<p>I’m a rising Jr. at a super-competitive, rigorously grading, small top-5 newsweek HS. We attend class 7:30-4. Almost no on-campus ECs, no school athletics and few facilities. We have to take all AP classes - 7-8 full year academic classes ar required. Here are my current stats:
PSAT(sophomore): 205 …I should be able to exceed the NMS cutoff in my state this year
SAT: around 2150 (practice) - I know I can get it to 2350+
(scored 1820 as an 8th grader)
GPA: By end jr. year will likely be unw 3.6 (All As with 2 Cs), weighted = 4.4
AP: 10th grade: AP Eng Lit - 5
AP Bio - 4
AP Macro - 4
AP Micro - 3
AP Calc AB - 3
AP Euro - 3
9th grade AP US Govt - 4
8th grade AP Comp Sci - 3
One of about 420 sophomores in US to get AP Scholar with Distinction
ECs:
Summers 2010/2011: Mayo Clinic HS Summer Volunteer Program - Nuclear Medicine
Summer 2011 Stanford Univ. Extended Program for Talented Youth - Artificial Intelligence
2009-present: Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth - JAVA Programming, Anatomy/Phys
2010-present: National Society of HS Scholars
2011: Founder/Pres. Computer Science Club
2011: Founder/Pres. Competitive Writing/Literature Club
2011: Founder/Pres. Key Club (service club related to Kiwanis)
2011: Founder of corp. that helps non-profits with computer/web applications
Martial Arts: Brown Belt
Competitive Weightlifting
Entering several essay competitions</p>
<p>11th Grade courses: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP USH, AP Eng. Comp, AP Comp/Sci, Hon. Phys., Spanish IV, Fine Art</p>
<p>Major area of interest: Comp Sci, minors: English/Literature/Writing/Accounting/Finance
Father is double eagle</p>
<p>What are my chances for admission and what should I do to increase them?</p>
<p>Drop a couple of clubs to really focus on one or two, and earn more A’s and 5’s. Calc BC may be difficult if you only scored a 3 on the AB test.</p>
<p>From my observation, you are stretched too thin to really go deep into the academics or ECs. Plan on taking a couple of Subject Tests.</p>
<p>BC is a reach at this point, and the Ivies that you are considering are real long shots. (A really competitive school would explain the lower grades, but not the lower AP scores.)</p>
<p>The fact that you go to this type of school makes you pretty atypical. I don’t think you’ll get valuable information from chances threads since it’s near impossible for random people on the internet to compare some one like you to students that go to “normal” schools. If you have good guidance and college advising staff at your school, they’ll be far more helpful.</p>
<p>There is a “What are my chances?” section of this forum. It’s best not to create multiple thread for the same thing.</p>
<p>Thx., bluebayou. I appreciate the nonest feedback. It sounds like you are evaluating me based on my low UW GPA and 4 AP scores of 3.<br>
Could you give me specifics on why BC is a reach? Will the AdCom disregard that my HS required me to take 6 AP exams with a total of 7 academic courses in my sophomore year - a double academic load over a normal HS? Will they give no weight to somebody who got AP Scholar with Distinction and completed 8 APs by sophomore year? Is it common for BC admits to have 2150+ SATs with NMS? Do I get no advantage for legacy? Would your evaluation change if I get all 5s on my 5 AP courses this coming Jr. year, plus straight As in all 7 of my academic classes? Thanks for your input.</p>
<p>yes, I am looking at the fact that you attend a so-called elite HS but your test scores are not elite. Unhooked candidates for the Ivies should aim for 2250/33, and 4’s and 5’s (mostly). Adcoms expect more from someone who attends an elite HS (and has the resources to pay for it if it is private).</p>
<p>While you do have a very rigorous schedule, some of your AP courses are so-called AP Lites, i.e, only one college semester worth of material. Six academic courses is pretty standard in my local public HS. 5-6 AP’s is standard for our seniors. Juniors can only take ~3, but they also take three brutal honors courses (A’s in Eng Lit are capped at 10%). Students aspiring to highly selective colleges score 4’s and 5’s on AP tests.</p>
<p>Yes, you get a bump for legacy. Apply EA. You will also need subject test scores for BC. Rock the SAT and that would help tremendously. </p>
<p>CB’s scholar awards are of zero value; it’s the scores that count. And, your grades of course.</p>
<p>Highly selective colleges like to see passion and leadership and accomplishment-- depth in one or two areas. Instead, your app offers breadth; you can’t possibly accomplish much when you are running five clubs.</p>