Not sure how high to aim...

<p>I'd like to know the best universities I have a shot of getting in at. I'm really not interested in the super-elites like Harvard.</p>

<p>I don't really have a source of guidance as far as college goes...the counselors don't do much more than make schedules. I am interested in being a lawyer (I'm not sure what area yet) or a pediatrician. I'm sorry if I posted quite a bit, I don't know how much info you need. :)</p>

<p>Hispanic Female
South Texas area.
Top 3%
Large Public School. (3000+)
I am a Junior in a magnet program for students interested in Medical Professions, grades 9 - 12 are about 500 students total (within the school of 3000)6</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.9
Weighted: I believe it was around 4.3 as of last year, my current report card gives me a 4.7. My school counts regular classes as 4.0 (classes like Athletics), Pre-AP as 5.0, and Dual Enrollment / AP classes as 6.0.</p>

<p>AP Classes:
World History (scored 3 on AP test)
My school doesn't offer as many AP classes as DE classes.</p>

<p>Dual Enrollment Classes:
Physics (10) - 95
Pre-Calculus (10) - 84 (I had a poor first semester, but I got a 100 on the final exam, and although this does not show on my official transcript, I wonder if I can explain my progress?)
English (11) - 90
US History (11) - 99
Health Science Technology II (11) - 96</p>

<p>This summer I plan on taking 3 college classes as well.</p>

<p>I am planning on taking the AP tests for Spanish (my 2nd language) as well as all the classes I am currently taking Dual, in addition to retaking World History. I had a terrible (in the process of being fired) WH teacher and was the only student to even pass the AP test. </p>

<p>PSAT (10th) : 194. I believe I did better this year, but I can't be sure.</p>

<p>I took the new SAT for the first time this October.
SAT: 1910 -
Critical Reading 700<br>
Math 560<br>
Writing 650
I want to try the ACT instead/in addition to the SAT. I'm not as terrible as math as my SAT makes me look, I wasn't really prepared and I won't make the same mistake again. On practice tests I have taken post-SAT i get scores in the mid 600s.</p>

<p>Jobs: I work as a lifeguard at the community pool during the summers, and as a private swim instructor during the year, mainly to siblings of my friends. </p>

<p>EC's:
Girl Scout since 1st grade - received Silver Award, and in the process of carrying out Gold Award Project. (highest GS award) </p>

<p>HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) (9, 10, 11)
-Chapter VP (10)
-Chapter President (11)
-Running for State Vice President (11, term 08-09)</p>

<p>Varsity Swimming (9, 10, 11) (might drop it this year. too much time.)</p>

<p>National Honor Society (11)</p>

<p>Astronomy Ambassadors - One of the local community colleges has the 4th or 5th best gravitational wave astronomy departments in Texas, and AA is a high school internship program offered during the summer. 12 students were picked this summer.</p>

<p>Junior Leadership (11) - This was pretty selective, they only picked 10 students from my school, and I was one of two juniors selected. The rest were seniors. This is an intensive look into my city's government where we spend all day once a month touring the city and learning about the business, economics, government, etc. We also must complete a huge community service project.</p>

<p>Debate Team (11)</p>

<p>NHI - (10, 11)</p>

<p>HOBY Representative (10) - one sophomore per school.</p>

<p>UIL Science & Ready Writing (10, 11)</p>

<p>Leadership:</p>

<p>HOSA Chapter Vice President (10)
HOSA Chapter President (11)
Running for State Vice President (11)</p>

<p>Junior Class Vice-President</p>

<p>Volunteer Service:
I can't even keep track of my Girl Scout hours, I'm guessing around a few hundred hours.</p>

<p>HOSA has weekly community service projects in and out of hospitals, lasting about half a day each. It has ranged from taking blood pressure and reading cholesterol to visiting hospitals with candy for the pediatric inpatients.</p>

<p>Laboratory Assistant at UT Pan-American Coastal Studies Lab - I can only do this during the summer, South Padre Island is too far to be going there every weekend.</p>

<p>Nursery Attendant at Church - 34 hours</p>

<p>Awards worth mentioning:</p>

<p>National HOSA Conference: 2nd place in my event</p>

<p>Texas HOSA Conference : 3rd place in my event, as well as qualifying to nationals in another event</p>

<p>Region Qualifier - Swimming (9,10) : Placed top 6 in all events. I'm not planning on pursuing this past the intramural level in college.</p>

<p>Other pertinent information...
I could get excellent recs from my teachers, and I've been nominated to things like JrNYLC, Stanford's EPGY and Vanderbilt's PAVE. I would like to go to PAVE or EPGY but some of them are too expensive and too lengthy.</p>

<p>My city is one of (possibly THE) poorest city in the nation...although I myself am not near the poverty line. I mention this because the recruiters I have spoken to often tell me that my location is "going to help me in my applications". I am bilingual (Spanish) and tested out of taking any foreign language classes. I guess I should also add (since the one blank parent signature box always brings it up anyway) that my father died in fourth grade. However, I'd rather make it into college on my own merit and not because of a pity party about where I live or losing a parent.</p>

<p>Many thanks to you if you got this far.
If you need anything clarified or would like me to mention anything else, please tell me. :)</p>

<p>personally im impressed...</p>

<p>im guessing ur a lock to make it into UT-Austin although I wouldnt put it out of your reach to aim even higher if you can raise that SAT or score very well on the ACT </p>

<p>definetly look into top 25 schools in the nation</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Well yes, Texas still has the top 10% automatic admit program. UT is a great school to have as an (almost) sure thing. They don't have to accept me to the major of my choice, but I think if I major in English or History like I'm planning on I'll be okay.</p>

<p>I should also mention I applied to the NASA High School Aerospace Scholars at Johnson Space Center, a distance-learning type program culminating in a week-long camp at JSC. My physics teacher said I had similar if not better grades than another student she also wrote a recommendation for, and he got in as well.</p>

<p>I think that if you raise your SAT math, you'd be a great candidate for ANY school. Do you want a small or big school, lecture classes or discussions, city school or middle of nowhere farm college? Really, it just depends on preference at this point and some SAT study guides. =)</p>

<p>Raise the SAT</p>

<p>Thanks for the replies.</p>

<p>I will definitely try and work on my SAT score, I'm a junior so hopefully I have enough time to thoroughly prepare.</p>

<p>If I took the ACT and submitted those scores instead would that hurt me in any way? Some of my teachers mentioned that the ACT might be better for me if I want a better score because the math is 1/5 of the test as opposed to 1/3. If I perform well in all the other parts of the ACT, which hopefully I can, would it be better for me to just focus on the ACT and only worry about SAT II's? </p>

<p>railoraine: I know I definitely don't want anything under 5,000. I want the opportunities available to larger schools...however UT Austin is HUGE! I'd rather not walk through a city to get from class to class. Really, anywhere in between. I don't want to get lost in the classroom or on campus. I'd like to at least have my professor know I exist. I've been thinking about applying to Texas A&M Honors, from what I hear it's challenging but the classes are around 20 students. Emory has really caught my eye too. But other than that, I'm really not picky as to anything else.</p>

<p>Ahh...I keep adding things, but my counselor told me today I was chosen (1 girl / 1 boy from each school) to go to Rotary Club Youth Leadership Awards. It's not so much an award as a 3 day weekend camp sponsored by the local Rotary Club. Why they choose to call it "Awards" I wouldn't know.</p>

<p>bump before bed :)</p>

<p>any other thoughts, please? :(</p>

<p>bump!</p>

<p>What are the best universities I could get into with a bit better SAT score and improvements here and there? I've been getting things in the mail from Rice, Dartmouth, Washington at St. Louis, and I forget where else...</p>