<p>Important to know:
I go to a well-known, prestigious high school. My school has quite a reputation in the nation.
My school doesn't do weighted GPA</p>
<p>As of now:
My GPA is 3.36
First time taking the SATs, I got a 2040. (600 CR, 760 Math, 680 Writing)
For AP Bio exam, I got a 4.
For SAT Bio Subject Test, I got a 740.
For SAT Math Level 2 Subject Test, I got a 720.</p>
<p>Advanced Class History:
Freshman year: Hon Algebra II, Hon French II, Adv. Earth Science
Sophomore year: Hon Geometry, Hon French III, AP Bio
Junior year: Hon English, Hon Precalc, AP Chem, AP Stat</p>
<p>What I will be doing:
Take ACT. My target is 33.
Take AP Stat and Chem exams. My target for Stat is a 5. For chem, a 4.
Take SAT Chem Subject Test. My target is in the 700s.
Retake SAT Math Level 2 Subject Test. My target is 800.</p>
<p>Extracurriculuars:
Volunteered over 70 hours at a hospital
President/creator of Horror Film Club
Treasurer of Entrepreneur Club
Been part of school swim team for 2 years</p>
<p>From the given info, what are my chances of getting into the top 20/30ish schools? What schools should I try?
Or do I have no hope of getting in such schools?</p>
<p>Write some passionate essays about something relevant and important, your stats are a little low for that level. Don’t worry, mine were too. What’s important in that scenario is to not try to explain that, but to show another side of you which is deep and completely independent from grades, though not necessarily academics.</p>
<p>You have little chance of top 20 with your stats. Top schools can actually make college admissions harder because much is expected of thoe who’ve had thAt advantage and your classmates are your first line of competition.</p>
<p>I am still a junior at high school. Specifically what can I do now to raise my chances?</p>
<p>And I mean 20ish or 30ish schools. I am not talking about Ivies. I’m more of thinking about schools like NYU…</p>
<p>Find a cure for cancer, go to the moon, win 8 Olympic gold metals, create a democratic revolution in some third world country, write a three volume thesis on deontological ethics, prove god, solve world hunger, get rid of nuclear weapons and fix the financial crisis. </p>
<p>Or get your GPA up.</p>
<p>I am well aware that my unweighted GPA is low but do my course load, extracurriculars, and standardized test scores help make up for it by any bit?</p>
<p>and I should also add that I attend a very prestigious high school in the nation, if that matters</p>
<p>Take more AP’s, that always helps even if your grades aren’t great at the end of the day, it certainly looks good if you challenge yourself to the high end colleges.</p>
<p>Take more APs…as in for the upcoming AP exams in May this year? Or do you mean for senior year? My schedule is not out yet but I am going to be taking AP Physics B and AP Calc AB.
Another question I have though is: Just how much can I do during senior year to improve my chances of getting into a school like…lets say NYU?</p>
<p>MODERATOR NOTE: Please post all Chances threads on the What are my Chances? forum.</p>