what should i be considering?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>ahhh i'm scared.
i'm a sophomore at a pretty competitive public school. white as wonderbread. female.</p>

<p>my plan test predicted a 31-34 ACT (but i was kinda half asleep when i took it) which translates to about a 2260 SAT... i think with classes i could do better.
3.8 GPA unweighted, 4.7 weighted
9 AP classes, all honors otherwise
my school stopped ranking because they found students did better without rank... i'd guess i'm in the top 5%.
i've taken all the hardest classes possible EXCEPT i'm taking ap calc AB instead of ap calc BC next year because i hate math. (i'll take ap stats senior year.)</p>

<p>POSSIBLY (things i'm doing/plan on doing)
Clubs
-choir (freshman)
-piano (7 years), no awards or anything though
-policy debate (freshman)
-public forum debate (sophomore, junior, senior) team captain (junior, senior)
-in the finals for a national essay contest (sophomore, hopefully other years)
-qualified for nationals in debate (sophomore, hopefully other years)
-features and arts & entertainment editor of school newspaper (junior)
-i'll try to be editor in chief (senior)
-nhs (junior, senior)
-french national honors society (sophomore, junior, senior)
-key club (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
-co-president environmental awareness club (junior, senior)
-SADD (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
-literary magazine (junior, senior)
-GSA (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
-i think i want to found a JSA chapter at my school next year (junior, senior)</p>

<p>-intern for state representative (sophomore)
-work on a congressional campaign (sophomore)
-i hope to score another political internshipish opportunity</p>

<p>volunteering... woofully lame, i need more.
-soup kitchen, i plan to go more
-animal shelter a few times
-i'll probably join the club at my school to tutor inner-city kids</p>

<p>this summer i'm doing the junior statesmen summer school, taking ap american gov & politics and a congressional workshop at georgetown.</p>

<p>i doubt it's a hook, but my friends and i put together an alternative/rock band earlier this year. i play piano and guitar and compose 90% of the songs. we'll play at a student-run concert at school and i'll probably be on the executive board of it, as well as other random events for charity/fun. there's a good chance we'll have an independently produced cd by the time i apply.</p>

<p>OKAY SO. FIND ME A COLLEGE/COLLEGES.
i want to study political science and/or journalism and/or arabic (random i know.) i don't want to be in the south and i don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. i want to be in a big city (dc, chicago, nyc, boston, the like.) i want a medium-sized school. i like ivy's but i wouldn't give my right arm to go to one, unless it was a really good fit for me.</p>

<p>i've done my own research and have my own ideas, but i was wondering what you guys would say. where should i consider?</p>

2

<p>Some ideas of mine... </p>

<p>UNLIKELY REACHES: Harvard College, Yale University
REACHES: Brown University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania
SEMI-REACHES: Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago
GOOD FITS: Barnard College (all girls), Carnegie Mellon University, Trinity College (CT)
LIKELYS: Fordham University, George Washington University, Loyola College in Maryland, Syracuse University, Union College, University of San Diego</p>

3

<p>thanks for the advice! you actually hit a bunch on my list.</p>

<p>what else?</p>

4

<p>VoOt! GSA kid! :D</p>

<p>sorry about that. I don't see many GSAs on EC lists.
please resume the thread.</p>

5

<p>Hrmm... </p>

<p>you mentioned journalism. That makes me think of Medill for Northwestern =] Work hard and do well on SAT's. Try to garner more leadership positions too!</p>

6

<p>yeah, medill would be perfect, because i could double major in journalism and political science. i've definitely considered that.</p>

<p>but what are my odds of actually getting in? should i capitalize more on my journalism interests?</p>

7

<p>Yeah, definitely capitalize more on your WRITING abilities. I've seen people with low SAT scores get in only because of their great writing skills, so power to you if you can have both. Try to become chief editor some time before applying =]</p>

8

<p>bump? sorry</p>