<p>Here's the deal: I have already gone through the college applications process once and I was not totally satisfied with the results. I got rejected from some colleges that I had a legitimate chance at and I didn't even apply to all of the colleges that interested me. I will be spending next year on a gap year program so I figured that I might as well have another go at it. I will try to keep it simple and present myself to you in an organized and aesthetically pleasing way:</p>
<p>The Basics[ul]
[<em>]Race: Caucasian
[</em>]Gender: Male
[<em>]State: NJ
[</em>]School Type: Parochial. Less than 60 kids in grade. This past year 4 kids got into ivy's, about 10 or so got into top 20 colleges, probably 30 kids got into top 50.[/ul]</p>
<p>Standardized Tests[ul]
[li]SAT: 740 Math, 690 Critical Reading, 730 Writing, 2160 Total[/li][li]PSAT: 201[/li][li]ACT: 35 Math, 34 English, 33 Reading, 28 Science, 33 Composite[/li][li]AP's: 5 English Lang, 4 English Lit, 5 Psychology, 4 Statistics, 3 US Gov, 1 Chem (nobody got above a 2 in class)[/li][li]SAT II's 700 Math I, 650 Literature. These are pretty awful because I took them against my will (I figured I could just use the ACT).[/li][/ul]</p>
<p>Academics</p>
<p>Important: My school has a dual curriculum; there are secular classes as well as religious classes. I always took the middle track in the religious classes; colleges care a lot more about the rigor of our secular classes than the rigor of our religious classes because personal aptitude in the religious classes is heavily dependent on one's upbringing at home. The following refers only to my secular classes:
**
Freshman year course-load:** all accelerated classes, with the exception of 1 honors class.
Sophomore year course-load: all honors classes, with the exception of 1 accelerated class (reverse of frosh year)
Junior year course-load: 3 AP's (most in my grade), 1 honors, 1 accelerated
Senior year course-load: Same as Junior year.</p>
<p>GPA: about 3.7 UW. roughly 2/3 A's, 1/3 B's. Big upward trend, both in GPA and in course rigor. Senioritis did have a small impact on the 2nd half of senior year.</p>
<p>Extracurricular[ul]
[<em>]Wrestling: Please excuse me if this one is a bit long winded, but it's necessary. Besides, you'll probably find it interesting. I started wrestling in 8th grade, and I managed to make the high school team while still in middle school. I was team captain my junior and senior years. I was not allowed to wrestle in the state tournament because it took place on the sabbath. Because of the situation my school imposed on my team, it was impossible for me to perform to my fullest potential; I had to single-handedly support my team against a great deal of negativity from my school administration, which entailed doing many things that a student athlete should not have to do. I practiced twice as long as any other athlete in my school because I supplemented my high school practices with wrestling clinics. I was considered the best athlete in my school. If I am passionate about anything, this is it.
[li]Soccer: Participated 11th and 12th, starter in 12th. My team won the division and the league, and we went undefeated.[/li][li]Emergency Medical Technician: I am certified, although I have not yet served.[/li][li]Yearbook: In charge of humor.[/li][li]Summer Programs: I took law and economic courses at Columbia University in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In 2008 I went to a week long simulation of cadet life at West Point (it was super intense).[/li][</em>]I've held full and part time jobs in construction and golf caddying.
[/ul]</p>
<p>Awards[list]
[<em>]National Merit Commended
[</em>]Student athlete award (given to only 1 person in my school per class).
[<em>]High Honor roll (scholar with distinction, whatever you want to call it)
[</em>]Won numerous wrestling tournaments
[li]Should be getting something from AP in the near future.</p>[/li]
<p>Last year's results
Accepted at: University of Michigan Honors Program, United States Military Academy (West Point), Brandies, a bunch of safeties.
Rejected at:Harvard, Cornell, Penn, Columbia.</p>
<p>Why I think I was rejected: Well, I reread my essays and they weren't all too great. I recycled a lot of them and they didn't really fit. My essay for Cornell was especially bad. I am a great writer, and I know that I can do a lot better. Also, I know that my academics aren't the absolute best they could have been. I also think that I came off as being too interested in West Point (as I had already been accepted there by the time I sent my apps out.)</p>
<p>Where I want to apply next year: Penn, University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis, Brown, Cornell, Tufts, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>