What tier of colleges should I be aiming for?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Classes:

  • average classes freshman year
  • took two APs sophomore year (Art History: 5 and European History: 5)
  • am currently taking four APs (Biology, Seminar, English Language, APUSH and plan on getting 4s or 5s on all of them)
  • will be taking six APs senior year (Calc AB, Environmental, Literature, Chemistry, Research, Micro/Macro Econ)
    4.0 GPA UW, ranked 9th in my class of about 520

SAT/ACT: haven’t taken either yet, but I got a 1490 on my PSAT, my score qualified for the National Hispanic Recognition Program, and I’m hoping it will qualify for National Merit, should be getting within 1500s for SAT and probably a 32+ based on PLAN results

ECs:

  • member of Project Teen Health (a club that aims at supporting health in the community) since freshman year, currently President, working to get a Wellness Policy implemeted at my school in order to improve school lunches and snacks as well as volunteering at elementary schools with lessons/helping at school gardens
  • member of Pre-Med club for 2 years
  • volunteered at local hospital for 2 years
  • won a local neuroscience competition, but did horribly at the national competition

I also work three nights a week.

This summer, I will continue to work, plan on getting an internship as well as starting to sell vegan baked goods with a friend of mine at local coffee shops and farmers markets and giving the profits to charity.

Earlier in high school, I had planned on going into medicine but have I realized I don’t want to do that now, may go into bio or environmental science, have been considering business recently. When I was younger, I was very ambitious with colleges I wanted to go to (wanted to go to an ivy LOL), but have realized I might not be able to get into stellar schools due to my (lack of) ECs. I was wondering what schools you guys think I would be able to get into? Any advice is also welcome because I’m a junior so I still have some time to improve my resume. Thank you!

2

So your ECs are a little weak, but just take some leadership roles in things, if you’re good at Neuro competitions do some more of those. Your raw stats will be good, although your course rigor may be a little on the low side, but being Hispanic will definitely help you at some top-tier colleges. An internship will also probably help you, both in getting in to college and in figuring out what you want to do. So, you can aim for top tier places, as long as you use what time you have left to diversify your ECs a little bit and to take some hard courses and figure out what you want to do. Good luck.