Rough Chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hiya! First post here. Woo! c:</p>

<p>I'm currently a junior in high school, looking for colleges to apply to. Before I give you the (not so short list - I'm narrowing it down as we speak), let me give you some info about myself.</p>

<p>I'm a male. Because I'm adopted, I have no idea of my ethnicity -- but we're guessing Native American / Caucasian (Irish). I'm 6'3"; I say that just because there's a scholarship for tall people out there.</p>

<p>I'm currently maintaining a 3.5 unweighted / 4.2 weighted gpa. I know it's not the highest, but I'm facing a lot of trouble right now at home (to the point where I'm considering paying for college myself and moving cross country. I don't really speak to either of my parents, after they told me they wished they hadn't adopted me) so I think I'm doing pretty well. I have an upwards trend.</p>

<p>By senior year I will have taken 6 AP courses - Bio, Language and Composition, Literature, Music Theory, Spanish V, and US History. I will also have taken 14 or so honors courses.</p>

<p>I'm very involved in music - I've been formally trained in piano for 12 years, and in violin for 8. I sing and compose music as well -- I recently finished both a demo album (with five instruments including voice) and an orchestral suite. For next year, I'm president of the orchestra and in a leadership position for Tri-M Music Honor Society. I also work as one-third of a volunteer trio of pianists and violinists. I'm a member of the school's standard and chamber orchestras.</p>

<p>I am an artist with three or four prestigious awards in literature and photography. My photography site reached over 5,000 views in one year. I am the head of two clubs -- photography, which I helped create, and the Abraxas Literary Magazine. I am the youngest head editor of the magazine to date. The school actually broke their rule getting me into a leading position. xD;</p>

<p>I also have been playing tennis for eleven years now -- I'm going for USTA, so likely by this time next year I will be ranked. I've worked as a tennis coach for two years now, and by senior year I'll have been on the tennis team for two years, varsity one. I'm on the gold team and on the top of a ladder for my tennis club, if that counts.</p>

<p>I'm also adopted, if that helps at all. There isn't a lot of information available on that. It's going to be a factor in my admissions essay.</p>

<p>Stat-wise, I'm currently at a 2040 for my SAT - but that's without extensive studying. I'm taking it in June and aiming for a 2200+. My math score is kind of weighting me down. xD I expect that and my writing score to go up this test. I'll also be taking the SATII Bio and Literature exams.</p>

<p>Critical Reading - 730
Mathematics - 620
Writing - 690</p>

<hr>

<p>So, onto the schools (and dear lord, please don't laugh. I'll cry. I know how tough you guys are. xD ) --</p>

<p>(NOTE: This is a huge list. Feel free to pick only a few to chance.)</p>

<p>REACH:
1. UC Berkeley
2. Columbia University [ early action ]
3. UC San Diego
4. UC Los Angeles<br>
5. University of Chicago [ early action ]
6. Stanford University
TARGET:
7. New York University
8. Boston University<br>
9. Northeastern University [ early action ]
10. Occidental College
SAFETY:
11. Union College
12. Quinnipiac University
13. UCONN [ early action ]
14. Ithaca College</p>

2

<p>Lebump!</p>

<p>Oh and in other news I’m pretty fluent in spanish. If that helps.</p>

<p>6 years of spanish (I started early) , 4 years of english, 5 years of math (Started early), 4 years of lab science, 4 years of history/social studies, 4 years of music, several art courses.</p>

<p>I’m going for either a double major in music and business or biology (with a genetics concentration) and then on to med school.</p>

3

<p>You already know this- your gpa is going to kill your application… Of course, this is still a holistic process, so maybe if you write amazing essays, you can get away with it… If you raise your SAT scores to 2200+ (which is totally possible), then I’d say you have a decent shot at some great schools…</p>

<p>There’s just one problem: Columbia and Northwestern are early decision and you can only go ED at one place… (idk about UConn) I know you can go ED at one place and non-restrictive early action at others like UChicago… Have you looked into Notre Dame? Or maybe Fordham? Both have non-restrictive EA, so maybe look into those?</p>

<p>If you can somehow prove you’re Native American, that could be a HUGE boost… I have NO clue if that’s possible, but if you did, that’d help you so much… So much that you could get into one of your reach schools…</p>

<p>Anyways, good luck next year! Raise your gpa and SAT scores as much as possible! :)</p>

<p>Btw, I’m so sorry your parents said that… That is something absolutely horrible to say, and no one deserves to hear something like that…</p>

<p>Once again, good luck!</p>

4

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

<p>You misread – Not Northwestern, Northeastern up in Boston. Nonbinding early action. (:</p>

<p>I’m taking a genetics test some time over the summer. We’ll see. (:</p>

<p>I’ve also started writing the essays early so there’s a lot of time to perfect them. I’m good at writing so I think I’ll be able to use them to help sway some decisions.</p>

<p>… and thank you. It’s alright; one more year and I’m out.</p>

5

<p>Bump bump bump bump!</p>

6

<p>There is certainly something wrong with people that would say that. Unless you killed a person.</p>

<p>I would say that for Columbia, and esp. Stanford, your chance is almost 0%, unless you kill the essay and get amazing recommendations.</p>

7

<p>I’d agree, those are certainly super high reaches. They’re just included because I’ve always wanted to go there. I might end up transferring there in the end. Although recommendations shouldn’t be a problem and I certainly have a lot to write about. xD</p>

<p>No killing anyone, I promise!</p>

8

<p>LSAKJDASLKDJ Can’t believe I forgot this info – and it’s too late to edit now.</p>

<p>I do around 300 hours of community service a year. This year my friend was diagnosed with leukemia and so I’m raising money in Relay for Life and through the school. In my sophomore year I was diagnosed with a mild form of skin cancer (which I quickly beat). My (adoptive) family has a history of cancer as well, and I no longer have any grandparents. I’m volunteering as a musician on call in a few hospitals this summer in honor of my grandfather, who died of complications of skin cancer.</p>

9

<p>Bumpbumpbump.</p>

10

<p>Haha oh whoops! Lmao, I swear, I’m so used to reading northwestern around here. xD </p>

<p>I think you’re being smart about the EA/ED thing; definitely apply to as many EA schools as you can. :slight_smile: Any little boost you can get will help. (:</p>

11

<p>If youre native American you have a better chance of getting into colleges. Just saying</p>

12

<p>Bump bump bump!</p>

13

<p>Interesting circumstance, I’m thinking that you should be able to get into most of your safeties and a few targets, but I’m not so sure about the reaches. If your essays about your experiences are great, perhaps maybe U Chicago will let you in thanks to early action. If your GPA was a little higher and you get that 2200+ SAT, chances would be looking great. Like you said, certainly not a lack of information to write about for essays</p>

14

<p>Thanks! Started reviewing for the June SAT – we’ll see in a few months how my scores pan out.</p>

<p>I’m hoping that the reach schools realize that I can do much better once I’m out of these circumstances – I’m thinking about writing about that. My recommendations are going to be pretty stellar as well - I’ve had two teachers come up and offer to write them for me. Which is a huge morale booster. xD</p>