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12/10/09. I am African American Female High School student. I scored 2210 on SAT, am a National Achievement Semi-Finalist, AP scholar with Distinction (5:English, 5:Biology, 5:Human Geography, 5:US History, 4:Chemistry). I have only made one B in High School (Freshman Advanced Orchestra). I have taken summer classes at Brown and Harvard (Neurobiology: A-, Biomedical Ethics: A). I am in Model UN, did volunteer work at Hospital and Library and started an environmental club. I also participate in Orchestra where I play violin. I currently am taking AP Physics, AP Calc AB/BC, AP Psych, AP GOV, AP Macroeconomics, AP English 12). Is there anyway you can tell me what percentage chance I have at making it into Harvard? I asked my dad and he said this was not possible. The suspense is killing me. Thanks
You have a chance, though not a particularly high one. Your SAT score is a little lower than ideal and your leadership activities (unless there are others that you have not described) are a bit on the light side. In addition, the academic honors you mentioned are awarded to quite a number of people, so you will need more to show beyond these two. However, with outstanding grades and an exceptional application essay, you are definitely in the running for admission. Do not give up because of your dad - try your best!
12/8/09. I was wondering if declaring a major would be a good decision in applying for college. I am aiming for most top tier schools and was wondering if I should declare a major because I heard they have limitied seats for each and it would decrease my chances. Would going in undeclared be more advantageous for admissions as compared to majoring in psychology or some other popular major?
The short and quick answer is yes. As one Princeton admissions officer once put it, it makes you marginally more interesting as an applicant if you have an indicated area of academic interest rather than "blank." Putting down an underrepresented major will even help you. Putting down an overrepresented major (government, economics, political science) will not help very much, but it is better to put something down rather than nothing.
11/28/09. I have found myself in a bad situation at the moment. I have been studying in Pakistan for the past four years( I was born and raised in California, but left for Pakistan at the age of 13). Sense then I have returned to the United States to discover the O level exams I took during my junior year are not up to standard. I have no US or world history and electives are not available for me I have no PE credits and have only done seven O level exams. my situation in Pakistan was a hectic one I had gone to an institution where children would break apart the class room, massage teachers, and leave.
Due to this factor I switched schools, but later upon switching I discovered I was not allowed a teacher or teachers because individually as one student the school made no real profit on my attending. Thus I started a self study with only two and a half months to complete my courses from scratch i began.I have recived some of my exam results they are as follows: IGCSE math=B(only grade no percentage), pakistan studies = D(69%), ISlamic studies= B(81%) and I have achieved 3 As in physics, biology, and English and a B in chemistry( the percentages will come after sometime) please note that all the exams except math were taken at GCE O level not IGCSE level..I would like to know if their is still any chance of me getting into a nice college and what I can do to achieve this goal. I would also like to include though the grades seem lame they were and are the top in my group. Also no APs are offered at my high school, please I look to you for guidelines. (I would like ot attend Cornell or UC Berkeley)
With honesty, I think your best shot at gaining admission into a top-tier college is to repeat atleast two years of high school in the United States. I know many international students who have done so because they wanted a more credible high school record to show when applying for college. With your background, I am confident you will be able to do well at a public high school in the US. You will need an SAT score of above 2100 generally if you are aiming at Cornell or Berkeley. Your background is certainly unique, and you should definitely capitalize on it during the application process in your essays.
11/25/09. I am an IB Diploma student taking HL maths, physics, Economics and SL chemistry, English, French. I have a predicted score of 39 points out of 45, but i have a 4 in maths as predicted though a 7 in physics HL and Economics. I am applying to many Ivy League colleges for engineering courses mainly major in physics. I also have 2060 in SATs and am going to sit my SAT 2's soon. I have great extra-cirricular activities too. My scores in the IB started from 30 and have constantly increased to 39. Would Ivy league like that? also how badly are my chances of getting in hurt with a 4 in maths HL if am applying for enginnering courses. Thank you. Although my math predicted is likely t go up to a 5 next term.
If you are applying to engineering schools, I would make it a priority to increase your grade in Math to a 6 or 7. Not only will this boost your chances of admission, but you will need a strong quantitative foundation in mathematics to pursue any class of engineering. In addition, your SAT score is on the low side for Ivy Leagues - I'd recommend taking the test again to boost it above 2200. With your SAT II's coming up, aim to get as close to an 800 on the Math Level 2 - which is pretty much the standard for anyone applying to a strong engineering undergraduate school. As always, be sure to be a leader, not just a participant, in all your extracurriculars and have awards to back them all up.
11/21/09. I recently attended one of those Ivy League meetings where people who went to Ivy Leagues come and talk about it. During that time, they said finance is not something to worry about and when you get in, they will all support you. However, what I know is that(I\'m an international student) especially for international student, there is no scholarship provided and if you check yes for financial support it decreases you chance of getting accepted. So what is TRUE of finance after all?
It is true that as an international applicant requiring financial aid, your chances at admission are decreased at many schools. However, many of the best schools with large endowments have extended their need-blind admissions policy to international students, including Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Yale. You should not worry about your ability to pay when applying to any of these schools. With other schools, you should give them your best shot. Depending on how much (or how little) financial aid you require, you may or may not be disadvantaged. In the end, you have no control over this, so you don't worry about it too much. Concentrate on putting together an exceptional application.
I'm a permanent immigrant living in Canada and I recently found out that Ivy League colleges consider Canadians to be International Students. I heard that International Students get disadvantaged greatly in terms of admission. (less than 10%) How serious would this impact my chance of getting admitted to Ivy League universities?
Ivy Leagues seek diversity. In the end, applying from Canada is in fact much more attractive than applying from New Jersey. The only negative impact you might experience is financial aid, which I addressed above.
While I was reading all sorts of things about application, they all had this one thing in common about volunteering; do one or two that you are really into and continue doing for some long time. But as I was reading other people\'s questions, I found that they sometimes list the number of hours(like 100 hours, 500 hours). So, when you actually write about volunteering activity that you\'ve done, is it more important how deep and continuously you did one thing or how long you did all sorts of things?
If you love something, time will follow, but not the other way around. You should find out what you love, do it, and achievement will follow. In terms of the actual application, it is important you can check more than one box under the academic years you have participated in any given activity (9/10/11/12).
11/12/09. My son got a D in calculus but all of his grades are A's. Does he has a chance to get into an Ivy League school? His sat is 1730 and he has 27 leadership awards in Band.
Unless there are extenuating circumstances, I would frankly say the Ivy League schools are unfortunately out of reach for your son. A D represents serious deficiency in a class. If it is possible at all for the instructor to change the grade, you should have a conference with him/her because this grade will automatically exclude your son from consideration at most Ivy Leagues. In addition, his SAT scores are on the extremely low end for top-tier college admits. He should have an SAT score of at least 2100 - above 2300 to be comfortable.
I'm not sure how much time your son has left in high school, but if he has time he can still turn himself around. He clearly has ability, as evinced by his otherwise straight A's, but the D will represent a glaring hole in his application.
11/9/09. I am from Moldova (Eastern Europe, the poorest country in Europe). Also I\'m from a poor family, so, if I want to get an education, I should aim for a scholarship. Last summer I graduated from high school here, in Moldova, with 8,81 gpa on 10-point scale. Also I studied in Russian Federation, but distantly, in-line. My overall average there is 4,35 on 5-point scale. In moldovan school I was the best student in my graduating class, took many extracurriculars (only academic ones were affordable, but i found them much useful for my general education and academic preparation for future exams, so i took them without hesitation). Also I won several regional academic contests. I fluently speak 4 languages (Russian as a native, Romanian(along with moldovan dialect), English and Japanese) and also understand 2 more(Italian and Polish).
I did not take SAT I, SAT II and TOEFL, but I am already signed up for these. I signed up for the required exams as fast as my family had the money for that.
Also, I think that might be important, I changed a high school in Moldova, since in the previous one they charged money to put grades, so my grades fell very low 8,33 on a 10-point scale.
Except for the Japanese language and culture studies school, where i was our group\'s President, my leadership was expressed only in 6th grade, when i was a School Parliament Deputy. However, that is not anyhow important, since no college asks to report anything before the 9th grade.So. Tell me, please, do I have any chances to get into Ivy school or right now I'm wasting my time and my family's money?
I think you have an outstanding chance at admission at an Ivy League school. Your grades are relatively high and your fluency in such an eclectic set of languages is quite impressive. You will need an exceptional score on the TOEFL, which will not be hard if your English is up to standard, a composite SAT score of above 2200 (2300 to be safe), and SAT II's of above 700 each. You have at least one high school leadership activity, and you can compensate for any other deficiencies by telling the admissions officer that you've moved around quite a bit.
Please visit my website and search for my responses with regards to international applicant status. With the exception of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, and Dartmouth, you will be disadvantaged in admissions if you require financial aid. Please keep this in mind.
9/17/09. I'm starting to get my teachers to write the letter of recommendation for me and I have plenty of teachers that are willing to write it for me would more than three of the l.o.f hurt?? And also i have been to two high schools and the teachers from my previous school are asking me if i need one from them. would it be good to get those from them??
I would strongly advise against sending more than three letters of recommendation, since it dilutes the value of each recommendation with every additional one you send. Many students have a plethora of choices for teacher recommendations, but the important thing is to be strategic in selecting teachers. At your school, I’m sure certain teachers are known for writing superb recommendations, but the problem is they write that every student is “one of the best in the class.” You should select teachers that know you and can tell your story (in rose-colored eyes) to the admissions officer.
In general, it is better to get recommendations from teachers who have known you within the past 1-2 years. I’d suggest not asking anyone from your previous school for recommendations, unless you’ve continued your relationship with them since you transferred.9/13/09. I'm a Freshman in high school, and I would like to know if I need 4 years of foreign language to get into NYU or UCLA. I already speak, read and write fluent arabic, so shouldn't that be a plus? I'm in my second year of french and I would like to drop the course when I am a sophmore, but I don't know if that'll get me into the colleges I want to go to. Thank you.
No, four years of a language is without a doubt not required for admission to NYU, UCLA, or even the top-tier Ivy League schools, especially if you are already fluent in Arabic. I only took three years of Spanish in high school, and maybe even that amount was too much for me, since I could have taken even higher-level science and math classes if I wanted. You should take the french class if you are interested, but if there are subjects you wish to pursue further advanced study in, that takes priority.
9/13/09. What are Yale university's idiosyncracies when admitting an applicant? Also does being foreign, black and poor have any advantages in admissions? I am in the model UN, chess club, and I do wrestling. I started off badly from freshman year but my grades have risen steeply as time went by. I am a junior right now. Also, can I apply to Yale at the end of my senior year? That's when my grades and activities will be at it's best.
You should ask Yale - they'll give you the standard response of "there is no one single mold of Yale student." All I can say is you need to have good grades and test scores, and the rest is up to you. Affirmative action will give you a boost, but be sure to tell them about your "foreign, black, and poor" characteristics in a factual, not pity-seeking manner.
You can apply to Yale in the fall after you graduate if you truly wish, but there is no such thing as applying in the spring for freshman admission. You might have some difficulty in securing teacher recommendations and the late admission might raise an eyebrow at the admissions office, but there's no reason you can't. If you do, make sure you do something with the year after graduation that is worthwhile and looks good on the application.
9/12/09. I live in Dubai, an American citizen, and I am taking IB. I want to take either pre law or pre med in an Ivy League. I am still undecided, I was wondering which subjects I would need to get into these two programs. My Subjects now are: English A1 HL, Chemistry HL, History HL, Physcology HL, Math SL, and Spanish SL.
Will these subjects be okay to get into both programs or would i need to chose now and chose subjects accordingly.
As you might know, pre-law and pre-med are not majors at Ivy League universities. Pre-med is a sequence of natural science classes that you must take, while your major might be in something completely different, such as English or Music. Pre-law is not even a sequence of classes - I know many people applying to law school from backgrounds as far ranging as computer science to political science. So don't think about admission in terms of these two "programs." Instead, think only about getting admission to particular schools. If you are set on doing pre-med, however, you should get a strong background in physics, chemistry, biology, and math in order to do well in pre-med classes in college.
9/7/09. Hello, I have five questions about extra-curricular acitivities.
First, I'm a full IB student, so I can't fit any options into my time table, but there are a lot of options offered early in the morning and afternoon. They are Band, Choir, Drama, etc. and they don't have a section leader or anything like that to demonstrate leadership. Is it still worth taking this options?Second, I'm currently doing this one extra-curricular activity and I only do it three hours a week. However, I can do other things in the activity to make it 6~9 hours. Is 3 hours too weak? Should I do 6 or 9?
Third, it is not about extra-curricular, but SAT. In one of the videos from IvyAppHelp, I found out that from 2010, instead of all the results of the standardized tests getting sent to the university directly, I heard that you have a choice on what to send and what to show. Is it true? For both SAT1 AND SAT2?
To your first question, you should join whatever extracurricular activities you want to. If you are genuinely interested in the performing arts, join band/choir/drama for your own gratification, not for the college application.
To your second question, I would devote however much time you want to - if you're interested, spend more time, and if you're not, don't! Its that simple. You should not be forcing yourself to do something you don't want to. Three hours a week is not bad, but more will show significant involvement. The difference on your college application is just one number on one small line, however, so don't count on the actual number making a difference. Rather, its the experiences and achievements you generate from your additional involvement that make it worth it.
To your third question, yes, this is true, you will be able to pick and choose your SAT scores. See http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2008/06/24/kids-can-pick-which-sat-scores-a-college-sees.html.
9/6/09. I have signed up for the following schedule:
AP Biology
APB Physics
AP English
Acc. Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus
AP Chemistry
Honors American Cultures
French 2The AP Chemistry I am taking is being graded in part through the University of Pittsburgh. 50% of my grade comes from a series of 4 tests written and graded by a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. I am worried about my grade in this class. I recieved a 97% in chem. last year but don't feel confident as a chem student. There is another AP class in psychology I am interested in taking, and I have time to switch. Would the AP Chem look more impressive on my resume? I don't really know what I want to study in college. Thank you for your time and consideration.
AP Psychology is generally regarded as one of the easiest AP classes, and would not be taken as seriously as AP Chemistry. If you scored 97% in your previous chemistry class, it seems that you'll be able to pick up the concepts quite fast. I would definitely recommend keeping . Remember, even though AP classes are "college-level," almost everybody takes Intro Chemistry or another science in college, and they are only 1-2 years older than you. You might even be smarter than a good number of them.
On the other hand - from the looks of your other coursework, it looks like you'll be quite busy this year. You'll be taking all three AP sciences, which is a lot of knowledge to imbibe. If you're up to it, by all means go for it! But if it becomes too much work, then you may want to consider swapping one of your AP sciences for AP Psychology.
Finally, although precalc may be considered for college recognition, it won't lend much weight to your admission chances. The trend nowadays is for high school students to take AP calculus earlier and earlier, so if you can you should take AP Calc AB or BC at some point before attending college.
8/27/09. I am a junior at a rigorous catholic secondary school, I started chess since sophmore year, I attempted to do sports since freshman year but was not able to because I had to take the bus and couldn't stay after school. I moved here to america about 2.5 years ago. I attended two high schools for freshman year. I started of my high school career rather badly with a 2.5 cummilative GPA for freshman year. That was a very hard year for me with adjusting to America and the new school system. Sophmore year I improved alot with a 3.5 cummilative GPA for that year as I was begining to adjust better. Now is my junior year and I am taking 3 honors and 3 regulars and I have a projected 4.2-4.5 GPA for this year. I know I can do really well in an ivy league or other university because I have a steep upward trend with my GPA and I have not yet reached the pinnacle of my sucess in highschool. I am black and in the lower average part of the socioeconomic spectrum, and I would very much like to be the first in my family to attend an ivy league. I know that ivies only chose genius leader types with perfection in their dna and a thousand service hours and involved in every extra cirricular and taking all AP but the way I started I did not have the oppurtunities that most of the people at my school had. Is there any way I could go to an ivy or something close to it like Stanford. I would really like to attend one of these prestigious schools as they offer alot of oppurtunites, so WHAT CAN I DO TO GET INTO AN IVY?
You have a decent shot, if you continue working hard. You should explain the facts of your move and adjustment to American culture during freshman year in a short paragraph in your application. You should also report on your resume your GPA for each grade level, which will inflate the values as you've reported. And of course, be sure to highlight your African American heritage to get the affirmative action boost - college admissions officers love success stories like yours. You don't have to be involved in every extracurricular, but you should have one or two outside-of-class activities that show you are a well rounded student. Don't ever get disparaged, and keep up the good work!
8/24/09. I'm going into my junior year and I'm not going to be taking any AP classes because my school doesn't offer many AP classes to juniors but I\'m taking all advanced classes.
Also, I didn\'t really play sports in freshman year and sophomore year but I want to play in junior year. I kind of feel that playing in junior year is late compared to my peers who started sports in 9th or 10th grade. I have a 4.0 GPA and I\'m involved with a student union organization, many cultural clubs, and orchestras and I\'m in choir. I also do a fair amount of volunteering on the weekends.
Also, I received a C on my report card in geometry in my freshman year.
Because I won't take any APs in junior year but only take advanced classes, and because I decide to take a sport in my junior year rather than my freshman and sophomore year, and if I got a C on my freshman report card, will that negatively affect my acceptance into a school like UPenn?As long as you are taking the most rigorous courses your school has to offer, you are fine. I would highly recommend taking the corresponding AP tests as well to prove your classes are roughly equivalent to AP caliber. Starting a sport in junior year is not too late at all if you are genuinely interested in the sport, but you should not do it for the college resume because most likely it will not be the centerpiece of your application and won't lend that much support to your case. Your other extracurriculars are great so far, just make sure you demonstrate leadership and achievement in them. The C looks bad, but if you've shown improvement since then it won't raise any eyebrows. How do you have a 4.0 GPA with the C, out of curiosity?
8/20/09. I am really interested in Yale University. I want you to evaluate my situation and to tell me in a realistic way, if I can be accepted by one of these Ivy league schools. I came to the United States in 2008, next year is going to be my second year of school in the united states, I'll be a junior. My plan is: First year ESL, Second year 2 AP classes, Third 5-6 AP classes. This summer I have been in several summer programs, in different universities. Next year I am going to take 2 AP classes Biology (I took chemistry last year, my schedule is a mess) and Spanish. In my first year I took the ESL test and I passed. It means that next year I will not have that class, instead I am going to take regular English. My teachers have told me that is impressive the way in which my English skills have been developed. I am involved in clubs shuch as FBLA, UNIDAD(latino club), WIN, National Honor Society.I have not taken the SAT's yet but I hope to do well. In Mexico my grades were A straight and last year my GPA was of 3,784. According to what I have told you Do you think (be realistic)I have possibilities?
Your story is impressive so far, and if you can keep it up, you stand a good chance, though of course nothing is concrete. You should of course upplay your Latino heritage to capture as many affirmative action points as you can, and aim to score above 2200 on the SAT. If you can repeat your academic performance in Mexico here, and demonstrate achievement and leadership in your extracurriculars, you are well on your way.
8/20/09. For years now I've dreamed of walking the halls of MIT, in Cambridge Massachusetts! This following school year will be my first year of high school. Currently I'm class treasurer for our school, do two varsity sports, and am participating as a violinist in two orchestras, school and local. In prior years I've won some state and regional competitions in the areas of math, and chess. I've also been very involved in a local competition called the Envirothon for 5 years. Also, through a Johns Hopkins program I was given a free 4 credit college course which I will be taking at a local college this spring. I've already took my Sat's as an eighth grader last year and scored a 1950. And I've always kept my grades/g.p.a great. I would like your opinion on whether I'm on the right track to MIT, and also what else you think I should do.
It seems given your track record, you’re well on your way. As you probably know, awards and performance in middle school will not count in your application to college. But, as you will come to realize, you won’t want to include any of your pre-high school accomplishments after your stellar accomplishments in high school. It’s great that you’re taking advantage of free college classes – this was an opportunity I took over the summer prior to freshman year, and while the actual knowledge probably was not that useful, getting A’s in college classes (not a community college) while a freshman in high school will prove your intellectual maturity to admissions officers. For MIT, make sure you do well in your math and science classes, and score well on their respective standardized tests.
8/18/09. I have a TOEFL score of 104 on IBT. Dartmouth says anything above 100 is satisfactory. nevertheless, I am most sure I can raise my score if I retake it, as the first time I took it I thought I had failed it, but I still got a high score! Do you think a difference of 7-10 points will give me an advantage? I just would really like to focus on my SATs and not to think of the TOEFL, but I do not know... do you think it will make any difference? At Princeton I was told it will, and i was kind of surprised:they say the SATs are not so important and at the same time a few points on TOEFL will give me and advantage?
If the Princeton admissions office told you that they weight the TOEFL so much as to care above a few extra points, then you should certainly follow that advice. On the whole, however, I think preparing for the TOEFL and the SAT are not mutually exclusive – the SAT has english critical reading and writing sections which will count for 2/3 of your score. If I were you, I would focus on preparing for these sections and scoring high in these SAT sections, which would compensate for your satisfactory TOEFL score.
8/14/09. I have 12A 7A+, 1C and 6Bs on my transcript, i built 2 technical robot, have one the best speaker at harvard Model UN, hold three school positions, am one the school district football team, national level debates, 2160 SAT ( will be giving again in Dec) two 5\'s in AP and am going to a foreign country to do an internship in Micro-finance, which I want to try to implement/talk about to people in villages in my country (India).. Which colleges should I look at? Would Princeton be good, considering my C in physics?
That one C seems to be an anomaly given your otherwise exceptional record. Princeton is within reach, though you might have to do some explaining on the C. Do not apply for an engineering or math major - you can always change your mind later, but the admissions officer will judge you differently if your application is humanities oriented. Your SAT score is a little on the low side - you should aim for above 2200 (ideally 2300) on your retake in December. As of now, you are in prime running for a mid-tier Ivy such as Cornell.
8/12/09. I am a freshman in high school now and i want to be prepared for college. I want to get into Princeton so what would be some good classes for me to take to make the college want to accept me. What is Princeton exactly looking for when they read students applications?
This is a very generic question. All I can tell you now is to take the most challenging courseload possible (AP classes, honors classes, and maybe even outside-of-school college classes). In the words of one of their senior admissions officers, Princeton is looking for applicants who are either national superstars in certain areas or local superstars who are known in their communities for being exceptional. Work to make a name for yourself in your community.
Best of luck. You have all of high school ahead, which is both great fun and a great opportunity.
8/5/09. I am applying ED to Dartmouth as an international student. My GPA is 4.92 out of max. 5.My EC and essays are decent. But my SAT is a bit low, I think, it is around 2000. Do you think this is very low? I will try my best to get at least 2100, and I heard it is the minimum you should have to stand good chance, what do you think, even if I do not raise my score will I be at at great disadvantage?
And, I am applying from Armenia, and Dartmouth gets very few applications from there and they have no students from Armenia now. Some people say that fact will help me greatly while others say as an international student I am almost screwed. I am really stressed out, please advise me something.
Your GPA is phenomenal, but you're right in that your SAT score is a bit on the low end. At the very least, you should aim for above 700 in each of the three sections for admission to an Ivy League. If you truly can't boost you're score of two or three test-takings, then I would focus on scoring as close to 800 as you can on several SAT subject tests. A score of 2000 on the SAT, while not crippling, will put you at a slight disadvantage.
The fact that you are applying from Armenia could be a big help. If you do not require financial aid, then the fact that you are an "unusual" applicant certainly will help Dartmouth say they have a diverse student body. (Providing your English and academics are up to par with American students, which it should be.) On the other hand, if you do require financial aid, many schools are not 'need-blind' in terms of admissions for international students, so you might be at a disadvantage, especially since many schools are tight on cash at the moment. So, I would recommend checking "no" on the financial aid box if you really won't be needing it. You can always change your mind and apply for financial aid later, but the important thing is that the admissions officer does not see this.
8/4/09. I am going to be a junior this upcoming year, and this summer I have been rigorously preparing for the SAT, and I have reached a pint where I have consistently been getting a 1900 on my practice Sat's. I know I still have a month left to prepare, but if I don't get to my goal of a 2100-2300, then do you think my chances for getting into an ivy league school are very slim?
I mean, I am ranked 8 in my school out of 375 students. My weighted GPA is a 4.581. I have taken all Honors classes and when I was a sophmore I took 1 AP course, and this upcoming year I plan to take 3 AP course and eventually totaling 8-9 AP courses by the time I graduate. I am fluent in Hindi and have taken French for 5 years. I have a strong interest in a business related careers as I recently placed 1st in the DECA State Competition (Business Competition). In additon, I started a Diversity Club in my school this year and it has been successful. I have also earned my Girl Scout Silver Award (presigious leadership award)in 9th grade as I planned and organized an event promoting girls self esteem and I plan on earning my gold award during the summer before I am a senior. I have also started a YUGA chapter in my school which is like a Global Issues Awareness Organziation. I have been on my school tennis team since freshman year, and when I was a sophmore I played on Varsity and was elected as Varsity Captain for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. I have organized drives to support the Angels on the Atlantic Charity in the Philadelphia area. Next summer, I will also be holding an internship position in the field of marketing.
Do I still have a chance? If I do, what else besides the SATs would I need to do to off-set the score? Also,out of these activities which do you think would be best to highlight on my application?
You have an impressive resume. With your GPA and academic courseload, I would think you will have no problem scoring above 2100 on the SAT. You might be taking particularly difficult practice exams - the actual test is usually easier than the exams provided by Kaplan and Barron's. If you don't score above 2100, admissions officers will think it a bit strange that an applicant of your caliber isn't able to score that high on the SAT, which means either you were too involved in other activities, your school's curriculum is generally not that difficult, or you had a bad testing day, all of which are NOT favorable things for them to think. If you truly have a difficult time with the SAT, I would devote time into score above 750 on several SAT Subject tests, preferably a language, Math Level 2, and another area of interest. Strong AP test scores could also help offset a weak SAT score.
In terms of which activity to focus on, I really can't help you. You're the only one who can determine which activity has been most meaningful to you, and which activity you've had memorable, life-changing experiences.
Best of luck. It seems you're well on track to success in college admissions, and keep up the good work with the SAT. I have faith in your ability.
8/1/09. I was wondering if you could help me with deciding on which college to choose. I would like to become an anesthesiologist and I would like to go to a school that offers Pre-Med. and then go to a school with a six year medical program. I was leaning towards Johns Hopkins but I could get a full ride to UMDNJ or Rutgers with my grades. The thing is though that I would like to go to such a college as UMDNJ or Rutgers but in a different location. Any ideas?
As you probably know, almost all schools offer a “pre-med” curriculum, which isn’t really a concentration or a major. It simply involves taking a series of science classes in biology, physics, and chemistry. Johns Hopkins has a particularly strong bio-engineering program, and its medical school is superb, but you don’t have to study bioengineering to be pre-med. In fact, many people prefer to have an undergraduate major in something completely different, such as a foreign language or music! Admission to med school is largely based on your performance in pre-med classes, your GPA, and your medical school test scores. I would recommend you pursue competitive colleges, and as you visit them, ask the admissions office about alumni admissions rates to medical school.
7/27/09. I'm curious about how much leadership roles I should partake in to put a good impression on college admissions. This year I'll be a class president, the senior patrol leader in my scout troop, and the senior patrol leader at a leadership camp for boy scouts ages 13-15. Are these three enough? Thanks a bunch.
P.S. Any tips on getting into Stanford University in particular?
That seems to be plenty, especially for a sophomore. Just make sure you keep up your extracurricular involvement and make each leadership position a meaningful one! Stanford, as with all universities, like applicants with character. So focus on building those experiences that will serve as interesting essay topics to show insight into your character. (Assuming, of course, your grades are top-notch.)
7/25/09. I am going to be a Junior and I am currently in a magnet school which is fairly tough. I am sure that I am in the top 20% of my class. My current GPA is roughly 3.5 unweighted. I have been in all honors classes since Freshman year. Because of my busy Junior year schedule, I am only able to take two AP courses. However, I have taken part in a number of musical programs including plays, shows, concerts, etc. In addition, I am part of a selective Jazz Band group and a music leadership society. Outside of school, I am part of a 5 piece band and we play shows regularly. Although I have a serious role in music, I am not part of any school sports. I do take a passion in Snowboarding and Badminton but they are not available as school sports. I do plan to join a Cross Country team in my Junior year though. On a side note, I have accumulated more than 130 volunteer hours by helping in a nursing home and am going to earn an additional 100 hours this summer.
How am I looking in terms of schools such as NYU and possibly Columbia University? How can I improve myself in my Junior year to help me achieve my goal in being accepted to one of these schools?
In my opinion, you're well on target for NYU, and Columbia is a bit of a reach. It seems you can present yourself as a music & arts guru, as that seems to be the recurring motif through your self-description below. You should be able to demonstrate prowess in musical arts above and beyond average for Columbia - state or national awards or performance engagements, for example. Volunteer hours are fantastic, but I don't think they are your top priority. To improve your chances, you should sign up for more AP-level classes (and score well on the AP exams) as well as try to boost your GPA so that you are in the top 10%. Ultimately, however, I would say the most important thing you can do when it comes time to put together your application is craft it in a way that makes the admissions officer realize that you are very, very passionate and accomplished at music and the arts.
7/25/09. This summer I was in an 8-week paid internship at NASA. I did it because I thought that I wanted to be an engineer, but now I realize that that is the exact opposite of what I want to be. Therefore, I am completely changing my list pf possible majors, possible colleges, etc. Will it look weird that I did this internship but I now have no desire to be in a STEM career field? Should I somehow explain it on my college application? Also, does this internship at all help my chances for college (I am thinking about Columbia)?
It doesn't look weird at all - people rarely settle on the same major they thought they would pick entering college. You'll have plenty of opportunities to explain your switch in interests, whether through an essay, short answer, or college interview. At minimum, you could simply put the internship down as a summer activity with an explanatory sentence about why you changed your mind. However, be aware that if you present the "I hated it" attitude, you're going to downplay the importance and meaningfulness of what ostensibly is a very cool internship. This summer internship could have been the basis for a great essay or centerpoint of your essay if you were still interested in becoming an engineer. Since you're not, it will be harder to make it an integral element of your application.
7/24/09. My high school offers 15 AP classes; what would be the least amount of APs I could take in order to get into an elite college?
Also, I plan to self-study one AP course not offered at my school. Does that look good to colleges?There is no minimum requirement for the number of APs you “have” to take. You should take the ones you are interested in, take the corresponding exams freshman through junior year (and senior year only if your school will accept the exam for credit or placement), and score high on them. For reference, I took 11 AP exams while in high school. See my response below to another question about AP exams.
Self-studying is great, and is a very common practice for many motivated studies. It helps in the admissions process only if the college sees the score. So, that means it would only matter if you took the exam freshman through junior year. Of course, doing well on any AP exam in senior year can potentially earn college credit or placement.7/24/09. In your third video, you said because there are only seven lines on the college application to write down your extracurricular activities, so a person should use discretion, but can't you just attach a piece of paper showing others clubs that you participated in? Doesn't this also hold true for a person who took a lot of SAT Subject Tests, where that person took more tests than there are lines to write down the scores? Also, is it best for a person to take all the SAT Subject Tests available to that person, excluding the language tests that he can't take because he doesn't know the language? Does it matter if the person takes the subject test without listening and another one with listening, for example, the French and French with listening?
You can attach an additional paper by all means, but admissions officers are going to attach diminishing value to those activities. Even your "additional paper" space is valuable - you should use it for a resume, extra essay, or something more valuable than an addendum of activities. In general, it is better in your application to focus on highlighting the activities you have excelled at. Activities which have been nothing more than mere participation often are not worth writing down.
Do NOT take all subject tests available to you by any means. Taking more than 3 tests on your own is oftentimes, to put it simply, a waste of your energy. Focus on obtaining high scores on just 2-3 subject tests, depending on the requirements of the colleges you are applying to. One of these tests should probably be the Math Level 2 exam. You should definitely NOT retake the same language test twice with and without listening, but diversify your tests.
7/16/09. Are AP scores a factor in college admissions? Do admissions officers use AP scores as a determining factor? Do they require a formal transcript for the AP scores? What if you are dishonest when you self-report them?
Yes, AP scores are absolutely a factor in college admissions. Last year the common app was revised to include a section on AP scores. A couple things to note here, however. First, AP scores are useless for admissions if you take the tests senior year, because by the time they come out, you’ll already know which school you’ll be attending. Of course, they are still very valuable for obtaining college credit or placement once you begin your undergraduate studies. Second, AP scores are generally self-reported in the application process, which means you can choose to omit poor scores. Most schools do not require a formal score report until you are accepted, and of course if they find out if you falsified information, you’ll likely have your offer of admission revoked. Third, you can qualify for AP awards such as the “National AP Scholar” distinction, which is something you can put down on your resume and application.
7/14/09. I'm in my junior year (just finished) and my GPA is around a 3.5 something unweighted. The reason for that is due to my mediocre in grade 10 where I under achieved to due to family issues and got around a 3.2. My freshman my GPA was around a 3.5 and during my junior I tried my best to compensate for the low score and got around a 3.8. I go to one of the top schools in my region and take the most challenging courses available(IB). I have had one internship at an accounting firm and have done research at two universities near by place. (Don\'t know how to say, but somewhat all I did was listen to lectures and help professors with their work). I currently hold three leadership positions at my High school and am on the tennis team. Also I own a small business (founder) where I teach piano and donate over 50% of the money to the Animal Humane Society (one of my passions). I also have a part-time job being a Math instructor, usually once a week. Also my SAT score is around a 2150 plan to retake one more time to see if I can get it above 2200. My SAT II are all above 700. So how do I look right now in terms of admission?
Also for my essay I plan on talking about the adversity that I faced in grade 10 (my parents lost their job, resorted to gambling and didn't work) and how from that experience I embraced it and got my piano business started (in the beginning I was charging money but afterwards when my parents got new jobs I started to donate most of the money.) Also how I needed to support them in a way and got a part-time job as well. How good is this essay topic? What parts should I maybe take out or add?
Lastly I read through the questions and on one of them you talked about applying earlier and how it will help you. So my question is, are there certain universities or colleges that might present a better chance of getting than some other colleges or universities.
It sounds like you're in prime running for admission to a top undergraduate business school like Wharton. I agree that your GPA is good, but not the best of the crowd, but that can be offset by a compelling essay on your family issues. It also looks like you've demonstrated interest in business through your internship, small business, and job, and you've done decently successfully. In terms of SAT score, you've got a good one, but I think you're goal in scoring above 2200 is about right. If you're aiming for top-notch national universities as well (Harvard, Yale, Princeton), a score above 2300 is ideal. For maximizing your changes at admission to Wharton, your SAT II Math 2 score should be 800 or close to it.
The essay idea is good one. I just have a couple pointers. First, make sure the essay does not come out too dramatized or contrived - the voice you use should be genuine, and the facts should not be overly exaggerated. I have no doubt the hardship you and your family went through needs no embellishment. Second, think about the single impression that you want your admissions officer to have about you immediately after reading the essay. I would imagine it would be a picture of a hardworking, diligent, responsible young man who found his own ways to overcome family problems.
Finally, you're in luck, because Penn likes it when you indicate interest by applying ED. The early admit rate is at 32%, with an overall admit rate of 17.1%. All other things equal, you're chances are twice as high applying early. (This is, of course, a broad generalization.)
7/9/09. My school this upcoming year no longer offer any ap german class so I have choice between taking german 4 and study AP exam myself or taking other AP class and not taking german. I read from an Ivy league school website that they recommend four years for foreign language and am wandering what is the best option for me.
Four years of language study is recommended, though not a requirement at all. If you’re genuinely interested in the german language, study own your own and take the AP exam, in addition to taking another AP class in its place! If this is too challenging, then it really is a personal decision on your part. When I was in high school, I elected to only study three years of language to make room to take a class at Princeton. So don’t feel compelled to take four years of a foreign language just because it says so on an Ivy league admissions office website. If you’re going to make language a centerpiece of your application, or if you’re looking to major in german in college, then of course I would recommend that you take the german class and self-study for the AP exam.
7/8/09. I currently live in Ontario, Canada. I was wondering if being an international student will affect my chances of getting accepted at an Ivy League school, considering that only approximately 9% of everyone accepted at Harvard is an international student. I have a 4.0 GPA, 2100 SAT, and I am the top 1% of my class. I have volunteered for 1,000 hours at hospitals, reading to the blind, food banks, organizing events, homeless shelters, community newspaper, and our local courthouse. I am Student President, Head of the model United Nations, I have competed in Deca provincial competitions, I am head of the green club at my school, and I have worked with our local mayor to change the history of our towns environment, through different implementions for environmental law. Although, I have the basics for an Ivy, will admissions officers care if there are only 1200 students at my high school? Also, the cities population is 25,000, so even though I have made huge changes, it's only to a smaller town.
You have great chances. Your grades look solid and you have shown a drive to excel and make a difference outside the classroom. A town with a population of 25,000 is actually a midsize town, compared to many small towns in America, and your high school ranks actually about average in terms of size. For reference, I went to high school in a township with population of roughly 20,000 and a regional school district that covered two towns with a population of roughly 40,000. It looks like you’ve demonstrated leadership as well. There are two important things I would say you have to do – first, of course, make sure you can craft compelling college essays from your experiences that show who you are, not simply your achievements. Second, if you have the time, I would retake the SAT. 2100, while a superb score, is actually a bit lower than ideal if you are aiming for a school like Harvard. A score above 2300 is ideal, though if you don’t have much time it may not be worth retaking.
6/30/09. Do A+'s and A-'s matter? Or does any type of A (whether it be - or +) "look good"?
Of course, any type of A “looks good.” When considering how your GPA is calculated, however, there might be variable weighting of grades. For example, many colleges weight an A+ as a 4.3, an A as a 4.0, and an A- as a 3.7. Other schools don’t give any additional weight to an A+. It depends on your school, and in this regard the signs on your grades are important. The effort you expend in getting an A or A+ versus an A-, however, is often better spent elsewhere.
6/29/09. I am a rising junior at a competitive college preparatory school in Maryland. I have a cumulative GPA of 4.0 and am on course to take 10 or 11 AP's by the time I graduate. I am the President and founder of 3 or 4 different clubs and do a lot of community service work outside of school. As a rising junior, besides keeping my grades up, the most important event of the year is the SAT test. Without sounding pompous, I would generally consider myself to be pretty smart. However, I am very concerned about the SATs. I want nothing more in life, than to attend an Ivy League School. Not because of the prestige, but the superior political science undergraduate programs. This yearning presents quite the conundrum because it adds enormous amounts of pressure on the standardized test scores. I am worried that come test day, I will lose my wits in some quasi-orgasmic fit of nerves and do poorly. What advice can you offer to temper one's nerves come test day? What also might one do to better prepare to handle such an event?
It sounds like you're quite the impressive student. You have nothing to worry about. Come test day, just do your best, and on the off-chance that something goes horribly wrong, you can always cancel it or retake it without penalty. Right now, I'm fairly confident that the biggest barrier between you and a good score is your own nerves. Relax. Get some sleep (even though it might be hard). And don't try too hard for that perfect score - the marginal utility out of getting a 2400 versus a 2350 is oftentimes not worth the extra effort. In addition, many superior political science programs are in fact not at Ivy League schools (University of Chicago, for example) so you should think through your priorities, and perhaps expand your horizons for schools if political science is indeed your highest calling.
6/28/09. I applied to become a server at The Cheesecake Factory, a classy restaurant at the local mall. However, I didn't get the job so I won't be having any work experience this summer. :[ My parents have suddenly agreed to bring me to Taiwan for a three/four-week vacation to meet my relatives though, which I am really excited about since I haven't left the country in over a decade. But do you think it would hurt my application that I'm going off to vacation instead of volunteering/working/interning this crucial summer before senior year? Or would I perhaps have experiences that may be worthy of writing about in my college essays?
On a sidenote, I am attending a week-long program called "Economics for Leaders" this July. Do colleges ever take note of the prestige or competitiveness of summer programs when considering my application? I choose this program because it was affordable and my friend recommended it.No, I don’t think taking a vacation will be disadvantageous at all. In fact, sometimes vacations can give root to compelling college essays. Some of my college essays were based on my travels with my family.
Congratulations on your selection to Economics for Leaders – while I am not too familiar with this program, I know it is pretty selective. Colleges do take note of the prestige and competitiveness of summer programs. This means, however, that you should be careful where you spend your time and money in these programs. Remember that the duration and scale of the program is also a factor. Longer term programs like Research Summer Institute (RSI) are the best ones because they are not only selective, but long enough that admissions officers understand they are a meaningful experience.6/27/09. I'm a senior in the IB program at Hyde Park in Chicago, Illinois. I've taken all honors, AP, and IB classes. I have a 3.9 something unwieghted and a 4.9 something weighted GPA (rank 2 out of 540) and a 30 on the ACT. I also recieve an one "C" in an AP class but improve it to a "B". I'm the co captain of the golf team vice president of the nhs and treasure of my class. I also spent several hour a week after school helping paint the wall in my school. I also place at the area science fair and won a silver award at the city science fair. I also won an outstanding achievement and attendance award and also run track. I was wondering does being in the IB program increase my chances of getting into Ivy league school and which would I have better chance of gettting into?
You have an impressive resume, which is bolstered by your participation in the IB program. You should aim to take as many IB and AP exams as possible and score high on them, which will validate your high GPA to schools and help you with credit later on in college. I think any Ivy League school is within your reach, although the elite tier schools require something that dazzles them, such as a major accomplishment or extremely compelling essay. The choice of which schools to apply to is up to you, depending on your interests - language, politics, math, science, engineering, etc.
6/27/09. I am a sopmohore in high school. I go to a school that is not very competitive. I am not exactly sure where my class rank. I will be taking AP classes in Physics, History, and Math in the Start of my Junior year. I wanted to know what are my chances of getting in to a school that accept 25 to 35% of applicants like UCLA or NYU? Also my GPA is a 3.3 so far and I participate in Softball, Chess and Student Council.
Your chances are quite high, if your standardized test scores and college essay are on par. The AP classes and exams that you are taking will certainly help – be sure to take as many AP classes and tests as you can, and when May comes around, study very hard for the exams. They will not only help you get into college but could potentially save you thousands in tuition by fulfilling credit requirements. Your GPA is a bit above average, I would imagine, but you still work hard to earn A’s in the remainder of your classes. One of my friends attends NYU Stern, and he had a 3.4-3.5 GPA in a relatively competitive high school. Your extracurricular involvement is on par for a school like UCLA and NYU.
Out of curiosity, which school are you applying to at NYU? The admission rate varies quite a bit between schools.6/24/09. I am currently enjoying the summer between tenth and eleventh grade, and trying to lay the groundwork for next year, my last chance to impress colleges. I have a 96% grade average for all my classes, and a 97% average for the five core classes. I am taking and plan to conitnue taking the most advanced courses my school offers including Honors and AP courses. I have not taken the SAT, but have taken the psat early in 10th and recieved scores in the high 600's which I hope to raise to 750's by the time I apply. Also, a long list of extracurriculars wait to be printed on my resume, mostly of competitions and team activities. However, I have reached only an average performance in all of them except TEAMS, a science and engineering competition in which I and seven other students placed 18th in the nation. Over this summer I will build up over 50 hours of community service at a local hospital. Unfortunately, I do not participate in any sports and do not hold any leadership roles.
On a personal note, my mother passed away during the summer before high school started, and my father almost lost his job. These events are kind of a wild card and I don't know how they could affect my application at all. At the time I felt accomplished by mainaining high grades, but looking back I realize in both ninth and tenth grade I lacked any major accomplishments, and didn't always impress the teachers with my daily attitude. I was also wondering if my economic status would help me get in, my dad is a guard at a jail and our total family income is around 50,000.
My main question pertains to how important these leadership roles are and if the fact that the school I go to is very low budget and has very few clubs, basically none of which have officers, will be taken into consideration. Additionally, if I start an organization of students that will provide a student voice on the school board and PTA, will this be enough to make up for two years of low key but high involvement?
You have a superb academic record and it sounds like the rigor of your courseload is entirely up to par. It also sounds like you are quite involved in extracurriculars and volunteer community service. These are the foundations of a solid application to a top-tier school. To answer a few of your questions:
First, would starting an organization to give your students a voice "make up" for lack of leadership? The answer is you have no void to "make up" at this point. Many students are admitted to top-tier colleges without any formal leadership titles, since their extracurricular involvement is self-evident. Leadership is nice and a plus, but in many organizations formal titles are irrelevant. I would surmise your TEAMS competition is one of them... Your team probably does not elect its own President and set of officers, though I may be wrong. My advice is this: do whatever you love most. If you love speaking up for students more than your current involvement, go ahead! But if you like your other extracurriculars and volunteering more (which is likely), then you are absolutely fine.
Second, will your mother's death help you? Yes, this is certainly a big factor that is fertile ground for an extremely thoughtful and meaningful admissions essay. When it comes time to write your college essay, be sure that you do not write it in a style that seeks pity, but write it in a way that shows how your mother's death has helped shape the person you are today.
Third, will your economic situation help you get in? Most top-tier schools have a need-blind admissions policy, which means your family's ability to pay neither helps nor hurts your prospects. For cash-strapped schools, however, which include most mid-level smaller schools, your financial ability could hurt you on the margin, because you are "costing" the school money in terms of financial aid. If you're aiming for an elite college, then it could help on the margin, but again, if you choose to include it in your essay(s), do NOT write in a style that seeks pity, but in a way that shows how your family's finances has shaped you.
6/23/09. As a highschool student I would simply like to know what I can do, other than academics, to distinguish myself. If most of the applicant are doing to be teh same what can I do make them trully cosider me? What can I do to become the perfect applicant?
There’s no answer to this question. You need to find whatever your passion is and pursue that to the best of your ability, whether its in athletics, academics, music, leadership, volunteering, etc.
6/22/09. I will be applying to schools this fall and I have a few questions. First, I am really banking on my essay to help me get into Upenn early. I was wondering if an essay about religion or god's existence is appropriate. I know it can be a bit unpredictable but I have been really studying philosophy and I have had an interest in philosophy these past two years or so.
High-level essays are difficult to pull off, but if you are an extremely skilled writer, you can shoot for it. Above all, however, remember that admissions officers are looking to get a picture of who YOU are, not an expert-level dissertation on the existence of god. The focus of the essay should be you, otherwise you will have missed the point of writing the college essay. Also, you’ll have to see if it can fit into any of Penn’s prompts. One of their questions is to describe what would occur on page 217 of your autobiography – perhaps you could fit it there. Before proceeding though, ask yourself if the topic you select is the BEST way to present YOURSELF in the most positive light.
6/21/09. I'm looking to apply to Stanford and other top schools in the fall. I have the perfect grades and the high SAT score that top-tier schools are looking for, but my extracurriculars are lacking. I've been on the school newspaper for three years, and ours is nationally recognized, but I don't have much else as far as extracurriculars go. And I definitely don't have an insane amount of volunteer hours like other applicants do. How much will this hurt my chances? And what else can I do to increase my chances of getting in?
As long as you can show passion for SOMETHING, you'll be just fine. Your passion could be for a certain area of academics - math or writing, for example - or in an extracurricular pursuit, such as music or newspapers. Colleges are looking for people who will enrich their student body, but you don't have to be involved in a million extracurriculars. If your grades and test scores are in order, all I would say you have to do is ensure that you present yourself as a passionate, interesting applicant when applying this fall.
6/20/09. I'm a freshman at the Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon and I am applicable for extended time on the SAT. Does this affect how they look at my score?
If you think extended time will benefit your score, you should opt to take it. Colleges will see an asterisk next to your score on your SAT score report, which indicates that you took the test with extended time, but this will not count against you unless you get a low score. If you are unsure whether extended time will benefit you or not, you could take the exam normally, and if you were uncomfortable taking the test with the time given, call the College Board within 24 hours to cancel your score. Then you could take it with extended time.
5/21/09. I am a freshmen at an International Baccalaureate (IB) school and I have had all B's for my first semester and 3 second semester out of 8 classes. I am a state ranked debator already, becoming an eagle scout, and an officer in many clubs. I plan on getting A's for the rest of my high school career but I am really stressed over these B's because it has been my life long dream to get into an Ivy College. Do these numerous B's my freshmen year take me out of the running for lets say, Princeton?
Absolutely not. From your accomplishments so far, I'd say you're still in prime running for entrance to schools like Princeton, although it may be a bit harder, assuming you can raise your average for the next three years. Many colleges understand freshman year can be a difficult transition year, and some schools even ignore freshman year grades. Don't despair. If you can keep your track record of success in extracurriculars and bring up your grades, you stand the best shot at admission to a competitive school.
[UPDATE] 6/8/09. I have bad news, even though you say that I am still in the prime running for enterance into Princeton, I might be getting a C semester grade this year! I am freaked out that this is deffinitely going to ruin my chances. With the information I gave you before, the whole debate thing and leadership positions and boyscouts and stuff do you think it will be a major problem? Thanks!
Indeed, you face an uphill battle, though it is not impossible. Remember that grades, first and foremost, are the most important factor in admissions. They are qualifying, but not distinguishing, which means that you need to have a good GPA to open the door to top-tier schools, and the other elements of your application will get you in the door. You still have three years left in high school – I would suggest you place getting high grades as your top priority, and focus on only the extracurriculars that are most important to you. Being “an officer in many clubs” is secondary to showing academic proficiency and depth of involvement.
[UPDATE] 6/25/09. Thanks for your help, when I sent that last message I was stressed out but I never ended up getting a C, I got an A haha :)
6/9/09. I am currently a junior in Jersey City, NJ. The high school I go to right now is a fairly small one; it doesn't offer many AP courses and there are no honors classes (it's a vocational school). In fact, the students are required to take Algebra I and Integrated Lab Science during their freshmen years. The school focuses more on our vocational classes (which we take throughout our four years). The vocational class I take is Medical Science, and in some ways it's very beneficial. For instance, I was given the opportunity to get a head start in the career I want to pursue by taking health care-related classes. Also, I had the chance to intern at a hospital, at a nursing home, and with an ambulance squad, and next year I'll become and EMT.
However, taking Medical Science greatly restricts the number of other courses I can fit into my schedule. I tried to fit as many as I could. By the time I graduate, I will have taken Calculus, AP Physics, AP Literature, and AP European History (and all subordinate classes in the respective subjects).
So, assuming that my SAT score was spot on and everything else was up to standard as well, will the fact that my school is vocational and limited in the extent of rigorous courses offered hinder my chances of getting accepted? And Are 4 AP's good enough?
From the information you’ve given about your school, I’d say you are on target. If you’ve taken advantage of the most rigorous offerings your vocational school has to offer, then colleges can ask no more. It seems the theme of your application will be medicine, through class, volunteering, and your EMT credentials. Be advised, however, that if your goal is to go on to medical school, these activities have no bearing on that yet – you must focus on getting admitted to college first. If you are truly interested in pursuing pre-med, it is highly advisable that you take AP Chemistry, AP Biology, and AP Physics C (both parts), or as close as you can get to these levels in high school.
Finally, as you said, grades and test scores are also of the utmost importance. In terms of SAT subject tests, I would recommend pairing a science test with the Math Level 2, if you are aiming to pursue pre-med studies in college.6/7/09. I'm a freshman in high school and almost a sophomore. I really want to go to a top-tier school. Right now I am in the top 10 percent of my class and have a 4.0 GPA. However, I feel I didn't do my part in extracurriculars in freshman year. For example, I didn't volunteer anywhere and JUST started to in June. Also, I did not have any leadership roles, didn't play sports because I tore my ACL, and I wasn't an active participant in any school clubs. I was a part of some but wasn't that into it. Lastly, I didn't join any competitive clubs. However, I was in this selective dance program that I will continue after my knee rehab is over.
On the other hand, in my sophomore year, I am planning to have leadership roles in clubs, volunteer a lot, join 1 or 2 competitive clubs such as Science Olympiad and Competitive Science, be a part of TUPE, and such. Do you think my lack of participation in freshman year will put me at a disadvantage? Also, do you think college admission officers would put into consideration that my high school sports career was put to a halt because of my torn ACL and made it really hard for me to get back into my sports?
You're perfectly fine. Your academics are on track, which is the most important part of freshman year. In terms of extracurriculars, you've been exploring your options and haven't deeply committed yet, which is natural for any freshman. Leadership positions and awards are very difficult to come by freshman year, although a portion of freshmen do run for or receive an officer position at the end of freshman year leading into sophomore year. Volunteering, by the way, is by no means a requirement to get into college, although it is very healthy for your personal spirit and does impress favorably upon admissions officers.
If you're passion for sports was so intense that the torn ACL was a major blow to your athletic career - becoming a star basketball player or nationally ranked tennis player, for example - then the torn ACL could serve as the framework for a strong college essay. On the other hand, if you're participation in sports was "just for fun" or "just for college," then it is not a big deal at all. Organized sports are not a requirement at all for college admission. Many, many students are admitted to college without any sort of high-level athletic involvement.
6/6/09. Thank you for the really helpful vidoes you produced;
These days, I've been thinking about how I can best prepare myself to get into the Ivy league- I'm particularly interested in Cornell and I was wondering if you can give me some advice on how to improve my chances. I'm an IB student and I have all level 6's, aside from a couple of 7's and a 5 (which I will raise) and my SAT score is 2350 with all 3 SAT ll's over 750. My "special area" is music, I've won several awards (nothing natiaonal, just regional) and I've been the principal cellist for several youth orchestras in Canada for some time. I've been very active with music but I haven't done too much extracurriculars aside from it- I did, though, start a couple of clubs at my school, (science club eg) and won a couple of awards in an essay competition held by a Korean Newspaper company (I'm Korean, by the way). I do regular volunteering, mainly playing my cello for disabled children or seniors but it's, again been, for the most part local and ordinary. My biggest worry is that my school marks or lack of a "eye catching" activity would deter me from getting in. What can I do to optimize my chances? What should be the most important area I should try to improve on?It looks like you have everything in place – high SAT scores, high subject test scores, and superb involvement in extracurriculars. Judging from what you’ve described yourself, you must be relatively accomplished on a local level, which is enough to propel you into a mid-tier Ivy League such as Cornell. The Cornell numbers point strongly in your favor – an early acceptance rate of 37% and an overall acceptance rate of roughly one in five. I wouldn’t worry too much about doing something “national” to distinguish yourself. Your passion with music might be enough, if you can craft it appropriately in your application. If your sights are set on top-tier Ivies such as Harvard, Princeton, or Yale, however, you might be at a disadvantage without a national accolade, but you’re definitely playing in the right league.
6/5/09. I have a high GPA, 4.6 weighted and I will have taken 11 AP classes (meaning 9 exams) by the time I graduate. I have a 2260 SAT and 34 ACT. I have a bunch of leadership positions and I get really involved in everything I do, not just for the app but also because I love it. However, I am a little concerned that I have a lot of A minuses and not all A's. I have one B+ and I would love to go to UPenn. I have alumni status and will apply early. I was wondering if I have a solid shot and also if you have any tips to help me stand out in my app. I will be a senior next year so I'm starting to write apps.
You definitely have all the elements of a great application in place, though whether or not you can make it into Penn rests on how well you present yourself in the application. The A-'s in and of themselves mean nothing - you still have a 4.6 weighted GPA which is phenomenal, and likely in the top 10% at any high school. Your test scores and rigor of your curriculum is enough to propel you into most Ivy Leagues. The only major application component yet to tackle are the essays - for this part, you have to craft yourself as some sort of "extraordinary" person.
Penn values legacy and early decision applicants highly - just be sure to refer to the University of Pennsylvania as "Penn," not "Upenn," since that is what students and faculty call the school. Interestingly, I once heard the central NJ admissions officer say that in the "Why Penn" essay, they look for indicators of interest, such as calling the school by its proper shorthand way!
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