<p>Dear CC readers,</p>
<pre><code> I am writing this thread as a way to gauge myself and the chances I have at attending some of the best schools in the nation (Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Penn All the way down the ranks to like U of Michigan and NYU however I do understand that rankings is not a static form of data) Essentially I want a great feeder school for when I apply to one of the top 10 Law Schools. Also I am currently ending my Junior year of high school.
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<p>a) My GPA is 3.86 weighted (it will probably rise to like 3.9). I had never tried during my freshman year and it is truly haunting me now. I had 2 on-level courses and I got Bs on some of my easier classes. However my Sophmore and Junior year marked a new era in my Academic Career. I overrode into the hardest possible classes available (All Honors/AP) and excelled at them. Which managed to save my GPA albeit it is terribly scarred from my Freshman year. </p>
<p>b) I have just finished my SAT IIs and have not received my results yet but I scored 1900 on my SAT without any prior preparation thus I hope to work it up into the 2200s in October. I understand how important the standardized tests are thus I want to know what are acceptable SAT II scores. (of course this varies from subject to subject) Also I took Lit and History as my Subject tests. I will probably take math as well next year.</p>
<p>c) My extracurriculars are impressive in my estimation. However I paid special attention to focus in on things that related to Law, Logic and Academia. For Example, I joined Mock Trial (as an Expert Witness), Academic Bowl, Math Team and Avante- Garde (A yearly high school newspaper that prints student created literature, I was an editor). I have also joined other clubs such as Golf, French and Stage Crew. </p>
<p>d) I have done a lot of volunteer work over the year (200+). I tutor french students, build sets for stage crew, assist the Librarian and work with kids that have disabilities or lack social skills. The club that deal with kids that have disabilities required a recommendation from the guidance counselor. </p>
<p>e) I have been inducted into all possible societies of merit possible (National Honors Society, Math Honors Society and French Honors Society). I am also applying for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. </p>
<p>f) I have a passion for philosophy and psychology. I have started my own blog where I discuss issues and pose new questions. Random</a> thoughts of a random kid is the blog site. Please do feel free to leave comments. I am also looking into using the new Sims 3 game (which is a life simulator) to run and document tests that I conduct. Will either of these side projects aid me when I apply? </p>
<p>g) Finally, the one "unique" thing about me is that I speak using Esophageal speech. When I was very young I needed a surgery which ended up in me developing a new way of talking. Normally only people can use Esophageal speech after treating laryngeal cancer and it is a very long and arduous process. Almost to the point where people simple opt for a Electrolarynx that produces sounds for the vibrations the patients create. However because I was so young, doctors claimed that I would never be able to talk. But I developed Esophageal speech around the same time as other kids were learning to talk and I have trained myself to have greater endurance while talking where I can talk just as much as anyone else. Although this curse has plagued me for most of my life, I have grown accustomed to it and I do not want people to think of it as a defining feature unless it helps with College Admissions. </p>
<pre><code> Thank you for your patience and I am positive I probably left out other details but this should give readers a good insight in my life. Also it would great if someone could explain to me how certain colleges like NYU have such low SAT score requirements (in comparison to other prestigious schools). I figured that certain schools within NYU have a lower standard and collegeboard simply averages them all together without distinction. Also any advice in general and what does it mean to apply to a certain school within a University.
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<p>Sincerly,
Surish</p>
