please help :)

[sy1688]

<p>Hey, so I was just wondering about my chances. I'm an Asian female and I just finished my junior year.</p>

<p>Intended major: Pre-med</p>

<p>SAT: 2220 Math: 760, Critical Reading: 700, Writing: 760
SATII: Biology E: 750 Chem: 740, Math IIC: 740, World History: 600 (abysmal, I know), French w/o listening: 660 (again, horrible)
APs: European history (sophomore year): 4, waiting for Calculus AB, Physics B, Chemistry, French, US History, & English Language
Cumulative GPA: 96.7 (unweighted)
Rank: none, but around top 10-15%
School: public
My SATs are pretty low but I’ll be retaking them in October. I’m also retaking my chem. SAT II’s.</p>

<p>EC:
- Model United Nations (4 years and will continue senior year)
- Key Club (1 year and will continue senior year)
- Youth Coalition (1 year and will continue senior year)
- Photography club (1 year and will continue senior year)
- yearbook staff (joined end of school year & currently working on next year’s yearbook)
- painting (6 years and will continue senior year)
- church youth group (4 years and will continue senior year)
- 1 week missions trip (2 years and will go again this summer and next)
- volunteer in church nursery (4 years and will continue senior year)
- church choir (3 years and will continue senior year)
- hospital volunteer (just started)
- nursing home volunteer (1 year)
- library volunteer (1 year)
- organized an exhibition at local library
- All County choir (freshman year)
- piano (4 years and will continue senior year)
- leadership conference in Washington DC (last summer)
- summer mentoring/tutoring (did it last summer and will again this summer and next)
- medical conference in NYC (will go this summer)
- selected for a 6 week paid internship at hospital</p>

<p>Awards:
- Top 10 nationwide in National French Contest (2004)
- 2nd place Continental Math League (2004)
- National Junior Honor Society (2004 & 2005)
- President’s Education Awards Program Outstanding Academic Excellence (2005)
- 1st Place in school science fair (2005)
- Studio in Art Fine Arts Award (2005)
- Model United Nations Conference Award of Merit as Chairperson (2006)
- Overall Excellence Award for Best in Show at UPL Imagination Unlimited Art Contest (2006)
- 1st place UPL Imagination Unlimited Art Contest (2006)
- 1st place UPL Summer Art Contest (2006)
- Honorable Mention Illustration Contest at local library (2006)
- Mentoring students program award presented by town (2006)
- Academic Honor Roll (all through high school 2004 - 2007)
- The Society for in vitro biology Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for Ability and Creativity in Vitro Biology at Regional Science Fair (2007)
- National Grid Award Certificate of Achievement Presented by Pratt & Whitney-HMI Metal Powders (2007)
- Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Certificate of Achievement (2007)
- 10th in state in National French Contest (2007)
- painting currently competing state level, won 1st place regional</p>

<p>Leadership:
- chairperson at a Model United Nations conference this past school year and will be chairperson again this coming year
- leadership conference in Washington DC (last summer)
- summer mentoring/tutoring (did it last summer and will again this summer and next)</p>

<p>Courses taken:
- Studio Art 1 & 2
- Chorale
- English 9 & 10 Honors
- French B, 2, 3, 4 (Honors not offered)
- Math A & AB Honors
- Math 3 & 4 (Honors not offered)
- Pre-calculus Honors
- Biology Honors
- Chemistry Honors
- Global History 1 Honors
- Computer Applications 1
- AP European History
- AP American History
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP French 5
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Chemistry
- AP Physics B</p>

<p>Courses to be taken Senior Yr:
Choir
Chorale
Health
Chinese Language and Culture
Speech Communication
Exercise Science and Sports Medicine
AP Government and Politics
AP Biology
AP MicroEconomics
AP English Literature
Calculus II (tentative)
Linear Algebra (tentative)</p>

<p>Depending on my grade for the AP Calculus AB exam, I will be able to bridge to a local college as part of my school’s Advanced Study Program. In order to be part of this program, I must have exhausted my school’s offered courses in math (which I have), and must receive a 5 on my AP Calc exam. So hopefully I get a 5 and then Calculus II and Linear Algebra will be in my schedule.</p>

<p>Colleges:
Columbia
U. Penn.
Northwestern
University of Chicago
Johns Hopkins
Cornell
NYU
U of R
UB</p>

<p>I don't really think I stand a chance at the top three. They’ll be quite the stretch. But I would really like to get into Cornell, or any of the middle three. The last three are my safeties. My counselor is certain that I will be accepted into those. </p>

<p>I know I’m not anywhere close to being as good as the rest of you guys. But please share your opinions and/or suggestions. It’ll be very helpful and much appreciated. </p>

<p>Thanks. :)</p>

[hoogli]

<p>i can't even comprehend how people can do so many activities, so sorry, i can't help you here.</p>

<p><em>dizzy</em></p>

[kollegkid]

<p>If only you had been in debate club for four years. . .</p>

[sy1688]

<p>wait, why? is debate something really important?
but unfortunately my school doesn't have a debate team/club. </p>

<p>maybe i should start one...hmm...</p>

[firefox]

<p>mediocre test scores. bad rank. lots of ECs and awards but nearly all are unimpressive. you have basically no leadership and i don't see a focus/passion. too much breadth. too little depth.</p>

<p>reject by Columbia, Penn, JHU, cornell, UCB, and uchicago
nyu and Northwestern are maybes</p>

<p>overall you are aiming waaaay too high. get rid of some reaches and apply to more match/safety</p>

[BillBank]

<p>omit school science fair award from your resume, omit the washington trip if you had to pay for it.</p>

<p>you're a match to all of the colleges, but good chance that you'll be waitlisted at columbia and penn.</p>

[sy1688]

<p>would applying early decision make any difference?</p>

[firefox]

<p>it would help a little bit</p>

[lexiebean]

<p>narrow down your ec's... and become really involved in just a few... it's best not to spread yourself too thin and it makes it look like your "fluffing up" your application (lacks substance)</p>

[sy1688]

<p>---bump---</p>

[fusiondogg]

<p>Yeah, it looks like you're trying too hard to impress colleges. Your test scores really aren't that bad, although they're all on the lower end for the colleges you are applying to. You need to ask yourself what you're truly interested in, and what passions you want to pursue in college. What would you want to major in? Narrow down your application. Mention 3 or 4 ECs and 3 or 4 awards that show that you have a clear passion for a subject (math, science, whatever) and then show test scores that prove that you excel in that subject.</p>

[sy1688]

<p>i'm doing all of these activities truly because i like doing them. but maybe it looks like i'm just doing them for my college apps. would it really work if i took some off though? wouldn't it look like i'm not doing enough to get involved?</p>

[sy1688]

<p>---bump---</p>

[sy1688]

<p>---bump---</p>

[Cesky]

<p>Don't worry about the whole EC thing, people are being hard on you because its obvious you're a perfectionist and care a lot. You'll definitely get into the last three, like you said. I think you have a very good shot at Cornell and JHU as well.</p>

[icanread]

<p>you seem like a "serial joiner" for ECs.
Columbia/reject
U. Penn./reject
Northwestern/high match
University of Chicago/reject
Johns Hopkins/reach
Cornell/reject
NYU/match
U of R/match
UB/oos or instate? oos- reject/instate-high match</p>

[sy1688]

<p>---bump---</p>