<p>Hi, I posted this on the UT board, but now I'm thinking I probably should have put it here. Oops</p>
<p>I'm just looking for some input, since my college counselor had never heard of the honor programs before. Also, I've been looking around at some of the threads and now I'm kind of intimidated. :/</p>
<p>I went to a Texas public school my freshman/sophomore years, but moved to an international school overseas. I still have residency in Texas, though. My grades dropped from straight A's to A's and a couple B's, but my counselor says colleges will understand that I moved to a harder school.
Unweighted GPA: 3.75 (I think this is it, but I had to calculate it myself)
SATM: 800
SATV: 750
SATW: 710
SAT II's: 750 on Math 2 and 700 on US History (I took the Oct SAT IIs and I think I did a lot better on the Math and Literature, so I'm hoping for some a little bit better)
No class rank, but my counselor will send a distribution graph of the GPAs of my class. Unfortunately my class has a a lot of hard workers in it and it probably won't look especially impressive.
Taking the full IB Diploma with four higher-levels.
ECs: Almost completely swimming; I was really focused on it before I moved (lettering fresh/soph years and finaling at regionals), but now I can only get involved during the short season. I did set a bunch of records here, though, even if my times were slower. National Charity League until I moved, with a leadership position my soph year. Now I am involved in school-sponsored service clubs and teach younger kids at a school-sponsored swim school for 6 weekends, twice a year. Otherwise I have no leadership.</p>
<p>Do my essays need to be REALLY good? What should I be stressing in them?</p>
<p>Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>Also, if anyone has suggestions for other reach, match, safety schools, that would be awesome.</p>