<p>I'm going into my senior year, and I'm not sure where I want to apply. So far, I only have two on my list: Rice University as my dream school (it's a reach, but not impossible, and I'm applying early decision) and Ohio State University as my incredibly safe option (mostly because it's close to home and I'll have friends there). I've used the search tool on collegeboard, but I feel like talking to actual people who know about this sort of thing will be more helpful. So, any suggestions for safety/place/reach for me?</p>
<p>Background info, just to make my semi-bipolar stats make more sense to you guys:
I've been to three different high schools. I did ninth grade in Oklahoma and tenth grade in Ohio. I had always disliked school and had little to no motivation, and the school that I went to for tenth grade was bad enough that it drove me to more or less an emotional breakdown, so I switched to a third school for eleventh and twelfth grade, a homeschooling one (though I still get grades) where I mostly teach myself.</p>
<p>A few months into eleventh grade, I suddenly realized that I really did like learning and regained interest in math and science, which I had lost due to my hatred of school. Then a switch basically flipped in my head, from "I have no idea of what I want to do, I guess I'll just go to state college or something" to "I WANT TO GET ALL OF THE GOOD GRADES AND DO THIS SCHOOL THING SO HARD." Because of that, I don't know so much about the admissions process, since it seemed to me to have nothing to do with my life until late last year.</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>School stuff:</p>
<p>GPA: 3.74 unweighted
9th: 3.85
10th: 3.41 (this is what's pulling me down; 10th grade was just not a good time for me)
11th: 3.96</p>
<p>AP's:
None in ninth and tenth.
Only one (AP English Language) in eleventh because I wasn't expecting that homeschooling would be such a drastic change for me.
12th: AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Physics B (unfortunately, my school doesn't offer C), AP Economics, and AP English Literature</p>
<p>Languages: Three years of official German classes (I came in 6th on the statewide German exam in my second year of German, if that counts for anything), and self-teaching German IV this summer because my latest school only offers the first three levels of it.</p>
<p>Three years (counting senior year) of French classes.</p>
<p>I'm also teaching myself Russian I this summer.</p>
<p>Test Scores:</p>
<p>ACT: 34</p>
<p>SAT: 2310</p>
<p>SAT Subject Tests:
Physics: 720 (hopefully the fact that I didn't take AP Physics before this will make it more impressive)</p>
<p>I'm taking Math II and German with Listening in November because I haven't taken Pre-Calc or Trig yet and am teaching myself them over the summer, and I'm also teaching myself fourth level German because my latest school only offers the first three levels. I'm expecting to do very well on them, though.</p>
<p>Extra Curriculars: This here is the main issue. :( I don't really do these. I'd really like to get into a good school, but I don't want it enough to force myself to join sports or clubs (I'm very outgoing, but I hate <em>organized</em> social interaction so much) or to spend my time volunteering.</p>
<p>I did more or less nothing for these in ninth and tenth grade (I mean, I was really into writing then so I wrote a novel and revised it, which might be helpful, but I didn't publish it, and it wasn't very good at all so there's no way I'm going to let anyone read it, so that's not very "tangible" or whatever you guys call it).</p>
<p>I didn't do much in eleventh grade either, though this summer I'm teaching myself Pre-Calculus and trigonometry (so I can go straight into AP Calculus BC without having taken preparation classes), as well as German IV and Russian I. I'm talking to people at OSU about the possibility of me working as a sort of intern and helping out some astrophysics graduate students over the summer, but there's about a 50% chance that'll happen right now. I should find out for sure soon.</p>
<p>Plans: I'm planning to major in Physics (though I also have some interest in Philosophy). I'm planning to continue studying German, French, and Russian in college as well.</p>
<p>Important things I want in a school:
Very rigorous academics, science/math focused, and a good reputation, but not incredibly exclusive because I've sort of screwed myself over on EC's.</p>
<p>Preferably in the South/Southwest, since I miss living in that area. Also, I want to be somewhere that doesn't get too cold in the winter and then spend the summers somewhere else, thus avoiding extreme weather as much as possible, but I'm definitely not ruling out colder climates if there are any good schools that I have a decent chance at.</p>
<p>I'd prefer a smaller school, but that's not a big thing.</p>
<p>Non-religious. This is an absolute requirement; I'm not going anywhere that's religiously affiliated.</p>
<p>This is a bit abstract, but I'd prefer a school with a quirky reputation as well, like Rice. I'm happier in weirder places.</p>
<p>Anyway, this was a bit longer than I expected, but if any of you actually read this whole post, could you give me some suggestions for schools? I feel like I really should be looking at more than two schools, especially with one being a bit of a reach and the other being extremely safe, but I really have no idea what other schools I should be considering.</p>