UChicago/Berkeley

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Colleges:
UChicago (first choice, EA)
UC Berkeley
Harvey Mudd
Columbia
Reed
Duke</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>I am a white male, junior, from North Carolina. I will be applying as a physics major. I go to a public, residential, competitive high school with selective admission for junior and senior year. All classes are at a minimum, honors level. GPA's are not given, nor are class ranks. I had a 4.0 GPA for freshman and sophomore years at my previous high school, and was ranked at 1. </p>

<p>SAT:
CR 760 M 700 W 690 = 2150 Total (superscored, math will definitely be improved)</p>

<p>SAT II's:
Not taken yet, probably going to take Math II, Physics, Chemistry.</p>

<p>*GPA: *
Weighted: 4.8 (but will go up after these next two trimesters)</p>

<p>Junior Schedule (we have a trimester schedule, so I'll just list the class I've taken):
A: Precalculus and Modeling (unfortunately, my school would not allow me to move up to a more advanced class) (year-long)
A-: Physics with Advanced Topics I (one trimester)
A: Physics with Advanced Topics II (one trimester)
B: AP Chemistry I (two trimesters)
A: AP Chemistry II (one trimester)
A: Neuroscience Seminar (doesn't affect GPA)
B+: American Studies (two trimesters)
B+: Hispanic Literature I (college-level) (one trimester)
A-: Hispanic Literature II (one trimester)
A/A-: Hispanic Literature III (one trimester)
B+, maybe A: APUSH (one trimester)
A: Classical Piano and Guitar (one trimester-long independent course, all three trimesters)
A: Introduction to the Research Experience in Physics (one trimester)
A: Leadership Seminar (doesn't affect GPA)</p>

<p>Also, during this (third) trimester, I'm "overloading," which means I am taking an extra core class, above the normal five core classes. I don't know how exactly that would figure in on my application, but I just wanted it to be known.</p>

<p>*Senior schedule: *
AP Biology (year-long)
AP Calc BC with Advanced Topics (year-long)
AP Physics C: Mechanics & E/M (year-long)
Astrophysics (college-level) (one trimester)
Galaxies and Cosmology (college-level) (one trimester)
Modern Physics (college-level) (one trimester)
Western European Cultural Studies (year-long)
Classical Piano and Guitar (one trimester-long independent course, all three trimesters)</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>ECs/Awards:
I have been a member of the Boy Scouts since the first grade, and I have my Eagle Scout award. I have served as Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, and now that I am at a residential high school on the other side of the state, webmaster. I was crew leader on a 100 mile backpacking trip through Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico.
My group, of which I am the team captain, was selected as semifinalists for the NASA BHALF competition. We get to go out to Ohio in May to compete in the finals. Last year, my school won in the finals.
This summer I will be interning with a professor at Duke University and her group, which studies data from the SuperK Neutrino Detector in Japan.
Based on my PSAT score, I should be qualifying for National Merit in September.</p>

<p>Previous School:
Science Academic Team- 2 years (captain as a sophomore- all other captains were seniors)
General Knowledge Academic Team- 2 years
Debate Team- 2 years
Book Club- 2 years
Crosby Scholars (college prep program, since middle school)
Student Government- 1 year</p>

<p>Current School:
Secular Student Alliance (president, founder)
SPECTRUM (Gay-straight alliance, president)
ScienceDays Volunteer (we go out to local elementary schools to teach them random things about science, from fingerprinting to anatomy)</p>

<p>Hooks:
I am a first-generation college student. Attend highly selective residential high school.</p>

<p>*Recommendations: *
I'm getting my American Studies and Precalculus teachers to write me recommendations. I'm also considering getting my physics teacher who was my mentor for BHALF to write a rec for me. I've met with my guidance counselor several times so that she actually gets to know me. Also, I'll hopefully be getting an extra recommendation from a teacher at my school who is an alum of UChicago. I did work service for her for one trimester, and she is the sponsor for the SSA I founded. </p>

<p>Any advice on what to improve upon/focus on would be much appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Bump… please (:</p>

<p>Sent from my ADR6300 using CC App</p>

3

<p>Just some advice, please!</p>

4

<p>How are you alive with this schedule?
Anyway, UChicago should be fines, especially with EA.<br>
UC Berkeley is target but they won’t give you any money because you’re out of state.<br>
Harvey Mudd is high target.<br>
Columbia doesn’t allow SAT super scoring, be aware.
Reed
Duke doesn’t allow SAT super scoring, be aware.
^^ At the least three, admittance seems almost arbitrary at times. DOn’t kill yourself and shoot for U Chicago if that’s your fave. Try to get that third letter of recommendation. Good luck! (:</p>

5

<p>Okay, thanks so much! And I meant to change that, that actually isn’t superscored. I just got my May SAT scores back, and they were all higher, so that is in one sitting.
Thanks!</p>

6

<p>Also, I’ll be president/founder of the geocaching club next year.</p>

7

<p>You have some B’s and some non-honors/AP classes, so how is your GPA going to be above 4.8?</p>

<p>UChicago (first choice, EA)- match
UC Berkeley- high match
Harvey Mudd- low reach
Columbia- reach
Reed- don’t know
Duke- low reach</p>

<p>If UChicago is your first choice, why apply to schools that are even harder to get into?</p>

8

<p>All of my classes, even from freshman year, are at a minimum honors-level. The only non-honors class I’ve ever taken is the required Gym and Physical Education. It might not have it in the course title, but they are all 5.0 level classes. The ones that say “with advanced topics” are sort of a step between honors and AP. Next year, I’m taking all AP/college level courses.</p>