<p>I am currently a junior in high school. I do not know much about college admissions or college in general, but I want to understand if I have a chance at any of these schools. Concerning my ECs and awards, I understand that there is a lot of room for improvement. Feel free to give any additional advice. Thank you. </p>
<p>SAT:
SAT: CR:730, M:800, W:800 w/ 10 on essay, Total: 2330
SAT II Math 2: 790
Planning on taking physics SAT II</p>
<p>Grades:
My school does not offer AP classes for students in grades 9 and 10.
I have earned all As so far. (GPA = 4.00 unweighted)
Freshman year: 6 normal classes
Sophomore year: 4 normal classes, 2 honors classes (Physics H and Precalculus H)
Junior year: 3 AP classes (AP Computer Sci., AP Calculus BC, AP Physics), 1 honors class (French 4H), 3 normal classes</p>
<p>EC: (for the ones not labeled, I have participated in those since 9th grade)
-Track and Field, but not a fast runner (10th - 11th grade)
-Clubs: member of French National Honor Society, National Honor Society, and California Scholarship Federation
-Competitive soccer for a club team
-Android app development internship (last summer)
-French tutor at school (11th grade)
-Reading partners: tutor elementary school kids who are behind grade level in reading (10th - 11th grade)
-Run an annual haunted house for charity with friends, have raised $3000 for American Cancer Society over 4 years (8th - 11th grade)</p>
<p>Awards:
-Scholar Award for doing well in Literature class in 10th grade
-Scholar Athlete Award for maintaining a 4.0 during track and field
-Le Grand Concours Laur</p>
<p>Yeah, you seem to be on the right track. Keep up the ECs, definitely try to get involved in more activities related to your intended major. And try to participate in competitions and get some awards. Let’s face it, awards within the school really don’t count for anything. Try the Grand Concours again this year, and since you seem somewhat interested in programming, I’d suggest USACO - there’s one coming up in just a week.</p>
<p>If you don’t know much about how college admissions works then get a book and read about it. Meet with your GC, he will have a better idea than other HS kids about ‘chances’. He has experience about the process and where kids in your school get in.</p>
<p>To get into Caltech, MIT, and Stanford, you’re gonna need better ECs. Try to do more stuff related to your major especially and get more leadership positions if you can. But you’ll easily get into all those other schools</p>
<p>@ivanov2014 Haha you are right, my school awards really do not count for much. I will be participating in the Grand Concours again this year, and at a higher level. And thanks a lot for your suggestion of USACO, I will definitely look into that.</p>
<p>@BrownParent You are absolutely correct, and I will meet with my GC soon. Thank you. Also, I love your username.</p>
<p>@scderek4 Yeah I thought so too. But it’s nice to know where I am with everything I’ve done up to this point, so thanks for your help.</p>
<p>Not to bring you down but have you not taken all the most rigorous courses at your school? You indicated “normal” classes which I’m assuming mean there were options for Honors that you didn’t take. For the top-tier colleges that will probably hurt you, esp. if there are other kids in your grade who HAVE taken all the most rigorous courses and have similar ECs. I would factor in your ethnicity and the competitiveness of your high school however.</p>
<p>Le Grand Concours and the App thing are both interesting aspects of your profile. SATs are a check. You’ll most likely get into UCSD, and UC Davis is a safety. For the others I’d say your chances are pretty consistent with the overall admit rates.</p>
<p>Consider your prospective major and try to pursue more opportunities there, and possibly do more with your French ECs, as well as leadership. Top colleges look for students who have pursued their passion and succeeded at the highest level.</p>
<p>@jae221 For grades 9 and 10, I took the most difficult courses one could take. For the normal classes this year, I could have taken harder courses for each one. From what I have heard, my school’s advanced courses are pretty difficult, and there seems to be a few kids who, like me, have 3 AP classes. However, I also have an honors class on top of that. There are only 2 students I know of who have a more difficult course load. Thanks for taking the time to read everything I wrote, and thanks for your advice too.</p>
<p>@20more Thanks! I don’t have any hook, but I’l still try for those top 3 and see what happens. A UC would be awesome too.</p>