<p>So this is my first post but I've been lurking around a while. I have a specific question about my chances due to the school/courses I'm in.</p>
<p>My school is one of the best public schools in Baltimore(we have minimum requirements to get in so it's like if you fail at this school, you can get a really high GPA elsewhere) and they divide the school into three different sections, basic, advanced, and a really advanced program you start in middle school. You get put in after your freshmen year and you need a minimum GPA of like 85/100 to get in. I had an 83/100 GPA in my freshmen year and now am in the basic course. so I wanted to know if this could potentially hurt my chances at highly selective schools. I'm not a bad student, I had a 83/100 GPA freshmen year and a 81/100 GPA sophomore year but really kicked it into gear my junior year getting a 98.5/100. So will the fact that I had an upward trend like that hurt me?</p>
<p>I'm a biracial(white/african american) female, first generation, low-income, single parent home</p>
<p>Intended Major:Architecture
Schools I'm looking at: Cornell would be a DREAM but I don't want to apply having like no chances, Pratt Institute, SCAD, Drexel, Syracuse, Penn State and maybe CMU(another stretch)</p>
<p>GPA: we get them out of 100 but I've tried calculating into a 4.0 and got 3.7-3.8 range(not sure if it's correct)</p>
<p>Class Rank: at the end of sophomore year it was 149/336, we won't get our junior year ranks til the begining of senior year so I'm pretty sure it's wayyy better than that.</p>
<p>SAT: 1830 CR 630 M 670 W 580
SATII: none taken yet, I plan on taking Math and Physics in the fall</p>
<p>Classes taken: all my schools classes are honors, so they're all honors. I've been taking higher math classes then most of my grade, they're normally a step behind: Algebra II(9), Geomtery Trigonometry and Probaility and Satistics(10) and Math Analysis and Calculus(11). Plus I had high grades in my Physics class.
Senior Year classes: AP Calculus AB, AP Physics w/ lab, AP Lit, AP Comparative Gov. and a three credit research course at Johns Hopkins University(I'm doing engineering research). You had to be approved by all your science teachers, your current math teacher, have a high GPA and department approval to get in.</p>
<p>ECs:
-Badminton(9 10 11 intended 12)
-ACE engineering mentorship(11)
-The Advocate, a non-profit organization youth newspaper(11, this is volunteer. we have to have a certain number of service learning hours to graduate but I have stuck with the newspaper even after that number was fulfilled)
-Management club, secretary (11)</p>
<p>Work Experience:
The Baltimore Algbera Project, it's a youth run organization that mainly focuses on improving math literacy in baltimore, so basically tutoring. on the other hand, it also has a branch that is made up of youth advocates that fight for quality education and money owed in the city(over a billion dollars), so I've been to three rallies/protests with them.
10 grade I was just a basic tutor(cadre leader)
Summer 08 I went to leadership training to get leadership promotion
11 grade I was promoted to a sort of like a manager, we run our own tutor group and help run the site, do paperwork, attend meetings, over see tutoring(senior cadre leader)
Summer 09 I'm attending another leadership training to get another promotion
12 grade, I intend to hold one of the highest leadership postions in the organization for a tutoring site.
I've also, along with two fellow students and a few dedicated teachers, fought for and got a new pilot tutoring program for math at my school which I will be running in my senior year. And we have successfully gotten the MTA(our bus system) and school board to agree to extend our bus tickets from 6:30 pm to 8:30 because its simply impossible to do after school activities and work if you can't get home(people are from all over the city at my school).
++this is something I'm very passionate about, it's changed me as a person by bringing me out of my shell and giving me a chance to voice my opinions on the educational topics that effect the school system.</p>
<p>Awards:
-(9th grade)4th place Badminton Singles 2 JV in the city(we only play up to city championship, theres nothing else after that)
-(10th grade)2nd place Badminton Singles 1 JV in the city
-(11th grade)1st place Badminton Singles 4 Varsity in the city
-(10th grade) most improved player in Badminton
-ACE certificate
-Outstanding Scholar award(11th grade)
-Meritorious Scholar award(9th grade) </p>
<p>Also, next spring break I'm going to Costa Rica with a school group to save endangered turtle eggs from pochers aswell as do other enviromental and volunteer work.</p>
<p>So if anyone has any suggestions to schools I should consider I'll gladly take them :] with my stats what do you think my chances are at the schools I'm considering. I'm aware Cornell makes a big decision on a portfolio and interveiw so it'll be hard to judge that but I don't want to get my hopes up when if theres no chance academically.</p>
<p>oh, one more question, should I try taking the ACT? Ive taken the SAT three times and think that its time to focus on my SAT II tests so I can get really good grades.</p>
<p>Sorry for such a long post btw, alot of questions, and my counsulor isn't such a big help, I think she secretly wants us to fail :P</p>