solastalgic

BACKGROUND INFO
Me: Female. Asian. Incoming senior. NorCaler. IB full diploma candidate.
School: Public and rather ghetto. International Baccalaureate program. We have smart kids, slackers, and smart slackers. Some of my classmates got perfect SAT scores! Every year, we get 20ish kids into Berkeley, a Buck Scholar or two, and several kids into schools like Yale and Stanford.

ACADEMICS
Cumulative unweighted GPA: 3.92
Cumulative weighted GPA: 4.513
Unweighted class rank: 18/393
Weighted class rank: 20/393

Freshman schedule: MYP English, Algebra 2, PE, Honors chem, Honors world history, MYP Chinese 1/2
Soph schedule: MYP English 5, Precalc, Global Art, Honors physics, Honors US History, MYP Chinese 3/4
Junior schedule: IB English 1 [HL], IB 2 Math Methods [SL], IB Art [HL], IB Biology 1 [HL], IB Econ [SL], IB Chinese 1 [SL]
Senior schedule: IB English 2 [HL], AP calculus, IB Art [HL], IB Biology 2 [HL], Theory of Knowledge, IB Chinese 2 [SL]
Cumulatively, I've had 3 B's...Always 1 B every year in math class, always at 89%. :[

TESTING, TESTING...
SATs: 2100 [math:700 crit reading: 760 writing: 650 <---EW] I am taking it a second time.
ACT composite: 34 [math:34 reading:35 science:34 english:34 writing: 31]
SAT IIs: Lit: 780 US history: 770 math: 700
IB Scores: IB Economics: 6, IB Math Methods: 6

ECs and etc
- KEY Club: member 08-09, president 09-10 [Key Club/community service in general is my biggest passion and I would like to continue this in the future. Anyone know how active the Circle K at Bowdoin is?]
- Senior manager our IB program's Group IV Project - This is like a giant scientific study encompassing biology, chemistry, physics, Design Technology, and environmental systems, that all the IB students participate in. Our project has been recognized at a national level.
- Community service: 300+ hours so far, mostly through KEY Club. Also volunteered at a local museum and the local food bank.
-Orchestra: 1st chair violist 07-09 [and hopefully next year too]
- Math Club: secretary 08-10
- Art Honor Society
- Art Docent Program teacher at an elementary school [08-10] - I teach little kids about art history and techniques about once a month.
- National History Day State Qualifier in the documentary category
- Random awards from local art competitions

I’m undecided about what I’ll major in; a short list of possible majors include: visual arts, biology, history, psychology, anthro, and sociology.

A big issue for me is the cost. My family is not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination; together my parents make around $60,000, and with the current downturn in California’s economy, the threat of layoffs is always hanging over us. Also, my older sister is a junior at UC Berkeley, planning to go premed, so there’ll be even less money for me…
How are Bowdoin’s financial aid packages?

But more importantly, how do I stack up against the other students and should I even bother applying to Bowdoin?

Thanks in advance!

TaylorAnn11

Hey there. I don't think you should be too worried -- you definitely have a great chance at Bowdoin. All your stats are within/above the average for Bowdoin. I'm matriculating to Bowdoin this fall as an IB graduate, and I was accepted with lower stats than you. Just be sure to write a good essay & get good recs. LACs are generally concerned with a person overall -- not just academics, so don't count on just your scores to get you accepted.

Tzar09

and on the financial aid question: Bowdoin meets all demonstrated need with grants.

IBfootballer

you're def. competitive. very competitive. if you want to apply, go ahead and do it!