I heard that Princeton does not count freshman gpa in their gpa recalculation and if you take out my freshman gpa, my gpa comes up a lot and I was wondering if any of you can confirm this. and if this is the case, should I bother to apply? I don’t know if I should, because it is Princeton, but taking out my freshman gpa helps my application.
Best have your counselor write your hardship during freshman year, and with a positive upgrade GPA, you really don’t have to worry about it. Your test scores are great, but I wouldn’t submit the ACT, just the SAT.
What you do have worry about is generic ECs (for Princeton).
Last, your (big) list needs to get a little more focused (and smaller). Some schools listed are very different (e.g. NYU and Duke). What are you looking for in a school?
@psywar The only thing I look for in a school is their majors (concerning pre med stuff), the percentage of alumni’s that make it to med school, research oppurtunities, and few other things that aren’t as important.
Do you have any advice on how I can improve my ecs?
The reason I have a big college list is because each of these colleges has a different quality that appeals to me. For Duke, their science courses and this one professor whose papers I read frequently and NYU the diversity and the opportunity as a person of color.
@TN034154 honestly, no. There are tons of kids who have volunteered, raised some $ for a well in Africa, and have made a website. Not to belittle your work, it is very commendable, but the ECs listed won’t help you stand out amongst the very intense competition.
I think your essays will have to do the heavy lifting. I was intrigued by your motivations for raising money for the well in Africa and the narrative you attached to it (Philip Emeagwali), especially given the investigations into some of the past claims he has made. I believe your inspiration from him could make for a compelling essay, one that feels authentic and helps show passion, but it could go either way, depending on the reader of your app. If they know of him / research him, it might be very polarizing…
Your senior year course rigor is smart, Princeton likes that commitment, also being a URM with your excellent scores will help a lot.
I think you have a decent shot. What’s your class rank?
@psywar I am not sure but I am def in the top quarter. I honestly find it hard to right essays that are like “look how great i am” because really, no one is better than anyone (generally speaking). Like I would have an easier time writing about how I used to be obese and it was going dangerous and how my passion for DC heroes inspired me to lose weight and be healthy and now I have a tumblr health blog which I use to help people reach their goals (my essay for position in pre med club). However, many people told me its not good to be completely honest in your essays because adults are reading it, but I feel more comfortable being honest about it.
@TN034154 don’t write “look how great I am” essays, no one wants to read those. I disagree with the feedback to be honest. If it is a worthy topic, one you feel strongly about, be honest. The readers will appreciate the honesty, they hate artificial, overly manufactured essays that don’t reveal anything true about the applicant.