<p>Okay so @MYOS1634 and @CalBearsMom, I’m thinking somewhere near home, so Midwest, but my choices are all around the US. I know that I’m definately shooting high for all of them and I’ll probably get waitlisted or rejected, but here goes it: University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), Indiana University (Bloomington), UW Madison, UT Austin, and Ohio State.</p>
<p>Yes, I repeat, that I know how daunting the task is and how competitive it is. I am pretty lazy outside of class, however when I’m in class or determined, I do pretty well. I’m hoping to raise my UW to a 3.4 and my Weighted to a 3.8. I’ll probably get a 27-33 on my ACTs and 1700-2000 on my SAT (if I choose to take the SAT).</p>
<p>Oh, and if it means anything, I’ll probably do an Early Admission or Decision to Wisconsin and UT. Plus, waaay more than you need to know, but it might be beneficial that I’m an International Student in an American High School.</p>
<p>In light of these new details, proceed in critiquing me!</p>
<p>
I know that this the conventional wisdom but I constantly see exceptions to this, enough that I wonder how true it is. A family friend is sending their daughter to Harvard next fall. She is completely unhooked, though a great all-around person. She took only 3 APs in HS and had a sprinkling of A- grades. </p>
<p>Take hard classes in subjects you enjoy, and easier classes in subjects you dislike. I took all of the AP math and science classes at my school because I love the subjects, and I worked hard to get my As. Though I am still good at English and the social studies, I am not as interested in them and took honors through 10th grade and then dropped into regular instead of taking the AP route for 11th and 12th grade. That left me more time to spend working on the hard classes I really enjoy along with having time for activities, without sacrificing my GPA. Though I am still waiting on admissions decisions, my choice to balance coursework is definitely one I recommend!</p>
<p>While those aren’t HYPMS, those do seem to be pretty competitive schools – all with great reputations, academically.</p>
<p>My advice would be to look up the most recent freshman profile statistics for each of those schools and see which range your gpa (and later your SAT/ACT scores) falls in. If you’re in the bottom quartile, you’d better be a recruited athlete or have major hardships or have some kind of a hook. Granted, those stats won’t tell you how rigorous their course load was. But most Adcoms will be evaluating your course rigor within the context of what YOUR school offers – and obviously your school offers a lot of AP classes. Also cast a wide net and look for some schools where you’re at least in the middle 50% and some schools where you’re in the top half or, even better, the top quartile – which may change your list, or at the very least add some lower tier schools to it. You can also look at the common data set for the schools and see to what degree they look at rigor vs. gpa (as another poster above mentioned).</p>
<p>Also, for you in particular confusedteen15, I think that the advice above to take APs in your strongest subject areas, rather than in all areas, is probably good advice. Try to find the sweet spot of taking as many hard classes THAT YOU CAN GET AN “A” IN. That will probably be your best strategic position. I do understand that it’s hard to know until you try it. But your grades this past semester gives you some really good information about yourself. Try to learn and profit from it. </p>
<p>Okay, here’s the mom in me speaking now. Regarding the “pretty lazy outside of class”…no judgement here, but you do make your own choices. You have some pretty awesome colleges that you want to get into. Only you can decide how much that is worth to you now. IF you really want it, then go all out for it. Don’t leave anything on the table. You don’t want to look back later and say,“I know that I could’ve gotten into ______ if only I hadn’t been so lazy about doing my homework”. Okay, pep talk over. Best wishes to you.</p>
<p>Talk to your parents about what they can afford. You have public Us from five different states. You will be paying hefty OOS costs for a number of them (depending on your home state).</p>
<p>^ Yeah, my parents will be willing to pay almost anything as long as the education is “worth it”. Plus, if I really want to go to an OOS school, I’ll be willing to work more and take some more loans. I haven’t really delved into the idea of finances yet because getting in is probably the hardest obstacle for me.</p>
<p>You should talk to your parents to make sure that you know what they will contribute, and run the net price calculators. April usually brings posts from parents and students who assumed that the finances would work out, but who end up with a bunch of college acceptances that are too expensive. Some parents do not realize how much college can cost these days. Large student loans are generally not a good idea.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus Like I said earlier, money won’t be an issue, even if it’s an issue. My parents will do whatever it takes for me to fulfill my education (which I’m eternally grateful for), and I will take out loans and find many jobs. If I’m really determined to go to an expensive in-state or OOS school, I’m 99% sure that I’ll get in, given that I get admitted. </p>
<p>TL;DR = Money’s not an issue, even when it is. Getting in is the tough part.</p>