<p>Hi everyone. This is my first post here, so I apologize for anything that is out of place.</p>
<p>I currently attend a pretty tough high school in southern California, and I am an American-Born Chinese. My grades kind of fell in sophomore year, but I’m hoping a trend of improvement means something to college admissions officers. Don’t know exact rank, but pretty sure in top 10%.</p>
<p>My family does not qualify for any financial aid, and I’m interested in pre-med programs or majoring in biochemistry, biomed engineering, or possibly art. </p>
<p>I am going to be a senior this coming school year, and I am applying early to UPenn.
Other reach schools I am applying to:
Stanford
Columbia
Johns Hopkins
Northwestern
Yale
Rice
Brown
Cornell
Pomona
Harvey Mudd
Washington University
UCLA
UC Berkeley
USC
UCI
UCSD</p>
<p>Here are my stats as of the end of junior year:
GPA (Unweighted): 3.76
GPA (Weighted): 4.78
SAT: 2210; 690 reading, 720 writing w/ 10 on essay, 800 math (First sitting in Oct of Junior year. Going to retake and try to bump reading and writing)
SAT II: Math IIC: 800, Physics: 750, Chemistry: 800
PSAT: 233; 73 reading, 80 writing, 80 math</p>
<p>These are the classes I have taken so far with AP scores in parentheses. Even though I’m an American-Born Chinese, we can still take Chinese as our secondary language(Saturday classes). I am also a member of our school’s Science Olympiad team, so Science Technology and Research is made a 7th period for our afterschool activities.</p>
<p>Freshman year:
Honors English
Honors Spanish/Health (A year of Spanish was compressed into one semester, then I took Health second semester)
Culinary Arts/International Foods
Honors Math Analysis
PE
AP World History (4)
Mandarin Chinese 1</p>
<p>Sophomore year:
Honors English
AP Calculus AB (4)
PE
AP Environmental Science (4)
AP Physics C (4)
AP European History (3)
Science Technology and Research
Mandarin Chinese 2</p>
<p>Junior year:
AP English Language (4)
AP Calculus BC (5, AB subscore 5)
Discrete Mathematics
AP Chemistry (4)
AP US History (5)
AP Psychology (4)
Science Technology and Research
Mandarin Chinese 3</p>
<p>My prospective Senior year schedule:
AP English Literature
AP Gov./Macroeconomics
AP Biology
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science
AP Studio Art (2-D or Drawing, I’m pushing for our school to hold AP Studio Art classes, hopefully it will work out)</p>
<p>Clubs and Associated honors/awards
Science Olympiad team member since second semester of 9th grade.
2010 Invitationals: Dynamic Planet(Earth’s freshwater) 1st, Microbe Mission(Microbiology) 3rd
2011 Regionals: Microbe Mission 1st, Sounds of Music(Physics of Sound and Music) 2nd
2011 State: Sounds of Music 2nd
2012 Regionals: Robot Arm 4th
I have submitted both written and art pieces to Magnitude, our school’s literary magazine. I am currently the Art Editor.
I am the Vice President of our school’s Math Club.
AMC 12A: 96, AMC 12B: 102 (The scores qualified both times for AIME)
AIME: 60
2012 Math Day at the Beach Team Competition: 2nd Place
Chess Club
I restarted Origami Club in freshman year, but that died out by 10th grade.
Physics Club
Chinese Club
Ultimate Frisbee Club (If that counts as a sport)</p>
<p>Other Extracurriculars and volunteer work:
Earthwatch SCAP Award Recipient(Fellowship for an environmental research program)
IAC Today Math Challenge Divisional Level Award
IAC Today Essay Competition Regional Level Award
Honorary Mention in the Pomona-Wisconsin Math Talent Search
AP Scholar with Distinction
I’m pretty sure 233 qualifies for Semi-Finalist.
I’ve been playing piano for 9 years, and I passed Level 10 Certificate of Merit in freshman year. Now I just play for recreational purposes.
I have also been an artist for a while, though also for recreational purposes. I haven’t earned any awards for my art pieces, so I don’t plan on submitting an art portfolio. I designed my 5th grade graduation t-shirt, my 8th grade graduation sweatshirt, and I have also been our Math Club’s t-shirt designer for 3 years in a row, including senior year. I’ve had multiple art submissions published in our school’s literary magazine, and my cover design was used for this year’s spring edition. I also really love to draw and make origami in my free time (not really free time, just a failure of prioritizing).</p>
<p>I volunteered at my local library for 51 hours. I don’t think I plan on continuing throughout senior year though.
I volunteered at my Chinese school for ~30-40 hours total. I plan on continuing it in senior year.
Strangely enough, the Earthwatch Environmental Research Program qualifies as volunteer work, so there’s about 50-70 hours of volunteer work there.
Aside from attending the Earthwatch Fellowship Program, I spent the rest of my summer working at an oral cancer research lab at UCLA, totaling about 75 hours of lab experience.</p>
<p>My greatest concern with the college application process is my grades, though they have improved, and I will hopefully get straight A’s this coming senior year. Nearly all my lower grades were in liberal arts subjects, which are not the majors I’m applying to. I have been working on my essays, and I believe my recs will be decent. Thank you for your time in advance!</p>