What must I improve? [Junior]

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Note: I realize many people don't like responding to a 0 post user (as a 13k poster on another board) but I would love to get some feedback on what I need to improve to be competitive at some good schools.</p>

<p>Hey guys, I've been browsing this forum for a while but never got around to registering/posting. I'm a junior in high school at the moment, and I would like a little help on what I need to do to improve my chances to get into some good schools.</p>

<p>Backstory: I am from a smallish town (15k) with a small high school in New Mexico with very little ECs to choose from. Also, I did not really understand why school mattered my Freshman year, so I pulled some B's. I am feeling those now.</p>

<p>Here's my resume, with no embellishments:</p>

<p>GPA/Rank/Test scores:</p>

<p>3.48/4.0GPA (after Sophomore year) unweighted
Class rank: undetermined/unknown - small school from NM, top ~15%ish?
32 ACT (36E 32E/W, 28M, 34R, 31S)
2010 SAT (690R, 670M, 650W 7 Essay)
SAT II: None. (Need?)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>National Honor Society member & attached community service
FCCLA member and competitor, won what amounts to 3rd place at State cooking competition
Varsity Tennis player (Captain? we shall see)</p>

<p>Course rigor:</p>

<p>Every core curriculum course I've taken has been honors, if offered. Honors Chem, Honors Bio I and II, Honors English (every year), Honors US & Honors World History, Honors Algebra II (tested out of Algebra I), Honors Geometry. Currently I am taking Precalculus and Trigonometry (two classes) concurrently, pulled A's in both for first semester (neither is offered in Honors). Otherwise I've taken some challenging electives: Drafting I, Accounting I (started second semester, had to do both semester's work: only got a high B).</p>

<p>I've also been taking dual enrollment courses at the local university. I took Principles of Microeconomics and Database Design & Implementation I, pulled A's in both. This next semester I will be taking 4 high school courses and 4 college courses (Intro to Sociology, World History II, American National Government, and Intro to Computer Science). I plan to keep taking college courses and hopefully graduate high school with about 45 credit hours.</p>

<p>So I'm hoping my course rigor will make up for my lackluster GPA which I believe I can have up to 3.75+ by the time I graduate, which will subsequently bring up my class rank. I'm the opposite of the high school student norm as my grades have only gotten better through the years. As for my test scores, the ACT is my test - perfect score on the English and near perfect on the reading. I think I can bring that up to a 33, perhaps even a 34. I realize that's not everything, but I hope it will make up for other lackluster portions of my resume. </p>

<p>As for ECs: there's not much to do here. I went to a chess club meeting, but didn't like it. I'm considering dropping from FCCLA, as there's not much fun their either. My passion is tennis. I hit as often as possible (I'm the #2 on the team) and I am going to discuss with my coach the newly vacated captaincy. Otherwise, I realize this is weak.</p>

<p>So what should I focus on? EC's? Like I said, not much to do, but suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I will bring that GPA up as much as possible while keeping the rigor; the class rank will hopefully follow. Should I get some SAT II's? (I think I could do well on the US History exam, but otherwise dunno - maybe the maths?) Lastly, I don't know how much time I should spend getting that ACT up to a 33/34.</p>

<p>Lastly, here are some schools I imagine I will be applying to. I realize I'm just a junior, but based on my current stats w/o any improvements, what are my chances here?:</p>

<p>Rensselaer (RPI)
U of Virginia
UNC Chapel Hill
NC State
NM State (easy lock, qualify for full ride w/ stipend so might go here regardless)
Brown University
UT Austin
SUNY Binghamton
Vanderbilt</p>

<p>Thanks so, so much for any advice in advance!</p>

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<p>Does anyone have suggestions on what I must improve to be competitive for some of the better schools I mentioned?</p>

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<p>None of those schools require subject tests (if you’re submitting the ACT), although you can take them and they will most likely be considered (if you send them in).
The good thing going for you is your state of residency. The bad is your GPA and ECs. Look for some community service in your area, and do it only if you like it. Try to bring your GPA up. If you have the chance to retake the ACT, I’d suggest you do since you might do better- you never know.
What can you afford?</p>

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<p>I believe, by graduation, I can get the GPA up to 3.75+. I am overloading on classes and taking multiple college classes for both high school and college credit simultaneously - I was hoping the rigor might, in some small way, make up for the GPA. Does it not?</p>

<p>As for ECs, I figured they were a bit weak, but I was unsure. I’ll keep looking.</p>

<p>As for the ACT, I got a 36 on the English, 34 on the Reading, 31 on the Science, and 28 on the Mathematics. I think I can maintain the former two scores, so I’m working on the latter two. I hope to be able to bring it up to a 33, perhaps even a 34. </p>

<p>I can afford school only through scholarship or other financial aid - otherwise, college (with the exception of community college, maybe) would be out of the question. At the state school in New Mexico, I qualify for full tuition and most of the costs of room and board, so I may end up going there regardless of where I get in elsewhere.</p>

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<p>Does anyone have further insight?</p>

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<p>Will you be looking to be a recruited athlete? I think you could get into quite a few schools if you contact their athletic departments. I hear that being a recruited athlete is really important to getting into schools that you otherwise might not get into.</p>

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<p>No, I am a good tennis player for my district, but I doubt I could make a tennis team. I have another year to make huge strides, though, so I might be able to swing myself a #5 or #6 spot on a D3 team. I am NOT willing to compromise my education, however, simply to play sports throughout college - so just assume I will not be a varsity athlete wherever I go.</p>

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<p>Does anyone have further insight beyond working on the ECs?</p>

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<p>Develop your writing skills. Take an honors or AP English if you can (again). The essay component matters more than you think. If you are solely going for the ACT, then I do not recommend taking the SAT subject tests as they wouldn’t be necessary. If you have not tried the SAT, then I suggest you sign up for the March one and see how you fare.</p>

<p>Community service can be helpful, but I do not think it matters very much. As someone else mentioned, only volunteer for an organization you firmly support or are interested in. Do not stat pad yourself. Do not worry too much about ECs either. If I were an officer, I would rather see your dedication to a few activities than to encounter a laundry list. </p>

<p>Do not overwhelm yourself with classes if you can. If you have the stamina to take those rigorous classes, then by all means do so. I think if you focus on getting solid grades in those courses you mentioned, then the GPA will take care of itself.</p>

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<p>My mistake. I did not read thoroughly. You may laugh at me now, har har. Since you have tried the SAT, I would recommend having one or two subject tests under your belt, subjects that perform strongly in.</p>

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<p>No problem. I think, if I take the SAT II’s, I’ll work on my Spanish (I’ve taken I and II, but was never comfortable with the language) and then take the Spanish, Math II, and US History tests. Might also take the Literature test. Thanks for that advice, I didn’t know if I should bother.</p>

<p>I am confident in my writing ability, but it is one of those skills I am ever evolving and improving (I often find that, if I go back and look at something I wrote two months ago, I find some wording or structure problem that I wouldn’t have made today). Thanks for that also, I was wondering how much weight was given to the essay. I intend on clarifying the lack of diversity in ECs and my GPA in the essay.</p>

<p>After going back and thinking about it, I believe I have a shot at making a D3 tennis team, perhaps just not the most competitive. I’m not going to go to a lesser school just to play, but I think I’ll keep it in mind when I’m applying, at least. I was already going to apply to RPI, CMU and Case Western, now I might look for some other D3 schools.</p>

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<p>Well I hate to keep doing this, but any more insights?</p>

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<p>Just thought I’d drop in and update, since this post, I became the captain of the varsity tennis team and captain of the chess team (turns out I liked it, after I got past the personality quirks of some of the people on the team). How do my college prospects look now, anyone?</p>