<p>Okay so I am looking at Wesleyan University for Early Decision, but I'm also trying to figure out what other colleges I could get into if Wesleyan doesn't work out. I was thinking of places like Vassar ED2, Smith, Skidmore, UPenn, Haverford, and Wellesley, but I'm open to any other places you think I could get into. I plan on majoring in biochemistry or neurosciences.
So chances for Wesleyan ED and other colleges?</p>
<p>aaaand here's my information:</p>
<p>** Background Stuff **
-High School Senior
-first gen college student
-low income family, and divorced. (~$40K for my dad, ~20K for my mom)
-Rank: 4/221 cumulative, 3/221 Junior Year
-97% cumulative unweighted GPA, 4.8 weighted GPA (I'm pretty sure. I'm not really sure how the whole weighted and unweighted thing works.)
- Father was in airforce for 3 years, honorable discharge due to family crisis. </p>
<p>** High School Courses **
-Freshman Year: All honors courses, no AP courses available
-Sophomore Year: AP World History (no others available), all other classes were Honors
-Junior Year: AP Bio, APUSH, Pre-AP Chem, Pre-AP English, Honors Pre-Calculus,
-Senior Year: AP Chemistry, AP Calc, AP English, AP Mac.econ., AP Gov't, Honors Physics (no AP available), Human Anatomy and Physiology (an "elective" science).
--I have the most rigorous schedule out of everyone in my grade (I asked my guidance counselor).
--All A's for all of my classes, except for Honors Algebra II, which I got an 85% in.</p>
<p>-- Took up to Spanish2 and German1 in high school like "on the record" and had to stop taking a language because of scheduling issues. Since a couple of friends and I also had the same issue, we started getting together and teacher ourselves the languages, and I had some people taking the classes bring in papers and notes to help. So if I include that, I'm in German4 and Spanish 3. (I'm including this is the additional info part of commonapp)</p>
<p>** Clubs and Leadership **
-Concert Band 4 years
-Marching Band 4 years
-Wind Ensemble 3 years
-Concertmaster of Concert Band and Wind Ensemble 2 years (counts as leadership)
-Section Leader(CB&WE) 3 years (counts as leadership)
-first soloist in clarinet section (CB&WE)2 years (kinda counts as leadership?)</p>
<p>-Currently in NHS, Treasurer
-Mock Senate, only for senior year, selective to get into.
-FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) since my sophomore year and will be a project representative senior year (this will include competition, community service, and writing a thirty page paper on the project). </p>
<p>** Work Experience **
-I work for my family business, which takes up A LOT of my time (usually more than thirty hours a week during the school year, about fourty during the summer). I am a manager there and have worked there (officially) since I was fourteen. My job and commitment to the business are the reasons my ECs are lacking.</p>
<p>** Community Service **
-120 hours community service at nursing home, 70 hours working for a community organization, and about 30 hours between NHS and FBLA stuff. Also volunteer and shadow at local Animal Hospitals, about 60 hours. </p>
<p>** Awards **
-Department Award for Band (sophomore year and junior year) and Department Award for Academic Achievement in Science (Junior Year)</p>
<p>-Chosen by school and local rotary club to participate in week long leadership camp, and I was fully sponsored by the rotary club. Only two kids in my school were chosen.</p>
<p>** Standardized Tests **
-Subject tests: 740 on Biology M and 570 on World History. Took English Literature 11/2 and I think I only really got in the 600-650 range. Hopefully SAT Subject Tests aren't too big of a deal?</p>
<p>-SAT: first time: 620CR,640M,720W; second time- 710CR,660M, 610W.
So as a superscore, I got 710CR,660M,720W, which is a 2090.</p>
<p>-Did not take ACT because all of my practice tests with that were consistently worse than the SAT practice test scores. </p>
<p>** Teacher Recs and Essays **
-Teacher Recs: Very good. One was from my Pre-AP and AP Biology teacher (so I had her two years) and the other was from my AP Gov teacher who I've had the past four years (for ninth grade history and then electives 10th and 11th grade and now for AP Gov).</p>
<p>-Essays: I did the "important story" commmonapp essay, and it talks about how I ended up taking care of my sisters after my parents divorced. I wrote it so it didn't come off as a sob story and mostly just highlighted how I'm independent, resourceful, and try to make the best out of a bad situation. I don't think the essay is like a 10/10, but more of an 8/10. </p>
<p>** Things I am Worried About **
-My SAT Subject Test scores. They are pretty low.
-Lack of languages. I may be taking them as a sort of independent study, but it isn't official and it's more like my friends and I are just learning the languages for fun.
-Clubs don't focus on a specific thing and don't really relate to my intended major.
-I am somewhat worried about my SAT score, especially my 660 in Math.</p>
<p>-I am hoping that the difficulty of my schedule and grades will save me, and make me stand out. </p>
<p>** Other Stuff **
I visited at Wesleyan, Vassar, and Cornell. Wesleyan is my top choice, and I went on two tours, an info session, and had an interview. I think the interview went pretty well, and I made sure to tell the interviewer about my interest in neuroscience and biochemistry. </p>
<p>-I am also looking at colleges with need based aid and ones with a high % of need met.
-Smaller, liberal arts type schools are preferred. I'm only really looking in the North East.</p>
<p>** Thanks for the help! **</p>