Where should I be aiming for?

College Search & Selection
1

I am currently a sophomore in high school, and I am not really sure where I stand compared to other students. Which colleges should I be aiming for?

Here are my academic stats:

  1. Freshman Year - World History Honors, German 1 Honors, Alg 2 Trig Honors, Symphonic Band, Chemistry Honors, English 1 Honors
  2. Sophomore Year - AP Computer Science A, Wind Symphony Honors (second highest band), AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, English 2 Honors, Precalc Honors, and German 2 Honors
  3. PSAT 8/9 Scores: 720 math (max score), 660 reading&writing (these are from last year, I will be taking the PSAT 10 next month)
  4. GPA (on a 5.0 scale): 5.84 weighted (B in history last year & did not take honors band last year), 4.95 unweighted
  5. Next year I am taking:
    AP Language and Composition
    AP Calculus BC
    AP Microeconomics
    AP US Government
    AP Biology
    AP Physics C (this is a maybe - I may not be able to take it because of scheduling issues)
    German 3 Honors
    Wind ensemble (highest band)

Extracurriculars

  1. JV Poms (although poms may be cut next year due to budget cuts)
  2. Novice Level figure skater for Moves in the Field (3rd highest level of 8)
  3. Juniors in Engineering Technical Society - Team places second at sectionals, heading to state next month
  4. Marching band/pep band - section leader for alto saxophones (may also get cut due to budget cuts)
  5. Figure skating coach at a figure skating school
  6. Former member of a competitive dance team at my studio (quit this year because I joined poms at my school)

Achievements:

  1. Qualified for an international dance competition (couldn’t attend because of time conflict)
  2. Gold award in National German Exam (97th percentile)
  3. Young Scholar (a program at my school for anyone who has a 5.0 weighted GPA or above)

Thanks for the help!

2

Tentative academic interests?

3

I will definitely be studying STEM in college, but I am not sure which major to choose yet. Right now I am leaning towards something in chemistry and/or physics, but medicine and engineering are also a possibility. I am also an asian female, if that helps.

4

Based on your GPA and other aspects of what you’ve posted, you will have lots of options, @SkateDance. As an initial approach, maybe you’d want to take a look at colleges with active figure skating clubs?

http://iceskatingresources.org/CollegeClubList.html

5

Thanks for your input! Do you think schools like UCLA or UMichigan are within my range, or should I aim for something different?

6

Schools such as UMichigan and UCLA seem definitely to be within your range. Though this is a somewhat older analysis, you might want to use it to identify other colleges in a similar selectivity vicinity, or perhaps for guidance in choosing reasonable reaches: https://amp.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9. For strong programs in fields such a chemistry and physics, you may also want to consider appropriate LACs.