What do you guys think now?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey guys, I just wanted to get a few more opinions before I delve into college applications as I start my senior year of high school. I’ve always had big dreams in regards to college and career, but now I have to solidify my list. If you could chance me for some of the colleges I am interested in or suggest some colleges, that would be great. Currently I am leaning towards studying science (biology and chemistry areas) or math as well as music (as a minor; I play the violin). I am intrigued by big cities (NYC, Boston, etc.)

Current GPA: 3.85 UW, 3.95 W, in top 10%
I attend a school which contains approximately 2,000 students and runs on a block schedule (4 classes per day, each class lasts one semester)

9th grade schedule:
Orchestra (A)
Algebra II (A)
Pre-Calculus (A)
Pre-AP Biology (A)
Pre-AP World History (A)
Pre-AP English (A)
Health/Wellness (A)

*Earned school wide math student of the year award.
*Was a section leader/concertmaster in orchestra.

10th grade schedule:
Chamber Orchestra (A)
Orchestra (A)
AP Calculus AB (B)
AP Calculus BC (B, but an A in the last quarter)
AP Human Geography (A)
Spanish 1 (A)
Pre-AP World Literature (A)
Spanish 2/3

*I independently studied Spanish 2 and 3 simultaneously because my Spanish teacher thought I was doing exceptionally well in Spanish 1
*I was promoted to the top orchestra in school (skipped the intermediate one)
*Chamber orchestra met as a class before official school start time.
*I earned a 5 on the AP Calc BC test, and a 5 on the AB sub-score. I earned a 4 on the AP Human Geography test.

11th grade schedule:
Chamber Orchestra (A)
Orchestra (A)
Calculus III (D)
AP United States History (A)
Advanced Chemistry (A, and then a B second quarter)
AP Language and Composition (A)
AP Chemistry (B)
Spanish 4 (A)

*Heavily involved in orchestra leadership team as well as being a principal player/section leader
*I earned a D in the first quarter of Calculus III and then dropped after the first quarter. I used my off period primarily to help work with the lower level orchestras
*I earned school wide most outstanding member of Spanish Club award and most outstanding member of Orchestra award
*I earned a 4 on both the AP Language and AP Chemistry Tests, and a 4 on AP U.S. History

Senior Year Schedule:
Chamber Orchestra
Orchestra
Microbiology and Botany
AP Physics 1
AP Biology
AP Macro/Microeconomics
American Government
AP Literature and Composition
AP Spanish 5

*ACT Test: 32 (retake in September?)
*Math II SAT Subject Test: 720 (minimal studying, will retake)
*Chemistry SAT II Subject Test: 670 (same, will retake)

Extracurricular/Summer Activities/Achievements:
*Volunteer with disabled children since summer of 9th grade (kind of random, but allows me to be social, has taught me many lessons, and I love it)
*Orchestra Leadership Team (social events coordinator, mentor, section leader 11th and 12th grade)
*Mu Alpha Theta since 10th grade (member in 10th grade, treasurer 11th grade, vice president 12th grade)
*Finalist in regional math contest (10th grade)
*National Honor Society (member 11th grade, treasurer 12th grade)
*Spanish Club (member 11th grade, president 12th grade)
*Accepted into regional honor orchestra (11th grade, expected in 12th grade)
*Summer school to fill graduation requirements (have taken Humanities, PE 1, PE 2, and Personal Finance over the past three summers)
*Take Private Violin Lessons (have played for almost seven years)
*Math Tutor/ Violin Instructor
*Interested in Herpetology (fascinated since 4th grade, have had many pet reptiles)
*Link Crew officer (11th and 12th grade)
*Participated in two summer music programs this summer
*Interested in science because of some independent science fair projects I conducted on microbiology/bio-med at a local university lab during middle school (got some very good experience, developed an interest, won several awards)

I’m from CO. My family’s annual income is low, which can be very limiting sometimes. I applied for the QuestBridge Prep Scholar program and did not make the cut. Right now I am looking at Columbia, Vanderbilt, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Boston College, and in-state schools. I would apply early to Columbia. I know it’s quite the reach, but I have wanted to go there since middle school (and don’t want to regret not applying).

Honest opinions would be great–but try not to be too harsh, please. I would appreciate any suggestions. I might have forgotten to include some things, so feel free to ask questions.

Thank you!

2

You didn’t make the Questbridge prep scholar cut? I’m a bit surprised, I made it and I don’t think my stats were as good as yours. But don’t worry about it, haha I didn’t even get much out of it.
Anyway, Columbia and Vandy I’d say are reaches. UMich and BC I’d say are matches, although that D in Calc III does put me off… But still, they’re probably matches, BC definitely.

3

Thanks for the input!

Yeah I mean I didn’t have any test scores when I applied for Questbridge besides a couple AP scores. That D I got in Calc III does complicate things, because it is so out of place.

I guess some questions would be:

*Should I bother to retake the ACT? My reading score was about three points higher than expected, while my math score was about four points lower than I expected. (32C, 34E, 31M, 32R, 29S)

*Just how much of a reach is Vanderbilt? How much of a reach is UMich (out of state)?

*Are there any other colleges I should look at?

Any opinions would be great!

4

I think there is no harm in retaking the ACT, and I definitely think you can raise your science score, it is not too hard to raise! I think Vanderbilt is basically a reach for everyone, but your chances are pretty solid! I would UMich is a low reach out of state for you! I wish you the best of luck in your college endeavors! You are an excellent candidate and will get into a great school!

5

Thank you! I guess I will probably retake the ACT in September and aim for a 33 or 34. I’ve done some reading, but what is financial aid like for UMich?

I’ve also taken a look at Barnard College and their partner program with Columbia. Any thoughts on that?

6

Bump…thoughts on schools I have listed or schools I should look into? :slight_smile:

7

If you’re only looking at Barnard because of their partnership with Columbia, then you should probably not be applying at all. It is a small liberal arts school, and although it is technically under the “Columbia University umbrella,” it is not just another way into Columbia. Classes and campuses, as well as many programs, are shared between the two, however, Barnard is also a separate “community.”

8

Thank you for the input!

I looked into Barnard after someone suggested to me that I might like it. I have looked at their programs. I am considering Barnard for several reasons, including setting and “community”, as well as quality of academics. I was wondering if anyone has detailed information or experience with the school that he or she could share, or if someone could chance me.

Thanks again, anything helps!

9

Hi everyone, I wanted to just update some info and see if I can get some more thoughts.

The only test I will be retaking is my SAT II Math 2 test. I thought about retaking the ACT, but I just have too much on my plate.

I’ve changed my college list around after doing some more research on my possible majors, affordability, setting, etc. So far I have:

Columbia University
Vanderbilt University
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
Tulane University
Washington and Lee University
Colorado State University
CU Boulder

I have ran some price calculators and such on these schools. I’m not entirely sure if I will be able to afford them, but I have an application fee waiver so I figured I would apply and see what happens.

If you guys have any thoughts on these schools or my chances of getting in, I would love to hear from you!

10

Just a bump…Any thoughts?