATs in order to get the 800 Matha and a>700 CR. However, I look at all of my ECs and I realize that there is nothing I have geared towards research. I look constantly for local opportunities, but there seem to be none. What should I do? This is going to be my senior year and I really want to be competitive in the application pool.</p>

<p>I know that was very messy so here are my questions:
1. Is it worth dropping Honors English/Gov't (replaced by alternative course) in order to take more math and science?
2. How can I get research experience in an isolated area like Bigfork?
3. When I retake (and hopefully raise my score to an 800m, 700Cr) will I be much more likely to gain entrance?
4. Are there any more suggestions/comments you have?</p>

<p>Thanks!!!!</p>

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<p>know that was very messy so here are my questions:

[quote]
1. Is it worth dropping Honors English/Gov't (replaced by alternative course) in order to take more math and science?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes, but you won't be penalized if you don't.</p>

<p>
[quote]
2. How can I get research experience in an isolated area like Bigfork?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You probably can't. However, we won't hold it against you. We read applications in context, and we know Montana doesn't have that many cutting edge nanocomputation laboratories or whatever. <em>whisper</em> If you wan't to win an admission person's heart, write an essay/extra note about how you really really wanted to do research all through high school to gain more exposure to science but couldn't really find any way to get your foot in the door. Say (if it's true) that you see Caltech/MIT/wherever as a place where you could finally have access to all the exciting scientific opportunities you've never been able to find nearby. </p>

<p>
[quote]
3. When I retake (and hopefully raise my score to an 800m, 700Cr) will I be much more likely to gain entrance?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Your current 630V raises a flag. Taking down that flag would make you look like "smart kid in the boonies who needs to be given a chance." Without that, the first part of that quote is slightly shakier. So yes, getting your scores up would probably help a bit. On the other hand, don't fret excessively about the 770 math. I got a full merit scholarship at Caltech with a 730, so even here scores aren't everything.</p>

<p>
[quote]
4. Are there any more suggestions/comments you have?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, yes, but they're up there ;-)</p>

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<p>Thanks so much! Did I forget to type that I got a 680 the second time around on CR? Because I have the worst luck in the whole world (exaggeration) and have been sick both times I took the SAT. Anyway, do you give tours of Caltech? I was there over spring break and I couldn't remember if it was you who I talked briefly with.</p>