<p>I've made chance threads in the past, so I'll just apologize in advance... but I just applied to like all of my colleges. I'd really appreciate it if you could predict the outcome (I'll chance you too if you link me to your thread)</p>
<p>Anyways, here are my stats:
GPA:
UW - 3.95
W - 4.71</p>
<p>SATs:
Taken twice, highest:
M: 720, W: 720, CR: 670</p>
<p>Chem: 780
Math II: 750
Bio E: 750</p>
<p>ACT taking on Dec.12, never taken before so can't predict score.</p>
<p>All AP classes possible taken except for one, all academic classes since middle school are honors at least.
Chem - 5
Calc AB - 5
World History - 5
English Language - 5
Environmental Science - 5
Bio - taking this year
Calc BC - taking this year
Literature - taking this year
US Gov - 5</p>
<p>Intended Major: Self-designed major in Ocean Science, focusing on Geology and Ecology, or if that isn't an option, Oceanography or Earth Science.</p>
<p>Now, subjective stuff:
Recommendations: AP Chem teacher and AP Calc AB/Precalculus teacher. Both loved me and definetly wrote awesome recommendations. I also got a recommendation from the Director of Biotechnology Products at the FDA (more about that later) who also happens to be my boss.</p>
<p>Interview:
Bowdoin: Went well, kind of short (15-20 minutes), gave interviewer pictures of the boat I'm building and my research abstract.
Rice: went on for about an HOUR, It was really good though.
Columbia: Next Monday...
Yale: Next next monday.</p>
<p>Counselor Rec: Very good, she is also submitting a letter of circumstance about my family situation (my father was abusive my entire high school career, mostly to my mother, I recently helped my mother get a protective order, my mom makes no money, my dad's hardly giving me any, everything's falling apart but my grades and internship are remaining good, all that jazz)</p>
<p>Essays: Bowdoin essay was good but not that flowery, but it does detail what I want to study at Bowdoin, why Bowdoin would be the best for me (specific professors, Coastal Studies Center, etc). Why Columbia is similarly awesome, so is Why Rice, but Yale was nothing special, though... My common app essay is AWESOME, at least I think it is, and it details my experiences that made me want to study oceanography. However, I know that Bowdoin and Colby are big rivals, and here's where the problem comes in: I'm not applying to Colby, but I did look at their supplement, and I liked one of the quotes it asked me to respond to (One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?
Rachel Carson). I used this as a 'header' or question for my common application essay, serving as the question for the "create your own topic" option. If anyone wants to read the essay, I'd love to let them, but will this affect my chances of getting in anywhere? It's going to seem like I recycled my Colby essay when I didn't even apply to Colby...</p>
<p>Major Extracurriculars:</p>
<p>Working in a FDA/NIH lab (starting last summer, going until May) in an internship sponsored by the NIH. Doing semi-independent research (I worked with my mentor in creating and designing a project, but I am basically doing the project, processing the results, and eventually (in May) presenting the results and maybe publishing them). This internship is immunology, which is kind of far away from oceanography... will that hurt me (I thought I may be interested in biology research when I applied for the internship)? Also, I submitted my summer abstract in the 'additional info' section of the common app with a cover letter.</p>
<p>Building a 12' fishing boat (starting last summer)</p>
<p>Volunteered as a juror at the Montgomery County Teen Court... heard about 40 cases... was sometimes jury chairperson in deliberating punishment (all defendants were teens and had already admitted involvement in the crime, usually drug related) (all of Junior year, 60-ish hours of community service)</p>
<p>President of National Honors Society (this year)</p>
<p>Karen Noonan Environmental Education Program, sparked my interest in studying the ocean as a science, what my common app essay is on (last year, two night/three day program)</p>
<p>Member of Student Academy of Science (10th-12th grade)</p>
<p>::Schools::
Bowdoin College - Top choice but I can't apply ED there because of financial aid
Columbia University (college) - tied for second with
Rice University - second (haven't submitted yet, still need to write one essay)
Yale - Ugh, SCEA, I hate it... using it as a predictor to see if I should apply to less selective colleges right before the deadline and because my mother's like "YOU HAVE TO GO TO YALE/HARVARD (it alternates every week, but now that I openly refused Harvard to her, it's YALE)"
Dartmouth - hahaha hell yeah beer (I've never drunken before, would I fit in?)
Williams - Other one I haven't submitted yet, stupid essay...
Duke - It's like I'm really playing basketball
U Miami - Hell yeahs special college for us oceanography people
UMD - CP - lol 20,000 kids</p>