<p>I've been a long time lurker... now I have some questions of my own!</p>
<p>A little background:</p>
<p>In highschool I was an average student. I didn't know what I wanted to do, didn't know what I cared about, and just floated along. I finished with a 3.7gpa and received a really good scholarship award. My school didn't offer much of anything... I grew up in an incredibly rural, farming area (graduating class of 15). The school offerred up to Algebra 2 and Geometry 2 for math. Prior to highschool I lived in a more urban area and was in "gifted" classes.</p>
<p>I went to a private music school and got an AS, but I hated it and had no motivation to be there (my parents pressured me to go to college when I had no idea about my passions). I left with a 2.7gpa (unaccredited school so nothing was transferrable).</p>
<p>I took a 3-4 year break from school to work and handle some family problems. In that time I became obsessed with audio synthesis and signal processing. I began studying math due to my incomplete education in the subject. I came across more "pure" math texts (Apostol, for instance) and fell in love. So I moved to California to become a resident to get cheaper education to better schools. Since none of my credits transferred from my music college I went to CC and started from the ground up.</p>
<p>So, I'm a math major. I specifically want to major in pure math. I have ideas of where I will be applying to this fall, but want more suggestions for schools I have not been considering and also if my goals are realistic. Any advice is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Schools I am definitely applying to:
UC Berkeley
UCSD
UC Davis</p>
<p>Schools I'm considering:
U Washington
Harvey Mudd
Williams</p>
<p>Dream Schools:
Caltech
MIT
Stanford</p>
<p>My academic info:
GPA: 3.99
Units: 59 (I will have ~90 when I transfer)
Courses: I will be finished with all the lower div math this fall and plan on cross-enrolling in one or two upper div classes at SDSU or UCSD. I have all A's or A+'s except for one B in my first semester. It was an online class on educational approaches to physical education. There was a problem with the website, I missed a test, the teacher said I could make up the test, and then wasn't there for her office hours. For most of my classes, I have been the top of the class and have gotten many letters of recommendation from several of my professors.</p>
<p>Extracurricular Activities:
-Life long musician (guitar, piano, electronic music, and sound design)
-I am very athletic. For the last 3.5 years (until this spring) I was pursuing a pro career in road cycling. I was training 40 hours per week and going to school full time. I decided to quit for issues of ethics and I also did't want to drop out of school to pursue this career. Now I run a lot (~80 miles per week).
-I play chess at several of the local chess clubs.
-I volunteer at the local library sometimes.
-I volunteer at environmental sustainability and permaculture events. I also participate in activism pertaining to the matter.
-I've volunteered at many cycling events.</p>
<p>I don't have many activities since being a full-time athlete took up most of my time!</p>
<p>Work Experience:
-Internships at several recording studios
-Technician for a high end audio/visual company
-Slew of other normal jobs (cook type positions)</p>
<p>I really want to go to a school that is challenging and cares a lot about academics. However, I want to go somewhere that really cares about there undergrads and has ample opportunities for research. I am very good at teaching myself (I've taken mostly online classes) but I care about small class sizes with approachable/available professors. I don't care about lots of social activities, parties, etc. I want to go to school for my education and to be in a challenging academic environment that will push my limits. Also, financial aid is very important for me as my wife and I are on the borderline of the poverty bracket (we would be within it if we moved for me to attend a certain school).</p>
<p>My dream school is caltech. I have been studying to pass there entrance exam. Do I have a shot at the big-named schools for math? I really do not know if schools such as Caltech and the ivies are a realistic reach for me. I know exactly what I want to do now and want to reach for the highest goals I can. If anyone has recommendations for other schools to consider, that'd be great as well.</p>
<p>Thank you for your help.</p>