sophomore with a weird situation...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey all. I'm currently a sophomore, and right now my top choice is definitely, by far, Columbia. But I have a few weird things about my life, so I honestly am not sure about my chances. </p>

<p>First, I was homeschooled until I was ten. Then my family moved, and where I live now, homeschoolers can take some courses at local public schools. So I've been taking public school courses since sixth grade. Will it hurt me if I took some really advanced classes back then, but only got B's on them (i.e, Adv. Chemistry, Honors Precalc, etc.)? </p>

<p>Second, I've been accepted to School Year Abroad for my junior year. So next year, I'll be spending 9 months in France. I'm assuming this can only help my application. That being said, it's really going to interrupt my ECs, and since I won't be here at the end of the year when most clubs vote for officer positions, the chances of me being president of my club are slim to none. How much will that hurt me? </p>

<p>Here are my stats: (since I'm a sophomore, I'm going to make 2 or 3 predictions for senior year ECs. Someone here had the great idea of putting those in brackets; I'm shamelessly using that here.)</p>

<p>Gender: female
Ethnicity: black/African American
GPA: something like a 4.3 weighted
SAT: (taken in 7th grade for CTY) 710 math, 710 reading, 740 writing, so let's go with 2160 [all of those will definitely go up]
Transcript: I've always taken the hardest classes available at the highest levels. All A's for 9th and 10th grades.
APs:
7th grade:
Physics B - 4
8th grade:
Physics C: Mechanics - 4
Physics C: Electricity/Magnetism - 3
Calculus BC - 5
US Government and Politics - 3
9th grade:
Music Theory -5
English Language - 5
*10th grade:<a href="haven't%20gotten%20results%20yet,%20but%20I%20feel%20fairly%20confident%20predicting">/I</a>
Statistics - 5
English Literature - 5
*11th grade:<a href="planning%20to%20take...">/I</a>
French Language - 5 [I expect a 5 because I'll be living in France for 9 months]</p>

<p>ECs:
Varsity swim team (9th, 10th, [12th])
Debate team (9th)
Youth and Government (10th, [12th])
Orchestra (10th, [12th])
String Orchestra (9th, 10th, [12th])
Piano (10 years [12 years])
Violin (9 years [11 years])</p>

<p>Awards/Honors:
District Champion, State Qualifier in 100 butterfly (9th, 10th)
Runner-up Novice debater (9th)
Sponsored 2 bills that got signed in PA Youth and Government Model Convention (only 25 out of ~400 were passed) (10th)
Superior Grade in Dorothy Sutton Festival Piano Competition (10th)
Judge Sharp award for public service and interest in/commitment to civics (1 out of ~500), presented by PA House of Representatives (10th)
Nominated for National Youth Leadership Council, was one of 5 people selected to give commencement speech (out of ~300)
Principal's Award <a href="9th">means I got A's in every class for every marking period</a>
Qualified for Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and for Johns Hopkins Study of Exceptional Talent programs.</p>

<p>Work Experience:
Assistant swim lesson instructor for kids preschool-10 years old (summer after 9th)
Private swim lesson instructor for kids 8-12 years old (summer after 9th, will be summer after 10th)
Primary swim lesson instructor for kids preschool-8 years old (during 10th school year, will be summer after 10th)
Lifeguard (will be summer after 10th)</p>

<p>Miscellaneous/Future Stuff:
Accepted to School Year Abroad for my junior year -- I'll be spending 9 months in France next year. I'll hopefully be able to add to my ECs in France.</p>

<p>If you can't tell, I'm really interested in civics/debating/politics, as well as swim team/teaching lessons/lifeguarding.</p>

<p>So, what do you think? Chance me for Columbia, please, as well as HYP, Brown, NYU, Georgetown, George Washington, Johns Hopkins, and/or American.</p>

<p>Thanks so much! I'll definitely chance back if you leave a link.</p>

2

<p>bumpp…please?</p>

3

<p>I think you have a great chance at Columbia, especially since you managed a 2160 in middle school (!). Go for the study abroad program…it sounds like a great opportunity!! Unfortunately the Ivies are pretty much impossible to predict, but I think you’ll be a viable candidate for them, as well as Northwestern (I’m pretty sure you’ll get in here). I’m pretty sure you’ll get into Georgetown and American, and probably JHU.</p>

4

<p>2300+ would give you a phenomenal chance at Columbia, and a pretty decent chance at HYP. I don’t know if money is an issue to you, but if its not, apply ED to Columbia. You’ll be pretty well off.</p>

5

<p>Thanks so much guys. So pretty much, just do the the normal stuff? Study hard, ace standardized tests?</p>

6

<p>Oh My God These Stats Are Delicious</p>

7

<p>You took precalc back in sixth grade? And all these AP classes before you’re even a sophomore? Wow, that’s incredible! As to what you asked – it is generally believed that high school grades are more important. Your extremely rigorous curriculum definitely balances out the few Bs. I think you have great chances at all of the schools you’re looking at, and I am extremely impressed by your extraccuricular achievements.</p>

<p>-An uninformed, but deeply astounded and impressed, fellow high schooler.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Keep pursuing in depth your interests outside of academics, such as in swimming and debates.</p>

8

<p>Sounds like a ■■■■■ to me…</p>

<p>I know there are really smart people in this world, but AP’s in 7th and 8th grade and getting 4s and 5s on them? Smells like BS …</p>

9

<p>fireflake: “Oh My God These Stats Are Delicious”
Thanks so much! That’s really encouraging to hear.</p>

<p>xrCalico: “Wow, that’s incredible!” Thanks. I do a lot of studying… </p>

<p>“it is generally believed that high school grades are more important. Your extremely rigorous curriculum definitely balances out the few Bs.” </p>

<p>Okay, great. I was kinda worried colleges wouldn’t like the B’s and/or wouldn’t like me taking those classes forever ago, but I feel like I’d probably have to take more advanced versions of them in college anyway. Thanks again for the advice.</p>

<p>Noobie: “Sounds like a ■■■■■ to me…”
Ouch. While I must admit that being called a ■■■■■ hurts, I can take some gratification from your post. Thank you for the backwards compliment in that my stats are so incredible that they have to be fake. (P.S. They’re not.)</p>

10

<p>AP Physics C- E/M in 8th grade? omgomg
Wow, you have a really rigorous course schedule. I think you definitely have a solid chance at all of these colleges if you can get your SAT score to 2250+</p>

<p>@noobie- Dont hate. ;)</p>

11

<p>Please correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the College Board only allow high school students to take AP exams, meaning that taking the AP Physics exam as a seventh grade student is impossible?</p>

12

<p>WongTongTong: Everything does seem to hang on that SAT score…thanks for the chance and advice.</p>

<p>phanatic: Nope. I think that for the SAT and the SAT IIs they don’t keep track of your scores until you’re in high school. Every Collegeboard test has a space where you bubble in your grade. Usually people just put 9, 10, 11, or 12, but there’s a spot for “not yet in 9th grade,” which I filled in on the APs. And since I received grades in the summer, I’m assuming everything went smoothly. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for SATs. My Collegeboard account shows that I registered for the test years ago, but there’s no record of a score report. Although, considering how unimpressive the score was, that’s probably a good thing.</p>

13

<p>I didn’t see anyone else mention this, so I will. Being an African American female helps you sooooo much for Columbia and any other top notch school. I’ve seen African American females get into schools like Cornell and Brown with SAT scores below 2000. (No, this isn’t racist; all ivies and top schools use affirmative action, I’m just being honest.) Your GPA and SAT score are excellent. Make sure you prepare well for the SAT Subject Tests. I have an excellent SAT score in math (800) but I didn’t prepare so much for the subject tests, and scraped out a 710 in Math II. Oh, and those EC’s are great.</p>

14

<p>Oh, and chance back? :slight_smile: Mine is not nearly as impressive</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/933191-ping-pong-2-final-one-please-chance.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/933191-ping-pong-2-final-one-please-chance.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

15

<p>hconghoops: awesome. And no offense taken at all, I was wondering how much of a hook that would be. Sweettt…I’m taking SAT IIs for Lit, Math 2, and Bio M in two weeks and I haven’t really studied…guess I’ll crack open the review books. Thanks.</p>

16

<p>yeah, good luck with the subject tests. i looked over your EC’s again as well as your AP’s, and I would say you have a great shot. good luck</p>

17

<p>I think studying and living in France would be a much greater experience than being president of a club. You’ll probs get into all of them. Good luck dudeeeee</p>

18

<p>swimgeek194 - very impressive. My son took his AP Music theory and SAT I this year. He is 7th grade too. Currently doing pre-calc in comm college. Studied violin and composition at a music conservatory for 5 years. I have never heard of such a thing where homeschoolers are allowed to take classes in high schools. Would love to know the location. You will certainly get into any college of your choice with your credentials. Good luck.</p>