<p>High school junior in midwestern city at a decent public school of 2000 or so. Moved from the NYC area so I'm planning on (unlike 90% of my school) going to school outside of WI.</p>
<p>SAT 1: V800/M740/W770.. total of 2310.
I'm terrible at math.
National Merit Semifinalist (223.)</p>
<p>Took all honors and AP classes available. My sophomore year was horrible, and so my cumulative right now is a 3.6 at best. I could get it up to around a 3.65-3.7 by the time I begin applying, but it's still a dismal reminder of my once-stagnant work ethic. </p>
<p>Elected NHS Secretary, elected one of four student senators, tennis team, yearbook staff, Student Council Assembly, forensics team (earned a varsity letter,) drama club and crew, tutor two high school kids, mentor an elementary-school girl during my lunch hour once a week (which I set up independently,) volunteered in a summer camp kitchen in Michigan for two weeks last summer, volunteer semi-regularly with a resource ministry for impoverished mothers, etc, etc.</p>
<p>I play in a garage-punk band, make a lot of my own clothes, come from a huge family, have lived all over the country. In short, I'm not an entirely dull girl. I'm not a bad writer (which is ultimately what I want to pursue) and I'm thinking about Vassar, Dartmouth, UVA (as per my parents' wishes,) Brown, Middlebury, other LACs. Etc.</p>
<p>My GPA is going to kill me here. I know. Thoughts? Anyone?</p>
<p>Oh, yeah, and I have nearly a 4.0 this semester and probably will next semester, as well. I'm hoping the upward trend might look good?</p>
<p>Yes, your GPA will make it tough for you to get into the schools you have listed above. On the other hand, a 2310 SAT score, 4.0's this semester and next, a rising trend in your grades, and your Merit Semifinalist designation will have all those schools looking at least twice at your app. before they make any kind of decision. In short, things are not as bad as you believe.</p>
<p>However, all the schools you've listed are reaches given your GPA and (even though you didn't list it) you're relatively low class rank (my guess is top 15 to 20%). I suggest that, rather than applying exclusively to a bunch of highly selective schools that are clearly reaches, you apply to the two that you really want to go to, and also apply to 4 or 5 good, but somewhat less selective schools where your GPA wouldn't be such an issue and your SAT score and National Merit Semifinalist designation would be a real help and in fact might get you some scholarship money. Here's a few schools you might want to consider:</p>
<p>Smith
Bryn Mawr
Macalester
Oberlin
Kenyon
Vanderbilt
Trinity College (in Ct.)
Connecticut College
Wake Forest
Brandeis</p>
<p>There's lots of others and they'd all be happy to have a kid with your stats.</p>
<p>Thank you so much. Yeah, I've looked at a few of those. Vassar is my first choice, and probably the most likely of those I listed, anyway. I know I can a) get great recs and b) write a decent essay. I'm also moving/transferring high schools soon, so I'm hoping the conversion of my GPA into whatever said new school uses might raise it a bit?</p>
<p>I think of all the reachy schools you've listed, Vassar would be the one most likely to accept you. Keep pushing your GPA up, get those good recs, and write a decent essay and you'll have a fighting chance. Good luck.</p>
<p>anyone else?
sorry, but seriously. i need to know.</p>