please chance for top tier... i'm beyond stressed & desperate

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I've made some posts similar to this one before, but in wrong locations and without actual standardized testing scores; so here's my final try:</p>

<p>I'll start with saying that I feel like I just blew my chances at getting into a decent school this year. I cracked under the pressure and the three hour-sleep nights got old after a few months. I also just want to thank any of you who are reading this! I really appreciate it.</p>

<p>ETHNICITY: White</p>

<p>LOCATION: Pennsylvania</p>

<p>GPA: 4.2ish --> (at my school, it is NOT possible to have a 4.6 or higher cumulative gpa..9th grade honors courses are not weighted)</p>

<p>RANK: in top ten percent</p>

<p>SATS: 2020 :/ first try. (740 M, 610 V, 670 W)
I've never gotten below a 700 in writing on a practice test, so that was disappointing. I'm retaking it in October and I plan to learn more vocabulary, since that is what killed me. </p>

<p>SUBJECT TESTS: Bio 650 Math 1 670 ( I winged them.. bad move) :/ Retaking in November</p>

<p>ACT: I've been looking at a practice book and will take it in September</p>

<p>CLASS SCHEDULE:
freshman: all honors/ all As</p>

<p>sophomore: honors bio A
honors chem A-
accelerated precalc A
AP Statistics A
honors ss A
honors english A
honors spanish A</p>

<p>junior:
honors spanish A
honors english A-
AP Bio B+ :(
AP Calc AB A-
AP Enviro A-
honors ss A</p>

<p>senior:
AP Calc BC
AP Physics N/M
AP Physics E/M
AP Spanish
AP Macro
Mandarin
Honors English</p>

<p>WORK:
- I babysit 2-4 times a week
- I've been working in the same doctor's office since eighth grade</p>

<p>SPORTS:
- travel soccer ( we're in the premiere division, if that matters; a captain)
- Varsity Ice Hockey ( if the team folds, will play club u19 hockey)</p>

<p>VOLUNTEER:
-assistant teach in a first grade classroom at my church ( I do Bible Camp too, but I may exclude that)
-volunteer at Bucks County Community Housing ( a homeless shelter): organized school supply/backpack drives for the children, adopt a family every christmas, am a Youth counselor once a week, babysit for free, help on craft night/ help the kids with hw
-volunteer at Pedia Manor ( a home where sick children on respirators and nebulizers live and receive their treatments)
- was a teen leader for Soldiers for Hope in grades 9 and 10. However, that organization folded due to the founder becoming very ill... Now i just have a soldier that I mail letters and supplies to</p>

<p>CLUBS:
-National Honor Society
-National Spanish Honor Society (secretary)
-OEG ( leader)
-Key Club
-Spanish Club </p>

<p>OTHER:
-Mathleagues
-Ap Scholar
-won the Spanish award in 9th grade</p>

<p>RECOMMENDATIONS:
-one from AP Stat teacher.... was one of the only sophomores to take that class... he said that he will write me a "really really good one"
- one from AP Calc AB teacer... adores me
- one from Spanish... had her two years.. am in her club/ am a leader in her honor society</p>

<p>SCHOOLS:
Boston College
UNC-CH
UVA
Villanova
Notre Dame
Georgetown (reach, but hoping the Jesuit school will like my volunteering and giving back to the community)
Northwestern
University of Chicago
Columbia
UPenn</p>

<p>( the last four I have not toured yet, but I may apply just for the heck of it.. I think they are BIG reaches for me; but it can't hurt to apply!)</p>

<p>THANKS SO MUCH! Please be brutally honest and I'm always open for some advice!</p>

2

<p>I’m also a senator in my school’s student government if that helps!</p>

3

<p>bummmmmmmp :)</p>

4

<p>Boston College-Match
UNC-CH-Reach since your OOS
UVA-see above
Villanova-Pretty much a safe
Notre Dame-Slight Reach
Georgetown-You already predicted this one, and yes you are correct on the jesuit thing (jesuit high schools FTW)
Northwestern-reach
University of Chicago-this is a crapshoot
Columbia-reach
UPenn-reach</p>

5

<p>Retaking SAT IIs is actually kind of frowned upon by colleges… :(</p>

6

<p>I think that by EDing to Georgetown you could DEFINITELY get in. I know you states you would raise your SAT I score, but try getting about 700 and above on each section. Direct your focus to Verbal and Writing - but, also try to focus on the math section a lot too - a 800 on math would look amazing :)</p>

7

<p>Joshbyron- how do you know?
Plenty of kids at my school retake subject tests and turn out fine.</p>

<p>I don’t mean to be confrontational at all, I’m just retaking biology and chemistry in November, lol. :)</p>

8

<p>stated**** ^^</p>

<p>It was mentioned at a college tour I took at Columbia University. It’s also been mentioned several times around CC. Of course, you have to take everything you read on CC with a grain of salt, but the tour guide at Columbia wouldn’t exactly lie about that. It’s just, colleges don’t want you to over-obssess with standarized tests (althugh this is more true when it comes to the SAT I). The SAT II just demonstrates how rigorous your curriculum is - and by getting a bad grade you are proving that the high grade you might have gotten on that particular course (in your case Biology and Math) isn’t completely deserved.</p>

9

<p>yeah I probably won’t even apply to Columbia or UPenn. I was thinking about it and I don’t know if I would want to attend an Ivy League. I feel like I would be way too intimidated. Besides, i’d rather go somewhere else and get the whole college experience, if that makes any sense at all.</p>

<p>but thank you for your inputs! I know that was a lot to read!</p>

10

<p>Well…I guess that makes sense, except you would feel just as intimidated at UofChicago, Georgetown, Northwestern and even Notre Dame (since they’re up to par with the weaker ivies - like Cornell and Brown, with the exception of UofChicago, which ius up to par with Dartmouth, UPenn, and Columbia).</p>

11

<p>PA; a couple of things stood out for me; do you have any history courses? Maybe I’m misreading your transcript above (I’m a parent). Also, you do have a lot of volunteering; but I’m not sure where the Passion lies in your activities. I’m not questioning your commitments just your descriptions.</p>

12

<p>Yes, i’ve taken honors ss for three yes, and next year, i am taking an AP social studies course. This is going to sound pretty lame, but I am very passionate for volunteering, especially when it involves children. So i help out with sick, abused, and homeless children, as well as the ones in my church and around my neighborhood. I volunteer at least three times a week, and then babysit for kids another 3 times. My other passion is for hockey, but I unfortunately I found that out too late. However, if I have time, I may play for two teams this year. </p>

<p>I thought I wanted to major in medicine, which is why I’ve been working in a doctor’s office and been taking every ap science class… but I just changed my mind :/</p>

<p>And Josh, I know what you’re saying, but I still want to be challenged! Harvard and Yale classes would just be too overwhelming for me.</p>

13

<p>Oh, okay, I see - you want to be challenged, but not overly challenged to the point where you are intimidated. Then the schools you listed might just be perfect :)</p>

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<p>If you want more of a college experience I would probably rule out columbia and chicago - not standard experiences at all. Dartmouth is probably the most “college experience” Ivy, maybe Brown and Penn too. I think you should also look at places like Emory, Vanderbilt, and Tufts - places you have a good shot.</p>

15

<p>@joshbyron- I see. However, Biology and math are extremely competitive at my school, and most of my peers made Bs in biology. I’m pretty sure I only made the scores I did because I couldn’t sleep, at all, the night before the test. I don’t want to sound conceited and say my scores are flukes, but… I should have performed much, much better. Not that colleges will know that I couldn’t sleep, but a 690 isn’t an accurate reflection of how much biology I know. and 780 math II… I’m fine with. I’m not retaking.</p>

16

<p>I have officially ruled out Columbia and UPenn. Unless I decide to tour them and get wowed, I will not apply. I’ve added a few backups like Fordham, Udel, U Md, etc. Ah, this process is so stressful. :/</p>

17

<p>UVA-reach
Villanova-safety
Notre Dame-Reach
Georgetown-reach
Northwestern-reach
University of Chicago-crapshoot
Columbia-crapshoot
UPenn-crapshoot</p>