<p>GPA: 3.62
SAT I: 2010 (first time taking it with ZERO preparation), aiming for 2200+
SAT II: Will be taking in the next few months
Class Rank: Top 15%
ECs: Four year varsity football player, four year basketball player, editor in chief of school newspaper, active member in school government, participant in countless volunteer organizations such as Person to Person and Build On just to name a few, active in Young Life, works with children with special needs every weekend to help them play baseball, weekly soup kitchen volunteer, etc.
AP Economics
AP US History
AP Environmental Science
AP English Language
Other notable classes: 4 years of Chinese
Recommendations: Two great recs from my school paper advisor and my APUSH teacher, generic one from my guidance counselor
Essays: Hopefully fantastic</p>
<p>I am currently a junior at a respectable public high school. I’m a white male, from an upper middle class family. I will most likely be applying to CSOM regular decision. BC is probably my top choice. I know a handful of alumni, but I don’t think that is of any importance. Please give me an honest chance, and provide any constructive criticism that would improve my application.</p>
<p>P.S.
According to my school’s Naviance page on BC, I am just below the average GPA and am well within the average SAT.</p>
<p>The fact that you took 4 years of Chinese should help you for business school because of our nation’s current trade with China. Your chances will boost tremendously if you get that SAT up to 2200+ (even a 2010 might suffice). However, the rigor of your courses seems a little weak since you have only 4 AP’s (and Enviro is considered a Lite AP). Your chances are still strong though. I’d say you have a 65% chance of getting accepted.</p>
<p>At the outset, the rigor of your curriculum bothers me. NO APs in science or math. Relatively low GPA and lower rank together with less-rigor will make you less competitive amothe pool of applicants.</p>
<p>That said, you can add value to your application with good essay.</p>
<p>‘Countless voulanteer organizations’ can come across as laundry list. If you focus on one or two activities and show passion - colleges like that. Focus and Passion is what they look for.</p>
<p>BC looks for passion in addition to GPA, SAT and activities. If you can show that you are an ideal match in something, all the better, whether it be an athlete, musician, leader or just a great person. Are you a standout in something? Academics are not enough. That is why “chancing” someone for this school often falls short. It is our understanding that the CSOM is extremely difficult to be admitted to, and disappointment is the rule unless you have the whole package.</p>
<p>Apply early if BC is clearly your top choice. REA means no other ED but other EA’s. It helps to show passion for the school by applying early. Course load senior year should not be “fluff.” Advanced math, science, language, english, and history is the usual, unless you have another passion that is documented, like 2 sciences or 2 maths or 2 languages, etc.</p>
<p>2 SAT 2s are also needed. To apply early, you have to do these in May/June 2011 or October 2011. Good luck and don’t put off those essays! We know firsthand that a great essay is the ultimate decision tool used by BC to find out if students are a great fit. Good luck.</p>
<p>Dear RB3322 : An unweighted GPA at 3.62 places you in the B+/A- range which is typically not a Top 10% profile. That said, your 2010 three-way SAT is pretty much the average score for the entering class. (Side Note : In a just published article, Boston College Magazine cites an average of 2004 for the enrolled Class of 2014 - that is the enrolled class, not just the accepted students.)</p>
<p>While you have APUSH and AP/English, you are missing AP course work in all of the hard sciences, calculus, and foreign language. Your CSOM competition will certainly have a huge Calculus presence and that will be a major gap in your academic preparation. In short, it looks like you are not taking the most rigorous academic program by some distance at your high school and when combined with a 3.62, we think that your academics will hurt your chances more so that any thing else in your overview.</p>
<p>Your AP work needs attention in the math and sciences specifically. If I had to choose only one, I would suggest evaluating whether a calculus sequence, even Calculus AB, is in your grasp.</p>
<p>I agree with scottj. CSOM has gotten much more competitive in recent years as well. My D is a junior accounting major and the business school has definitely made some nice gains in the past few years. I’d say you’re a low reach for CSOM. Good luck!</p>