<p>I want to go to Columbia really, really bad. Not that different from anyone else on this thread, but I thought I'd just put it out there. Anyways, if you could give me any advice at all or just tell me what you think, I'd be really grateful.</p>
<p>Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Mixed, Asian/Caucasian
School: Not very competitive
Class: Junior
Rank: Between 8 and 14/485
State: OH</p>
<p>GPA: 4.0 UW, 6.0 W (I think?)
SAT: not taken yet
ACT: C:33, E:35, M:30, R:36, S:31
PSAT: 226</p>
<p>Current Classes:
English III Honors
AP US History
Pre-Calculus Honors
French IV
Genetics Honors
AP Statistics
Chemistry Honors
Trigonometry Honors</p>
<p>Potential Classes for Next Year:
AP English
AP Calculus AB
AP French
AP Biology
AP European History
AP Psychology
Creative Writing & Publishing</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Captain of Academic Quiz Team
Secretary of French Club
JV Tennis
On Executive Board (oversees Student Senate)
Co-founder of Lit. Club
French National Honor Society
Tutoring once a week for elementary students
Volunteering at the library last summer (plan to restart again)</p>
<p>Miscellaneous:
Named First Team All Conference for AQT
Nominated for Gifted School summer program (only one in district)
Accepted to Columbia Summer Program for High School Students</p>
<p>If anyone could look at this and just give me some tips, I would appreciate it a lot. Please? I don't want to beg, but I guess that's what I'm resorting to here. Lol.</p>
<p>One thing you definitely should do at the summer program is get an A in your course and build a good relationship with your professor and TA. That will help a great deal.</p>
<p>Thanks, I'll definitely try to do that if I go. I'm applying for a scholarship at the moment, so whether or not I go depends if I get any money from there.</p>
<p>I’m guessing those are two half-year courses that form an entire unit that prepares you for AP Calculus AB/BC. My school lumps together as “Math Analysis” but some schools have them as distinct courses.</p>
<p>Okay that clears a lot. It seems like u have a very impressive transcript =] that 226 psat should earn you the national merit scholarship. I myself got only a 202 (=[) but it was 96th percentile so I get commended or something for it I think. If your SAT score comes out somethin similar to ur PSAT, you take a couple of SAT II’s, and get solid recs/essay u should be in great shape</p>
<p>your resume’s not bad. I got into the Columbia Summer Program too last year as a junior… but wasn’t able to attend b/c I couldn’t find any grant money. One thing I suggest you do is start fundraising on your own and contact local businesses to see if they might be willing to help. </p>
<p>The program though… from what I later learned is not very difficult to get into… it’s kind of like those “Washington DC Seminars” that I’m sure you get in the mail all the time… expensive though easy to qualify for.</p>
<p>The admissions for the program may not be extremely rigorous, but summer programs where you take college courses are great (a lot better than the ******** seminars and stuff). I live around the Boston area and I did Harvard’s SSP. It was great (and Chemistry 1a/b was no easy A).</p>
<p>w.tffff how can you have a 6.0 gpa unless you calculate it differently than most people do. Honestly now. You get 4 points for an A in a regular class, and 5 points for an A in an ap class. Then you divide the number of classes you have. So tell me how the F–k you got a 6.0?? I’m just curious because as a senior and someone who has taken 16 APs please, do tell. I’d love to have a 6.0 as well.</p>
<p>Sorry, I never really understood how gpa works. At my school, they told us that A’s at the general level is equal to a 4.0, advanced equals 5.0, and honors/AP equals 6.0. I don’t know, that’s probably just their weird way of doing it. Sorry for any confusion!</p>
<p>Any other awards or competitive-based ECs (like participating in debate invitationals, writing competitions, etc.) worth mentioning? Any solid accomplishments in your leadership roles (like publishing your school’s first literary magazine, starting an exchange program with another school, etc.). Be sure to highlight these on your application.</p>
<p>Also, I would avoid drawing attention to your Asian ethnicity on your application, if possible, for obvious reasons.</p>