Hello! I was hoping someone could evaluate my scores to see if I should even bother applying to UVA. I must confess, I may have been stalking these forums to find someone I could relate myself to, but with posts listing 4.3 acceptances I am having a difficult time. I know that numbers should not define a person, but I am in the process of understanding, yet alone accepting it. If you could please smack me out of my dream world and into reality, I would be extremely grateful. (I have posted this in the Chance me forum as well, but I did not get many responses (trying my luck here in the UVA forum)… PLEASE JUDGE ME AS HARSHLY AS YOU CAN!)
I am a current high school junior in a northern Virginia public school.
Ethnicity: Asian (both parents born in Korea, and know little to no English = first generation to complete college in America)
GPA: UW- 3.64 W- 3.94
However, with the current classes I am taking ( and a few B’s and A-'s ), my goal is a weighted GPA of 4.09. (please focus on this one. I have already predicted many will think/respond in such a way that is somewhat degrading, stating that I shouldn’t rely so heavily on a projected GPA, but now into the third quarter it is becoming possible. Thank you!)
I took my first SAT in October, where I got a 1330 and 6, 4, 6 on my uncompleted essay. Taking it again in the next couple months. ( Math 700, Writing 630 ) PSAT: 1340
I’m planning on taking SAT subject tests in March (Math II and US History), and I don’t plan on taking the ACT.
I have received a 4 on the AP test for World History, and a 3 on the Topik test. (Taking the Topik test again this April)
I have taken and am taking mostly honors and AP classes.
R- Regulars HNS- Honors (+0.5 to final class grade) AP-Advanced Placement=College class (+1.0 to overall class grade)
Freshman: Geometry HNS, Biology HNS, World History HNS, English 9 HNS, Orchestra, Spanish 1, and P.E. (3.95 Weighted -explanation consists of dad drinking, financial and family problems (it will not help, but just trying, but failing miserably, to provide justification 
)) It has taken me up until know to apologize for my grammatical errors. I hope this proves and supports my GPA.
Sophomore: Algebra 2 HNS, Chemistry HNS, AP World, English 10 HNS, Orchestra, Spanish 2, and P.E. (3.93 Weighted- explanation: went to ER during finals week having all As and A-, Cs on nearly all of the tests)
Junior: PreCalc R, Physics HNS, APUSH, AP Lang, Orchestra, Spanish 3, and AP Stats
I’ve signed up to these classes Senior year: AP Calc AB, AP Environmental Science, AP Comp Gov, AP Lit, Orchestra, Spanish 4, and AP HUG (everyone scared me out of AP classes, but now experiencing what it’s like I’ve become more confident)
I’m relying heavily on my extracurriculars for my intended major: International Relations and Foreign Politics. (Ha)
In school: Key Club, NHS, NJHS, Model UN, Forensics, Vietnamese Student Association, Korean Honor Society, Book Club, Junior State of America, Kurdistan Aid, and English Honor Society.
Positions/Leadership: Founder/President of JSA, Co-President of Book Club, Co-President of Kurdistan Aid, and selected to participate in NAKS (National Korean School Association) Korean History and Culture Leadership Camp in Colorado.
Volunteer: WANT Team- Welcoming and Nurturing Team for my church’s Youth Group,
KLEMA- (sprout/branch in Greek) helped mentally disabled children at my church,
Lend a Fin- look after children once a month while they swim,
and Kurdistan Aid- a non-profit organization raising funds for Kurdistan (not only limited to war efforts but social, economic, and political affairs)
Jobs: Previous cashier at Chick-fil-A, current tutor, and helped put at a SAT prep program
Awards: Honorable Mention at Science Fair, Academic Achievement, First place at Korean Poem Contest ( school and regionals ), Nominated by Korean School (only 3 including me) to participate in Korean Composition Essay Contest and won second at regionals, Nominated (one out of two) to participate in the Baekiljjang (hardest Korean literature test/essay) and got third in regionals, One out of seven runner-ups for the National Kim Koo essay contest, Second place in Korean spelling Bee at school and third in regionals, Fourth in advanced Korean spelling bee at ODKS and third at regionals, Third for both school and regionals for Korean short essay contest.
This year I am participating in an essay contest, which can go up to nationals if I get nominated.
Income- fairly good? 79,000-90,000, but to readers who are worried about income! (I hope to write about this in one of my essays 
, but my dad opened his second business, and like the first, it is doing horribly ) new estimate to be around 40,000, because my dad is the only one working in this family.
Recommendations: Have a teacher I am pretty close with, asked for recommendation once before, and now I am a semi-finalist for the program (if accepted I will post, not only to see if my chances get any higher but provide information on the program itself. I must admit I’m not writing about it because I’ll be more or less denied… like many programs before.)
Unsure for the second. I have a lot of teachers I am alright with it, but not close to.
Yes, I have compared my GPA to everyone and anyone, outside and inside my high school. And yes, it suck. I was and still am hoping for someone to raise my hopes by even a microscopic amount. (I’ve gotten e-mails from UVA before, like every Virginian student, but I’ve been told it’s for the application fee. I feel extremely stupid for not recognizing this before, but it kind of really XD hurt my already non existent confidence~)
I just think I should give up, I mean be more realistic, and apply to George Mason or NOVA.
But THANK YOU SO MUCH! for reading my post!!! I am extremely grateful! I truly hope that someone can benefit and be comforted from this (if that is even possible). I was having a really hard time finding non-Ivy League appliers. EXCUSE MY SPELLING/HORRIBLE WRITING SKILLS AND MAY YOUR FIRST CHOICE BE YOUR ONLY!!!