What's a "match" school for me?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I hate to be doing this, but I'm at the point of college apps where I need confirmation that I'm on the right track. If you wouldn't mind telling me what you think match schools are for me, that'd be soo appreciated :) and if you could chance me for the laundry list of "elite" schools, that would be a bonus!</p>

<p>Note: I've gone to three different high schools, two years in Kansas, one year in Virginia, and currently studying abroad on a full scholarship from the Department of State in Macedonia. So although I should be able to get some good recs from former teachers, I'm hardcore stressing because I'm doing all my requests for recommendations virtually and it looks like some of my emails are going to teacher's spam...anywAY here are my details:</p>

<p>White, Middle Class Female - parents are scientists that immigrated from the former USSR (I'm fluent in Russian).</p>

<p>Weighted GPA: 4.365</p>

<p>AP Classes:
Lang (5)
Euro (4)
Calc BC (5)
Lit (5)
Chem (5)
US History (5)
Macroeconomics (5)
Microeconomics (5)
currently taking AP Spanish, AP Computer Science, AP Biology, and AP Comparative Gov+Politics. My non-AP classes this year are Macedonian 1 (learning the local language, holla) and Advanced English Seminar. I cut down on how many classes I was taking so I could focus more on the cultural exchange that I'm supposed to be doing.</p>

<p>SAT:
800 CR, 790 Writing, 730 Math (one sitting)
SAT II:
800 Chem, 800 Math 2, 800 Lit</p>

<p>National Merit Semifinalist!</p>

<p>ECs:
So since I'm in a different country right now (I'm one of 65 national finalists for a fully-paid-for exchange for 10 months), my senior year ECs are a bit in flux. They won't be the same as from my first three years, obviously. What I'm looking at doing is mostly community service; teaching Roma children, Habitat for Humanity, work on organic farms. I also run a podcast about my time here (in addition to the usual blog), which you can find on iTunes - it's called Saying YES - and I'm one of 6 students selected by the Department of State to make videos for the website of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs...something I have yet to do, actually...</p>

<p>Past ECs:
Tech theatre: 9-11. Leadership position (Sound Head) 9th and 10th grade, lost when I moved to Virginia
Marching band: 9-11.
FBLA: 9-10. First in State in Intro to Business, Second in Intro to Business Communications.
Scholars Bowl: 10. doesn't really matter tbh but I figured I should put it down
Kansas Herpetological Survey: 9-10. Four weekends of volunteering to hike around and look for snakes, best time of my life.
Volunteering at library: 10. Got enough hours from this to get the Silver Presidential Service Award
Research in Puerto Rican Rainforest - summer between 10 and 11. Ten days of ornithological surveying in a secondary growth forest in Puerto Rico, also the best time of my life.
Not a traditional EC, but between 10th and 11th grade, I spent my entire summer (bar the time I was in PR) completely remodeling my apartment. I put a lot of my tech theatre skills to work and now can set tile, hardwood floor, refinish a ceiling, etc.</p>

<p>What stresses me out is the aforementioned long-distance communication for all of my events, the fact like I feel like I have a bunch of scattered ECs (moving sucks. studying abroad is awesome but moving in general messes you up), and the fact that I don't feel like I have enough leadership roles. WHO WILL ACCEPT ME INTO THEIR INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION?</p>

2

<p>Your GPA and SAT scores are all extremely good! And imo, your extracurriculars are excusable. If you write a phenomenal essay and get really good recos, I’d say you were a competitive applicant at any of the top tier schools. Naturally, no one is a shoe-in but you have a good shot. If you were to apply ED to any of the best schools in the country, I think you’d stand a great chance. Good Luck!</p>

<p>Chance me back maybe? <a href=“ED at wustl - #2 by hoppinhopin - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums”>ED at wustl - #2 by hoppinhopin - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums;

3

<p>NYU, Berkeley (if you could afford either), Oberlin…</p>

4

<p>Boston College, Wake Forest</p>

5

<p>What is your financial situation? I assume your state of residence will be Virginia next year, is that correct? What do you want to major in or do in the future? Have you visited any colleges – do you have a sense of whether you want a research university, liberal arts college, etc? Any feeling for what else is important to you in a college? I assume your unweighted GPA is good, but let us know what it is.</p>

<p>I think you will have a lot of great choices. I think Macedonia itself is a great EC – you have shown that you are willing to take a risk in way that very few applicants have. I agree that you are going to be competitive for the very top schools – your application will have texture that many top academic applicants lack. (and love the snake activity!!). But obviously you can’t apply to just top schools, you need some other schools as well. If you answer the questions above, that will help.</p>

<p>Just from your comments on rainforest research and herpetology, Cornell comes to mind. :)</p>

6

<p>Thanks everyone! Extremely kind answers :)</p>

<p>@intparent - I’m suuuuper lucky to have parents who will cover tuition to whichever school accepts me as long as I get whatever need-based tuition the school offers (they paid for my siblings to go to Harvard and Carnegie Mellon). Yes, I’ll be living in VA next year (and definitely applying to UVA!), but I’m not quite sure about my major - what I tend to list off as possibilities these days are Environmental Science/Sustainable Development, International Relations, or…something that lets me do work in the field (biology or environmental).</p>

<p>I’m applying to all research universities, but I do like the ones who have a more liberal artsy “feel.” I prefer East Coast except for Berkeley which I like as well! The only universities I’ve officially visited have been Georgetown, American, Columbia, NYU, and Princeton, but since my siblings went to Harvard/CMU I’ve spent a bit of time there as well. Out of those, I liked Harvard a lot but, I mean, it’s Harvard. I also loved Princeton and NYU. </p>

<p>I have lost track of what my unweighted GPA is, because my old school didn’t report it, but I’ve had A’s in every subject except for one B one semester of Algebra 2. So it’s pretty high.</p>

<p>Thanks for the tip about Cornell - I hadn’t been considering it but perhaps I should!</p>

7

<p>bump bump bumpity bump</p>