What should I improve upon?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a junior, and am wondering exactly what I need to make the schools I aim for. I'm an Asian male from NJ. (sucks rite?) I'm a permanent resident with a green card, who has no idea about colleges or anything till end of freshman year. Until freshman year I was a slacker and thought only grades mattered. Anyways, now I know what reality is like, so I would like to know what my chances are, and how I should improve upon them to make colleges. </p>

<p>High School: Public
High School Type: sends some grads to top schools</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.55 (90-91)
GPA - Weighted: 3.60 (91-92)
Class Rank: School doesn't rank (my guess is I stand in top 20% out of class of 350)
Class Size: 350</p>

<p>Classes:
Only 1 AP; rest is honors:
- AP Economics
However, to make up for this, I plan on self-studying for 2 more AP's (calc BC, and a science)</p>

<p>Scores:
Again i had no idea about SAT, SAT II etc. until 10th grade, so I plan on taking 3-4 Subject Tests (if i can get more in I will)
SAT Math II: Waiting on result (my guess is 750+)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- Robotics Team (Mechanical) - Most likely co-captain senior year; 2 hr per week until January; then starting from January, 7 hrs per week. Since sophomore year.
- Special Needed Kids (Autism) - 1 hour per week, since freshman year
- Chess Club in Library (Teaching chess to young) - Since freshman year (2 hrs per week)
- Info Desk at hospital - 3 hrs per week; since sophomore year
- College Summer programs: Harvard SSP - Astronomy
- Percussion</p>

<p>Leadership positions:
- Attended National Youth Leadership Council</p>

<p>Athletic:
- Tennis - Junior Varsity</p>

<p>Colleges of Interest:</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon University
Columbia University (far reach, i know)
Cornell University (far reach, i know)
Duke University (reach?)
Johns Hopkins University (far reach, i know)
University of Arizona (This seems perfect for me)
University of California - Berkeley (far reach, i know)
University of Hawaii - (This seems perfect for me)
University of Michigan (reach?)
University of Virginia (reach?)
Boston University (reach?)</p>

<p>I plan on majoring in Astronomy, and as far as I know these are the colleges that have good astronomy programs. These will be the colleges I will be considering in Senior Year.</p>

<p>I realize i still need to improve upon many things. Any suggestions on where i should improve on?? I plan on doing a research in the field of astronomy this summer.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I would try to show more of a passion toward astronomy by doing more related activities. You mentioned doing some research in the field...which I think will be great.</p>

<p>Are you not going to take the SAT I at all? Even if you take 3-4 subject tests like you said you will, you still need the regular SAT for pretty much all of the colleges you just listed. If you don't want to take the SAT, then take the ACT, but you need one or the other. 3-4 subject tests just won't cut it.</p>

3

<p>O yea, im definitely taking the SAT I.
I plan on getting 2250+ in March.
In January im probaly going to take 1 more subject test, then two more in June.
In october, ill retake the SAT I for superscoring. </p>

<p>I also a bunch of AP's senior year, including Physics (for astronomy).</p>