I think I have a decent chance at their women’s college, and I know it’s likely not very high for the general university, but I figured I might as well ask. Miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!
Objective:
SAT: 1600 superscore (1570 highest composite) 2 sittings
ACT: 36 (1 sitting)
GPA: 3.78 UW (I’ll explain why I’m even bothering to ask this question w this GPA later in the post!!)
4.56 W (my school does not weight out of 5.0, they use a very confusing algorithm)
APs fresh/soph:
AP Enviro, 5
AP Human Geography, 5
AP World History, 4 (will not be sending)
APUSH, 5
AP English Language, 5
AP Studio Art, 5
APs jr (no scores yet):
AP European History
AP Psychology
AP Spanish language
AP Government
AP Statistics
AP English Literature
Race: Native American (1/2 Lakota, recently registered w Lakota tribe)
Geography: Southwest Virginia
Family income 60k/yr
Subjective:
Extracirriculars:
- started a march for our lives chapter at my school, was the lead representative, became state director and regional consultant
- started a model congress/mock trial at my school, was president, won Best Delegate gavel
- started and currently own my own nonprofit organization which benefits low income mentally ill people, we are a functioning business and serve multiple clients
- IRL politician–I was elected to serve on the student board of my county’s schoolboard, and I’ve passed 2 bills
- Young writers' workshop @ UVA (summer program)
I ACCIDENTALLY HIT POST BEFORE I FINISHED AHHHHH
okay
- Harvard summer school online
- summer research with university (my work was published)
- national awards for debate, art, writing, and scholarship (national merit)
- environmental club—founder and president
- GSA president-- raised thousands of $$ for AIDS research
- founder and executive editor of a publication about inter sectional feminism and racism within progressive communities
- started and run a political campaign entirely managed by young people in my area! we’ve registered over 150 eligible young people for the 2020 election and brought groups to countless town hall meetings
- started a literacy program for young, low-income kids
- national art honor society–VP, national awards for oil paintings
- national honor society
- town hall manager
- habitat for humanity
- red cross
- started a mentorship program, where abled teens help intellectually disabled teens find jobs, make friends, succeed in school, etc
- campaign to raise funds for neonatal care in the middle east (circa the syria crisis)
- won an essay contest on free speech rights and went to the circuit court of VA
- questbridge prepscholar
- part time work–almost 35 hours a week since 16, 15 hrs (maximum) from 14-15, promoted to assistant manager at my 2nd job at age 15
Essays: I have only written one, but it’s been reviewed by my consultant and my counselor, as well as my English teacher, and they think it’s very good, so I give myself an 8-9/10. I’m a fairly talented writer, so I think my essays will be good.
My grades are bad because of mental illness. straight up. I was hospitalized twice. I am diagnosed with bipolar. My counselor says that he will explain the drop in my grades as an underclassman in my LOR, but I’m unsure as to whether this will be enough.
Also would be applying to study polisci.
Any ideas of chances? thank you!
oh, also:
Hooks: URM, geography, low-income, nationally recognized in the arts, dependent of a US military veteran
The school for general studies does not give good financial aid and is very expensive. Do not a good choice for you.
I think you are an excellent candidate if you do the hospital research and make sure you are well covered, and know what to do where to go if you need medical treatment. You will be near medical centers. Anyone with a chronic medical condition or at high risk for needing medical should take special care to research and know that terrain at school. Everyone should do the same, but some of us are more likely to need the care.
I also want you to be aware that being straightforward with mental illness issues can compromise your admissions to some colleges.
Your extracurriculars make me so jealous, I’m not the best at chancing but I think you’ve got great odds <3
Wow! What an impressive list of stuff! My daughter is a QB scholar as well and her list of accomplishments is only a fraction of yours. Pick a school that will love you back. You have lots to offer. Good luck!
What does your consultant say?
What possible major, sorry if I missed it.
When do you slow down? That’s not meant in a snarky way. When you tell us of hospitalizations and present this intense a list, it can raise questions just how push-push you are, whether you can stop, reflect, re-energize, hang with friends (be a good roomate,) stop to smell the roses.
It’s just not all about go-go-go and running at top speed. Even if adcoms don’t know about the mental health issues, they want balance in individual kids. That’s not, in this case, ‘some of this, that, and that, what can I do next.’ It’s you as the person behind this overdrive.
Learn what Columbia and Barnard value and want in the class. Please don’t tell us there’s something wrong with a 1570. Take a breath.
I don’t slow down, honestly. I have trouble with depression, and keeping busy doing things I love and am passionate about prevents me from getting in to a bad mindset. 