Freaking out about college admissions, need your thoughts!?
I am a Junior in High School and I have always been accustomed to receiving great grades, which in my book is all A's. My sophomore year I slipped a little bit though and received a B in my Honors Algebra II class, but Math is most definitely not my strong point. Not only did I get a B in a class, but I also had two A minuses. My cumulative unweighted GPA after my Freshman and Sophomore years was a 3.9. This year though, everything just seems to be going wrong. My grades read as this... Spanish IV- A Debate- A Honors Physics- see-sawing between a B+ and A- AP European History- A Trig and Functions (without a doubt, the hardest math class in my school because of the teacher and the academically rigorous two day tests)- a most lovely C Choir and Gym- A's My unweighted GPA is just around a 3.6 and I am worried out-of-my-mind that this is going to ruin any chance I have at getting into a school of my liking. Obviously I am aware that GPA isn't the only factor taken into account during the admissions process, but I can't help but worry about my seemingly dreadful year. I am a fairly well rounded student. I partake in several clubs, like Student Council, Mock Trial, Key Club, and I am a Thespian member of Drama club. I am also a large part of my school's choir. I was officer of my sophomore choir and will be officer once again next year. I am in my school's elite choir, Chamber Singers, and our own Glee Club called Broadway Bound. I have continuously placed Superior at Solo Ensemble since 7th grade and was one of two Freshman to make it to State at my school that year, and have gone ever since. I also have played the violin since age 4 and traveled to Costa Rica and Washington DC with my touring elite violin group to play non-profit concerts and teach local children. Also, since age 10 I have been attending summer College-Prep programs. I attended three programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison starting at age 10 and continuing throughout middle school, and two summers ago I was admitted and attended camp at Columbia University in Manhattan for Law. This past fall I was invited out of 250 students in the US to attend a National Youth Leadership Forum on Law in Washington DC, and this summer I plan on going to a summer program at either Brown or Georgetown for Journalism, along with taking a month long quest to South America for community service. I am also a member of NSHSS and volunteer at my local food and clothing shelter and play my violin at nursing homes regularly. I have not yet taken the SAT or ACT, but am signed up to do within the next two months. My projected ACT composite is anywhere from a 31-33, and my PSAT score was in the 90% in the country. So, with my credentials, do you think there is a remote possibility of me getting into schools such as....(granted I have a killer essay and improved grades from this semester) Columbia NYU Georgetown UConn UW-Madison UGA UCLA USC Pepperdine Brown Northwestern Thanks for taking the time to listen to me drone on.
Higher Education (University +) - 2 Answers
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1 :
Wait until December of your senior year.. that's when you start having panic attacks.. oh is it just me? While your ECs in music are fantastic, C is definitely going to count against you for the Ivies... sorry. Not sure if they care about stuff you have done before high school, but those camps may also help you... my family could not afford camps so I also did something else instead. What's your passion? Is it law? If so, can't you go get some real life experience at a law firm? I like physics and I have researched and will research more for professors. To increase your chances, consider submitting a music supplement. Your GPA won't KILL your chances, but write good essays. I don't want to get into that too much. Columbia - Reach (As it is for everyone) Georgetown - Not sure/didn't research, but I assume reach UConn - Match? UW- Madison - Public.. should be in.. UGA... dont know UCLA - GPA is a bit low, but we'll have to see weighted GPA: Match, low reach USC - Low Reach? Pepperdine - Low reach/reach Brown - reach Northwestern - high match Really unsure about some schools, and it is hard to tell with your PSAT scores. My PSAT score was a 191 and was a 93 percentile... that means it's a 1910 SAT and is a pretty bad score. I increased it eventually but if you did get below a 2000, a lot of your match schools would become reaches. Don't report your SAT if it's bad, but I'm not sure if you could really get away not reporting. Good luck! You really do have impressive music E.C., like I said, be well rounded and write good essays and get good recs!
2 :
I agree with what Minuel mentioned, and want to add that you can check mychances.net to see where your stats would stand right now. I want to revise her thoughts a bit as well-Columbia - Reach (As it is for everyone) AGREE Georgetown - Not sure/didn't research, but I assume reach IT IS A REACH, YES UConn - Match? AGREE UW- Madison - Public.. should be in..NO- ITS A MODERATELY SELECTIVE SCHOOL, SO COULD GO EITHER WAY UGA... MATCH UCLA - GPA is a bit low, but we'll have to see weighted GPA: Match, low reach AGREE USC - Low Reach? AGREE Pepperdine - Low reach/reach Brown - reach Northwestern - high match- THIS IS THE ONE I DISAGREE WITH MOST, THIS IS A REACH FOR SURE
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