Hi, I am a current junior at a competitive Catholic high school in Queens, New York. I plan on applying to some very competitive colleges, and while I understand the odds are long for essentially everyone, I am hoping that I can scrape together a shot for myself. Here are my stats:
SAT: Currently around a 1500, but awaiting a hopefully better March result
ACT: Have not taken yet, averaging around the 33-34 range in practice
GPA: My school uses a 100 point scale on which I have an 100 weighted, but according to some conversion charts I am around a 4.0 unweighted and a 4.5 weighted.
Class Rank: My school does not rank students, but I have it on good authority that I am in the top 1-2% of students in a class of nearly 700.
Sat Subject Tests: Bio- 710 (Taking Chem and US History in June)
Course Load: My school does not offer an IB program, and is very strict in its AP program, limiting students to only a few a year. I took AP Bio as a sophomore, and currently take APUSH and AP Lang. The rest of my courses are all honors, but again this is a school related restriction. I also took a science research class as a sophomore, but dropped it before junior year due to a lack of interest.
Course Load Senior Year: I am taking AP Euro, AP Lit, AP Physics, and AP Calc AB next year. I am also taking a biotechnology class.
Sports: I have run track for the last three years, being on varsity since sophomore year. I will be captain on my XC team next fall. I am ranked nationally in my race, but it is nothing particularly impressive (top 900?)
I have been involved in kickboxing since I was 5. I received a junior black belt just after my 13th birthday, and was placed in an advanced adults class the next year. I am the only teenager in this class, which is composed entirely of elite adults. I will be one of the youngest people to receive a certification in Jeet Kune Do in my schools history. I have been training, therefore, for 12 years. My instructors were trained by Dan Inosanto, one of the only men Bruce Lee trusted the teaching of his martial art too. He is very well known in the martial arts community.
I have applied for two different world records, both relating to cardio fitness. I have successfully broken both, unofficially, but need approval from Guinness to actually complete the application. With some luck, I will have both titles before admission applications are due.
Clubs: I am a member of my schools chess club, but did not have time to hold down a commitment to any others due to having to be at practice.
I hope to be involved in student government, with any luck as student body president.
I am a member of NHS, Science NHS, Social Studies NHS, Math NHS, and English NHS, which at my school accepts only 10 applicants each year.
Volunteering: I volunteer at an organization that helps with young people with severe autism. I do not have a tonnn of hours, but it is good work and I enjoy it.
Summer Programs: I am taking part in a business program before my senior year. I was interviewed for it and admission is selective. I also took a course on economics between my sophomore and junior year.
Recommendations: I will have very good recommendations, I made great relationships with my teachers, and have it on good authority that they will give me a stellar review.
I also expect a good review from my martial arts instructors.
Music: I have played guitar since the 6th grade, I am not very good, but I do it.
Final: In my opinion, although my grades are average for elite universities, the world records and decade long commitment to martial arts might make me stand out. I am also a pretty good essay writer. Obviously this isn’t every single thing that I have done in the last four years, but it is the most important stuff.
I know this was long and if you stuck around this long I REALLYYYY appreciate it. I would love to here your opinion about my shot at:
Wharton at UPENN
Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Dartmouth
Cornell
Brown
Columbia
Georgetown
Tufts
MIT
THANKS!!
