Yet Another One...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm sure some people are ready to start practicing voodoo on the creators of these threads, but alas, here is mine anyway.</p>

<p>I'm from a small public high school in central Maine (actually about 4 minutes from Colby College). I'm white, and though I'm an agnostic, I come from Christian background. Basically, no minority or anything.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.54 (but valedictorian of my class only has a 3.83 or something and my GPA has steadily risen the last 3 years)
Class Rank: 8/129 weighted, 11/129 unweighted
AP's and all that: I've taken the most possible AP's at my school for someone as a rising senior can -- a pitiful four. AP Euro I got a 4 on, and I'm waiting on my APUSH/Ap Bio/AP Calc AB scores. Projected: 5/4/4, respectively.
SAT: Composite is 770 W, 750 CR, 710 M = 2230. On the first test, I got a 2100, second test 2140.
SAT Subject: US History 740, Biology E 720, Math Ic 670 [I forgot my calculator :( ]</p>

<p>As far as challenging myself, I think I've done a fair job. I'm the only person in my school to have taken 4 AP's already, and next year I will be taking Psychology (AP option as an independent study), Physics (same AP setup as psych), AP English, AP Econ (micro and macro), Spanish 4, and Series and Multivariable Calculus at Colby College. I am only one of two kids that took AP Calc as a junior, and one of three that took AP Bio as a junior, all the while taking Spanish 3 as an independent study. I also am currently taking two courses at the Harvard Summer School Secondary School program, a philosophy and an english class.</p>

<p>EC's and that phase of the app:</p>

<p>I have been doing drama since sophomore year, and this is what I will be applying with... Stage Manager of 3 musicals, Actor in 2 musicals, Actor in One-Act competition one year, Lights Technician of One-Act competition two years (and we got 2nd place regionally junior year), Actor in one spring play, Stage Manager one spring play, Lights Technician two winter plays.</p>

<p>I also have stage managed my second Allegria, a dance show that is about 2 hours long. I did lights for a few concerts of one of the teachers. I will volunteer next year as an NHS function.</p>

<p>Yearbook Editor of Sports, Indexing, and Ads sections as a junior, staff as a sophomore, and Editor-in-Chief as senior. The book is award-winning and often commended as best in the state, by the way. I hope it will actually be a major selling point, as I "touched" (was involved with) the creation of about 130/200 pages in the book, including a special dedication to the Adviser, who retired after 41 years teaching.</p>

<p>Some petty sports are hanging around -- football as a freshman, basketball as a freshman and as a sophomore. A few awards are here and there, including a Kodak Young Leaders award and two Renaissance Awards (one recognizing my yearbook work and one for the spanish work). I was one of 12 students put in National Honor Society as a junior. I have had a few jobs, including working 30 hours a week sophomore summer and 15 hours a week first semester of junior year. I have written much of a book on politics and am actively seeking a literary agent. I will be volunteer tutoring in English for the second year.</p>

<p>I hope to participate in Habitat for Humanity, Intramural sports, zozzum (a Harvard talent show), and the internship program for the Harvard Crimson (the newspaper of the University).</p>

<p>My essay will probably be at least passingly good, maybe even great, but only because I'm very organized and will spend the time to perfect it. My recommendations should be very good, as one comes from the AP Director at the school, a Harvard man who wrote one of my recommendations for the SSP at Harvard, and the other comes from an English teacher who I've built a great relationship with (sounds like a line, es verdad).</p>

<p>Finally, to give you a taste of the school's reputation, we have the most athletic state championships (and we're only class B), and our top students matriculated (one each) to Harvard, MIT, Naval Academy, Colby, and Middlebury.</p>

<p>OK!</p>

<p>That's my life story in a post, but the schools I'd like to get into...</p>

<p>I'm here at Harvard, and I've fallen in love with it. Unfortunately, it's also the toughest to get into, at least by reputation.</p>

<p>Brown -- the campus, the atmosphere, the flavor. I love it.</p>

<p>Dartmouth -- I am from Maine, and I love the area/atmosphere. Also, my cousin is 1st in her class at Dartmouth Med School. :)</p>

<p>I'll spare the explanations, but Colgate, Cornell, NYU, Carnegie-Mellon, Syracuse (my dad is 'Cuse alumn), American University, Georgetown, Duke, Princeton, Yale, and Tufts are all being considered. Heck, many colleges are.</p>

<p>So, in conclusion, after a fairly coherent post:</p>

<p>Help!</p>

2

<p>I'm just a rising senior. But your test scores look pretty good, but your GPA's a bit low. Your involvement with drama should help a lot. I think you've got at least a chance at most of the schools on that list (there's some overlap between your schools and mine (Dartmouth, Brown, Colgate and Carnegie Mellon are on my list too). I've done chances stuff on a couple of the message boards of those schools, if you wanna compare stats and stuff. But you've got a chance I think, you may not get into all of those schools, but you should get into some.</p>

3

<p>Your AI is 212, meaning you are borderline for acceptance at a lower Ivy (211 was the average cutoff two years ago at Penn, Brown, Cornell. This is according to the Michelle Hernandez website). Those are the Ivies I'd be concentrating on--and I'd spend less time on the Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth applications. Also, you don't seem to have any hooks except for your Harvard connection--so maybe you should work a bit more on that app (can't make up my mind, you understand).</p>

<p>NYU stands out since you are interested in theatre--but getting into that particular major at NYU is almost as tough as getting into Harvard--so I wish you well. </p>

<p>Tufts is known for having a good drama department--and you'd have a better shot at it. I consider you a match for Syracuse, and match to slight reach at Georgetown. American would be a safety for you.</p>

<p>Duke--hummm--this school is really difficult also (why so many tough ones?)--and ranks equal with Columbia and Dartmouth for difficulty in getting in, so I'd say reach.</p>

<p>I don't know Colgate well enough to rate you there--but Princeton Review says it's equivalent with Georgetown--so match to slight reach, probably.</p>

<p>The problem, obviously, is the rank of 8 to 11 of 129. You really need to move up to around 4th or 5th in your class--and you have no time to do so.</p>

<p>I'd look for a few more match schools, since Georgetown, Colgate, and Syracuse (which don't use rank, but use GPA) may just compare that GPA to other schools, and not realize that nobody in your class is above a 3.85 GPA.</p>

<p>Also, get that essay started and consider which school you want to apply to ED or EA. It may make a lot of difference in your case. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>warner, if you love the environment at Dartmouth you should take a look at Williams. They have excellent performing arts (theater, dance, music) and an acting plus technical theater background would be a big positive.</p>

5

<p>Why so many tough ones? I'm a dreamer, that's why. :)</p>

6

<p>I hate doing this, but bump.</p>

7

<p>Sorry to triple post, but I got my AP Results back today.</p>

<p>AP Calculus AB : 5
AP Biology : 5
AP US History : 5</p>

<p>As you might guess, I'm fairly pumped. This also means I'm an AP Scholar with Honor (the only one in my school at this point, I might add).</p>