Minnesota Junior Wanting CHances

Colleges & Universities A-Z Carleton College
1

<p>I have recently become aware how awesome Carleton is, and am interested in my chances! (I am a Junior)</p>

<p>PSAT: 76M 73CR 64W (Ouch! these, especially the writting should be better by the time I take the actual test, which I will study for)</p>

<p>GPA/Class Rank: No class rank, ~3.85-3.9 UW GPA, no weighted grades)
I'm taking what I feel is easily the hardest Junior Yr. Schedule in the school)</p>

<p>Classes:
I'm not going to list anything before Jr. Year. My 1st Semester Junior Yr. Grades were a tad lower than they usually are, and I am worried that this might hurt me. The second semester grades are based on what I am getting now, or what I am on pace to end up with) The Spanish and History teachers realized that A's were almost impossible, so they changed their grading scale for the second semester.</p>

<p>Grades:
AP CHEM: B+/B+
AP PHYSICS C: A/A
AP CALC BC: A/A (Note: the way this class is taken, colleges will only see that I have taken it, nt the grades. It also doesn't affect my GPA :( )
US HISTORY: B+/A
SPANISH 4: B+/A
ENGLISH: A+/A</p>

<p>Senior Year:</p>

<p>College Physics
Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus
AP ENGLISH
AP EURO
AP SPANISH</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities: (these will hurt me, i think. I didn't do any resume padding, and instead chose to do the activities that I love, and be devoted to them)</p>

<p>Knowlege/Trivial Bowl Team: (9,10,11,12) [12hrs/wk, 10wks/year AND 3hrs/wk, 8wks/year; Spokesperson (a team captain) (11,12) Team made state my sophomore year. I helpled save the team from elimination due to budget cuts/lack of coach/supposed "lack of interest."</p>

<p>Volunteering at local nursing home: Summer between Soph and Junior years. Also between Junior/Senior years. Part of junior year. Led small group of students to the nursing home. We socialized and played cards with the residents. I will have ~200ish hours.</p>

<p>Intramural Ultimate Frisbee : (10,11,12) I play Ultimate for 3-5 hours a week. In grades 11-12 it will still be intramural frisbee, however we will compete in tournaments as a team that is in no way affiliated with the school.</p>

<p>Movie Club: <a href="10,11,12">3hrs/wk, all year</a></p>

<p>Bridge Club: <a href="11,12">3hrs/wk, all year</a> Helped found. I am an obsessive card player. Play additional 5-8 hours a week outside of Bridge Club.</p>

<p>These activities take up almost all of my time.</p>

<p>Random Awards:
AMC-12 School Winner (My score was a 111.5)
Won Award for Spanish Proficiency two times
Top 50/900 taking a standardized physics exam in a 5 or 6 state area. The top 10 physics students from each school compete (on average)
I have various other awards.</p>

<p>Also, I skipped a grade in junior high, but I am about the same age as everyone else.</p>

<p>I would like to major in physics, with a possible dbl major in english (lol)</p>

<p>I probobly won't apply ED, because I'm crazy and just want to apply to other colleges LIke Chicago and MIT (where I have no chance)</p>

<p>THanks for any replies!</p>

2

<p>By "saw how awesome Carleton is" I hope you mean visited and not USN&WR rankings. Anyway, I think you might have a good chance at any of the schools you listed and also at Carleton. I was accepted this year with</p>

<p>8.2/11 GPA
All AP Courses my jr and senior year
1520 SATs (old obviously)
3 yrs Varsity Swimming (3 New England Championships)
4 yrs Varsity Waterpolo (4 N.E. Championships and All N.E. team)
4 yrs of Acting (5 leads)
Published B/W photgrapher
Math and Science Tutor for english as a second language children
Founder of a yearly dance which the entrance fees go towards Seeds for peace</p>

3

<p>dude, you guys are all awesome. I feel like kind of a scrub now. It's okay. Maybe I'll see you at carleton and you can kick my butt with all of your academic and extracurricular acheivements. </p>

<p>I do, however, do an excellent job of break-and-bake (if I don't eat all the cookie dough first)</p>

4

<p>IceNine~
"saw how awesome Carleton is"=
a) it would be cool to stay instate so that I could visit my family ocassionally on weekends, and travel would be cheaper
b) I love how they advertise broomball and ultimate. Those are the two sports that I really like to play (yeah, I know that sounds rather sad) and I would really like to continue playing Bridge in college, and Carleton students sound open-minded about learning new things.
c) The 3-2 physics program with Columbia sounds pretty coll (yes, I know that losts of colleges have this--but not in Minnesota)</p>

<p>My family is going to visit very soon. Those are the preliminary reasons that I think that Carleton is so good.</p>

5

<p>I had a pretty similar background. Top grades, tough classes, high SAT I/II scores, strong interest in math and science and numerous awards, random hodge podge extracurriculars. I applied RD to Carleton last year, among other schools like MIT, Harvey Mudd and Stanford that were all more technical. I ended up choosing Carleton over all of them and don't regret it. My professors are great, the students are smart and friendly, the classes are small and worthwhile, and it's just very relaxed here. Definitely visit, it's lovely here right now.</p>

<p>Don't get yourself too interested in the 3/2 program, though. I saw a table once showing how many people did it each year. I think there may have been two years where two students out of nearly 500 did it, and then all the other years nobody or only one person did it. It's not very common and not a popular program. If you are interested in engineering, Carleton won't serve your needs very well. If you are more interested in pure science, though, then Carleton's just dandy. I wouldn't rule it out at this stage. Broomball and ultimate are disgustingly huge here. I can't go anywhere now without walking into the middle of people tossing around a frisbee.</p>

6

<p>thanks you all for the replies</p>

<p>use a toothbrush~
may I ask, what is your major and do you feel like your math and physics classes, especially, are challenging and are top-notch? Also, you said that nobody (essentially does the 3-2 program) is taht because it is difficult to get into, or because everbody is happy without it, or both?
thanks for your advise and opinions already, you definatly have made me more interested in Carleton.</p>