<p>Hi!
I'm a senior beginning my college application process, and as I began to make my list of colleges I began to worry about getting acceptances! I've worked really really hard throughout high school so I am applying to some selective colleges. I was wondering if you could take a look at my stats and my college list and let me know if you think I can get in to these places. Obviously some of them are just for the heck of it (Columbia, Stanford) because who really gets in there anyway? Just kidding. Kind of. ANYWAY here are my stats
By the way I'm a white female
GPA: Unweighted 3.9, Weighted from all 3 years: 4.3, Weighted sophomore/junior year: 4.45 (my junior year GPA was really high, 4.8 & 4.6 because I had 4 weighted classes and got all A's one semester and one B the next)
ACT scores: Only took it once without studying and got 29. 31 E 29 M 31 R 26 S and 10/12 essay
Taking a prep class now and taking it again to hopefully get 30's (the higher the better)
Ive taken the SAT but decided to focus on my ACT since most schools just consider your one highest test anyway so what's the point.
My essay will be great and so will my recommendations.
3 years of Varsity Track and Field, 1 year of Volleyball
AP scholar with Honor
(taken AP Euro, AP US History, AP Environmental, AP Calc AB, currently in AP Gov/Econ and AP Calc BC along with many honors classes)
National Honor Society for 3 years and CSF for four
Secretary of the With Hope Club for 2 years
Part of SMYL (youth leadership) at my church and have dedicated many hours there! 200-300+ community service hours from spending so much time there
Various other clubs (Red Cross, Spanish Club)
Okay so im sure there are other various things I'll come up with for my apps but basically my main thing is my GPA and my rigor of classes which are both great and I've worked so hard for so I'm hoping this really attracts me along with decent test scores that will most likely get better to become really good, being dedicated to a few certain extracurriculars ie. my church with hours, track and field varsity, secretary for my club.
COLLEGE LIST:
Boston University
Columbia University (only applying here because I'm in love with it so why not just try, might apply ED)
Georgetown University
NYU
Stanford (again, why not, but I also have a connection here. My moms cousin (my 2nd cousin??) is Charles Schwab who is a rich famous businessman founder of Charles Schwab Corporation, anyway he is an alum and has donated tons and tons of money to Stanford, he has his own residential center there named after him, anyway he is going to try and get me in)
UC Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Miami
University of Notre Dame
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
THANK YOU ANYONE WHO ANSWERS! :) for even reading this lol
was also considering northwestern or upenn but thinking they are just more reaches....
thx</p>
<p>I’m sorry, correction, Charles Schwab is my Grandpa’s cousin idk why I said mom lol oops.
That makes him my first cousin, twice removed. :)</p>
<p>Firsr of all, the vast majority of your schools are reaches besides BU. You also mentioned that your class rigor/test scores are really great. And that’s true. Nobody can take that away from you, but 2/3rds of applicants with 2400/4.0 (or 36/4.0 in your case) are rejected. Your extracurriculars are also good, but its not Stanford material. There are kids who apply to Stanford with businesses generating half a million in revenue a year. There are kids who win international science competitions, are captains of three sports as well as class president, and kids who speak at the UN general assembly meetings. Many of these kids are rejected. Even if Mr. Schwabs can write you an excellent letter of recommendation, Stanford and the other schools on your list are still high reaches.</p>
<p>I think that Vanderbilt is at least as big a reach for you, because they are notorious for their emphasis on test results, and your current score falls well below their range. I would add Barnard to your list if you love Columbia so much, unless you were planning to apply to the Engineering School.Your scores are your one weak spot (and a 29 is pretty good almost everywhere other than the colleges on your list). If you love the idea of NYC, you should consider Fordham-Lincoln Center, unless you are planning on a Science or Technology major. I definitely think you should add one or two more matches or safe schools for consideration right now. If your scores do rise substantially, you can keep the super-reaches, but your list should be realistic for the stats you have now. If you are interested in Berkeley (where your great GPA might be enough without a score increase), why not add UC Davis to your list?</p>
<p>@Oberyn thanks for the feedback! you’re right the students who get into Stanford are insane and I expect to get a rejection letter from them, but I’m just going to apply anyway. I though Boston was a good match for me, but I also thought NYU Miami and Nova were attainable as well… I know I have a considerable amount of reaches but I also thought I had some I could get into… thanks 
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<p>I’d recommend also noting if you’ve ever had any leadership positions on your ECs. I don’t know much about colleges and getting into them (seeing as I haven’t either), but I know if you show leadership on those it’ll look nice. Good luck!</p>
<p>@woogzmama yes Vanderbilt is extremely hard to get into! I think it’s average ACT is 31-34 which I’m not in the range now but hope to be soon. I have not considered Barnard because I don’t want to go to an all women’s college. I am completely aware that I am 99% going to get a rejection letter from Columbia but I’m going to try anyways. I don’t agree that all my schools are super reaches…I figure that BU NYU Miami Villanova are all attainable. I know I definetely have some others that are reaches but I also have some like I listed that I think I could get into. Oh, and UC Berkeley is the only UC I like I’ve looked at all the UC’s since I’m a SoCal Resident and that’s the only one I have interest in, the only way I’m staying in Cali is if I go there or Stanford which I prob won’t get into so unless I’m going to Berkeley I’m out of California! Thanks so much for feedback! </p>
<p>@22mkzm Okay I will! Thanks! </p>
<p>You are definitely in range for some of your schools, I agree. I suggested Barnard, because it is slightly less selective than Columbia. You are literally across the street from the main campus, share many facilities, can cross-register in most classes, and you will never feel that you are at a single-sex college unless you want to. I went to Barnard, and always felt that I was part of the university. That was before Columbia began admitting women on its own (after a series of ultimata to Barnard failed). I belonged to a co-ed fraternity, majored in a cross-listed department (ie. there was no duplication between courses at Barnard and Columbia Colleges). You will not have the Core Curriculum at Barnard, but some people consider that a plus instead of a minus. </p>