Narrowing College List - Serious Chances Needed

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>COLLEGE LIST
1. Notre Dame (legacy - father and sibling)
2. Duke (Pratt Engineering)
3. Northwestern (McCormick or Weinberg)
4. Vanderbilt
5. Marquette
6. UW-Madison
7. Bama (EXCELLENT financial aid)</p>

<p>OTHER POSSIBILITIES
8. Yale (financial aid) I know my chances are slim
9. Cornell</p>

<p>Alright here are the basics. Feel free to offer advice, constructive criticism, etc. Thanks in advance!
NOTE: my classes will probably not seem impressive, but they were practically the toughest available. Some of the other challenging classes could not be taken due to scheduling conflicts. </p>

<p>PROFILE
Caucasian Male
Region: NE Wisconsin
School: uncompetitive public (relatively small)
GPA: 4.0/4.0 UW (our school does not weight GPA)
Class Rank: 1/312 (tied with ~15 others for first)
Potential Hook: none</p>

<p>1st ACT Composite: 31
Current ACT Composite: 33 (retake again?)
English: 36
Math: 33
Reading: 34
Science: 29 (ugh)
Combined E/W: 31 (8 writing)
PSAT: 196</p>

<p>FRESHMAN
Spanish I
Honors Language Arts 9/10
Geometry
Physical Science (intro chem/physics)
Biology (not usually offered to freshmen)
Intro to Social Sciences
Required PE class</p>

<p>SOPHOMORE
Spanish II
Honors American Lit/Comp
Adv. Algebra/Functions, Statistics, Trig (Block class)
Honors Chem
Human Anatomy & Physiology
World History (could/should have taken AP Euro)
Required PE class</p>

<p>JUNIOR
Spanish III
Advanced Composition/Public Speaking (each 1 semester)
CC Precalc (could not take precalc/calc I block due to scheduling conflict)
AP Biology (5)
Physics
APUSH (5)
Required PE class</p>

<p>SENIOR (REGISTERED)
No Spanish IV (could this hurt?)
CC Expository Writing
Honors Economics
CC Philosophy of Human Nature (on private college campus)
CC Elementary Latin I and II (on private college campus)
CC Calc/Analytic Geometry I and II (on private college campus)
Planning to independent study CC Chem or something similar to AP Physics B</p>

<p>*Originally planned to take AP Physics senior year but it was eliminated
*Only other challenging science course not covered will be CC Human A & P
*School does offer AP Calc II but no Calc I/Calc II block</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR (weakest part of application)
Varsity Cross Country (9, 10, 11, 12)
-3 time sectional qualifier
Varsity Track and Field (9, 10, 11)
-3 time regional qualifier
Summer Running/Weightlifting program
-Lead stretches and provide assistance to others in high school weight room
Metro Math League (11, 12)
NHS (11, 12)
Science Bowl Team (11, 12)
[Nominated for] American Math Competition (AMC 12) (11, 12)</p>

<p>AWARDS
Cross Country Most Improved Award (9)
Cross Country Varsity Letter (9, 10, 11)
Track and Field Varsity Letter (9, 10, 11)
Should I include running awards not associated with school...like local road races?
Certification in CPR (May 2010) I know...not that important
High Honor Roll (9, 10, 11) Got some medallion thing for 20+ academic points
Golden Scalpel (awarded to student with highest cumulative dissection quiz score in Human A & P)
NOTE: School does not hand out other awards</p>

<p>LEADERHIP
Cross Country captain (12)
-Lead stretches before practice
-Organize team events (pre-season canoe outing and pre-race dinners)
Invited to attend National Student Leadership Conference (100 percent meaningless?)</p>

<p>VOLUNTEER WORK
Summers 2009/2010
National Railroad Museum (80+ hours)
-Conductor
-Inventory Assistant
-Facilities maintenance</p>

<p>2008 – present
Student Assistant (tutor) in Student Resource/Math Resource Centers during lunch periods</p>

<p>Miscellaneous Volunteer Work
-Referee/Timer at local middle school track meet
-Helped out at GB Cellcom Marathon WPS Kids Run
-Helped raise money for Malawi Well Project</p>

<p>Essays: decent (possible to override weak ECs?)
Idea 1: focus on running and how its helped me develop a driven mindset for academics
Idea 2: focus on train museum and overcoming a fear or public speaking blah blah blah
Recommendations: good---> excellent (from AP Bio/APUSH/English/Precalc teachers). Maybe from professor at private college.</p>

<p>ADDITIONAL PLANS
MAYBE volunteer at local hospital/church on weekends this school year
Applied for job at local store...HOPEFULLY hired around September</p>

<p>OTHER
Intended Major: Biochemistry or Biomedical Engineering (BME)
Planning on pre-med.
Currently applying for an Air Force ROTC scholarship</p>

<p>Thanks so much for any help. Posted links are welcome.</p>

2

<p>It’s a common thing to say. But if your ECs are weak, what is strong? Not everyone has already made the NY Times Bestseller list. Not everyone has sports (and trust me, it is not from a lack of trying). You definitely are underrating yourself.</p>

<p>Fifteen students tied as first in the class? Do they all give a speech at graduation? (That would be… interesting). </p>

<p>The only thing I would change is I would take Spanish my senior year. Otherwise, I think you’re good =)</p>

3

<p>Agreed with bandgeek,</p>

<p>PS 15 valedictorians is alot… kinda excessive</p>

4

<p>I really wanted to take spanish, but it wouldn’t fit in my schedule. So unless I can work something out with my school, I’ll have to just settle for CC Latin ):</p>

<p>For ECs I REALLY hope you’re right…
There are no local research facilities or anything like that, but I could have gotten involved in more clubs.</p>

<p>And I agree about the 15 valedictorians haha. A bunch of students at my school takes easy classes so they can keep a 4.0 GPA (pathetic I know). Plus I think there is major grade inflation and our school does not weight GPA so there are always 15-20 at the top. They don’t all give a speech at graduation though lol. </p>

<p>Oh and I’d like to add UChicago to the OTHER POSSIBILITIES.</p>

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<p>Essays won’t compensate for weak ECs.</p>

6

<p>Might look at Holy Cross-great pre-med with new $70million science building. HC is smaller version of ND and Duke-great academics and athletics. School spirit is strong and the Holy Cross campus is 1 hour from Boston. HC is need blind for financial aid.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for the suggestion…I’m assuming its College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA?
I don’t think they have early action, so I’ll probably wait until I get my ND EA decision to send out any additional applications. If you have any more information on their financial aid, please post (links are acceptable). </p>

<p>Any other thoughts, particularly for colleges 1-4 and maybe 8-9?</p>

8

<p>tied with 15 others???</p>

9

<p>Yessir…the consequence of no weighted GPA and grade inflation ):</p>

10

<p>bump bump bump</p>

11

<p>Just a quick update: independent studying College Level Chem (lecture portion). Chose this over College Level Human A&P. </p>

<p>Chances please…ND, NU, Duke, Vandy??? Thank youuu.</p>

12

<p>I don’t think you’ve taken enough APs…but I’m assuming that’s because of the lack of opportunity at your school? for instance when I graduate I will have taken a total of 7 APs (on the 3 that i’ve taken so far I’ve scored 4s and 5s) and I’m viewing ND as a reach school. </p>

<p>it’s just a little worrying that you will only be graduating with two APs…none of which were taken your senior year. your schedule is meant to increase in difficulty as you enter a new grade in high school, so that by the time you graduate you can handle 4-5 APs (college level courses) no problem.</p>

13

<p>There are only 4 APs offered at our school. Used to be 5, but AP Physics was eliminated. Instead we have a few of these “college credit (CC)” classes. I didn’t have the prereqs for one of the 4 APs, so I’m taking a comparable class AT a nearby LA college. Does anyone think this will be viewed favorably??</p>