One last chance me before decisions!!

Not sure why I’m back here indulging in my anxieties. I swear this is the last time!! Decisions are coming out in a few weeks and I am soooooooOOOO stressed.

Demographics: White female from South Jersey, noncompetitive area/high school w/ low opportunities

Major: Environmental Science at Northwestern and Brown and I think Yale, Environmental biology at Columbia and Barnard, Political Science and Biology double major at Penn, Biology at Duke and Emory

33 ACT, 4.0 UW 730 bio E 700 bio M

9 APs, 5s on APUSH, Lang, 4s on Bio and Stat

self-studying APES, I’m currently enrolled in psych, lit, CSP, calc AB and physics 1.

Took Dual enrollment political science and environmental science classes at local community college, took french online for 2/4 years of high school

3/226 in class

Extracurriculars:

  • founder of STEM club
  • president of DECA w/ many awards and national competitor, won State Community Service Award through a fundraiser
  • Key Club 3 year officer with a lot of commitment, did a huge fundraiser and was honored by a NGO with a Youth Leadership Award
  • paid chem internship with a pharmaceutical company
  • wildlife refuge hospital volunteer and fundraising committee
  • historical museum tour guide
  • choir and school musical for 4 years with national performances
  • 4 year varsity cheerleader
  • neuroscience research
  • volunteer with the Academy of Natural Sciences working with animals and bugs in a children’s exhibit
  • world language honor society, national honor society
  • neuroscience journal contributor

(I did not start the neuro research and the academy position until after app season, so I ended up putting it in the additional information section).

Awards: DECA awards: 3rd in NJ for hotel and lodging management, 1st in NJ for cluster exam, 1st in south jersey, 1st in south jersey for marketing communications test, role play and overall, and state community service award. Youth Leadership Award from the Cannonballs for Kayne organization, school award from them, Key Club distinguished VP, student of the month, scholar athlete, county academic all star

Essays: Alright. Common app 7/10 - I wrote about hoarding and turned it from a negative to a positive word. supplements 7/10 depending on school.

Recs: 8/10 APUSH teacher - she let me read. 7/10 bio teacher. 7/10 counselor - she let me read.

Hooks: Dad works at UPenn hospital system. Got to say yes to the “Do you have relatives that work at Penn?” box and I also get free tuition if I get in. He’s not a professor or anything though.

What’s happened so far?:

  • got into URoch with rare $23k leadership scholarship
  • Tulane w $27k scholarship and honors
  • UMN CBS with $15k scholarship and honors
  • Rutgers SEBS with $15k scholarship and honors college
  • Pitt (rejected to their honors college haha).
  • Deferred to Penn early after applying with a 32. Sent a very good LOCI emphasizing some of my new ECs. Guidance counselor underreported GPA and sent a fixed letter.
  • Rejected to Northeastern (first rejection)
  • Accepted Fordham w/ 17.5k scholarship

What are my chances at:

Duke

Penn (Deferred ED)

Yale

Northwestern

Columbia

Brown

Barnard

Emory

bump

bump?

Do you have any safeties?

@TomSrOfBoston Yes, I got into 6 schools already. I can afford UofR and Rutgers and so if I don’t get into any other schools, I have those 2 to choose between. Just anticipating my Ivy Day decisions and other reach decisions (Barnard, Emory, Duke) within these next 2 weeks.

Wish you a Good Luck.

@scandalpk Thanks!!

Following because I wish the best for you! I’d say you have at least a good chance at Barnard. But you already have some great colleges to choose from, remember you can call your colleges and ask for more scholarship money, basically say “well I got xyz at this school, and I really would love to be able to attend your school but I cannot afford it, how much more would you be willing to give me?”. It works and you oftentimes get way more merit money.