Okay so I know I’m like everyone else but I read these things all the time so why not…
I am just wondering what you all think about my chances if getting into Ivy Leagues and other top schools like JHU. I know that it’s impossible to accurately predict acceptances, but I’m also looking for opinions about what I could do to improve my chances.
Race: White
Sex: Female
Income: extremely low
Parents separated and very young, both disabled and neither employed. Neither attended college and I could write a very emotional essay about my childhood because although I was lucky to have my grandparents around, I have witnessed and lived through some very tough events/times.
GPA: 4.0 (6.93/7.0 weighted)
Rank: 1 (this could obviously change)
PSAT: 215 but hope to do better when I take the SAT in October
Freshman Year Courses: (all honors)
- Alg 2- A
- Gym/Children’s Theatre- A+/A
- Band- A+
- Chemistry (usually sophomore course at my school, but I took no lunch)- A+
- Biology- A+
- Italian- A+
- Issues in Modern World- A+
- English- A
Sophomore Year: (all honors unless AP)
- AP Physics 1- A
- Orchestra- A+ (taught myself to play the violin at a pretty basic level and worked my way up because band wouldn’t fit in schedule)
- AP Chemustry- A+
- Gym/Health- A+/A+
- Italian- A+
- AP Government- A+
- English- A+
- Precalc- A
Junior Year Schedule: (same as above) (with projected grades, obviously not definite)
- AP Env. Science- (A+)
- Orchestra- (A+)
- Biochemistry- (A+)
- AP Italian- (A/A+)
5/6: AP American Studies (APUSH with Americal Lit as a double period)- (A) - AP Stats (Calc didn’t fit this year)- (A/A+)
- Independent Study in Organic Chemistry
I’m not sure about senior year yet.
For extracurriculars I have the following:
Debate Team, captain
I debate varsity now as I won 6 or 7 tournaments first place my freshman year, including extemp and Yale Osterweis, and 2 1st place speaker trophies. Almost always top 5 speaker rank, but I have to see how I do in varsity, I don’t know that I’ll be good enough to win there.
Science Team/Science Fair
I compete in events with the team and help organize for guest speakers. Didn’t compete this year though because of conflicts. I also work in the Yale TAC Lab now so I will hopefully enter the CTSEF again this year. Went to JSHS this year and hope to be an oral presenter there next year if I’m good enough, but will probably be a poster presenter.
Jazz Band- don’t think that matters
Chamber Singers- Soprano section leader, but don’t think that matters either
CMEA regionals and All-States for voice… if I were good enjoy gut I’d aim for nationals but that’s highly unrealistic, although I just started vocal lessons so a girl can dream can’t she? Haha
Dance- Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-hop, Lyrical and Pointe work, but I don’t compete usually so no one cares.
NHS/Italian NHS/Science NHS/Tri-M HS- projected president of NIHS, co-president of NHS and Founder/President of Tri-M at my school
Other than that I work part time because my family has very little money, so whatever I want to do I have to pay for myself. It’s hard but worth it, and I think it teaches me a lot of responsibility and humility.
If I am able to I really want to volunteer at the hospital in the fall, but I don’t want to overload myself. I really think patient care and/or medical research is what I want to do in the future, so I think that would help me to a) help others, b) see if I like it, and c) get a little experience in the hospital setting
I probably said way too much, but I just really want to get into Yale or JHU if there’s and possibility at all for me. I know that there are soooo many smarter/better/wealthier people and that there are tons of really good schools that I could go to, but my dream is an MD/PhD dual degree and I love Yale, Harvard, and JHU.
Thanks, and sorry for being annoying!