Glance at this Chance?

Epiglottis · 08-26-2007, 02:33 AM

I've been reading through these forums for months now, smiling, laughing, even giggling every once in a while. All the while thinking "wow, it must majorly suck having to apply to colleges." Well, my time has come, and, yes, it does suck.

Sorry to post a "chances" directly into the Colgate forum, but I really wanna get the skinny directly from people at the college, and people who have just recently got in. So, I ask you to, for my sake, bare with this thread pollution.

Here it is:
Standardized tests:
SATi: 2280
SATii's
Bio: 760
Mathii: 740
US: 640
I plan on taking the Lit satii in the fall, so that I don't have to submit that US score.

In New York, everyone is required to take these silly tests called Regents. I've scored a perfect score on almost all of them, and 95+'s on the rest.

Grades:
I go to a very competitive (rich) public High School on Long Island.
u/w: 3.1 w: 3.2

APs (taken four so far, taking four more next year)
English Language: 5
Biology: 5
European history: 4
US history: 3

Like most other people, I have quite a few extra curriculars, but I'll spare you having to read them by posting just a few of my personal favorites.
Drama: I've been in a total of 4 plays (1 was a musical) in my High School career, a lead in all of them.
STAC: Student Television Arts Company. A program started about 30 years ago that is unique to my school. It's an audition-only multidisciplinary arts class that has taken up a great amount of my time and passion. Got in for Writing.
Was on the ping-pong team for two years. Never managed to win anything, but I had a helluva great time.
Code. I have a few websites, all coded by me in CSS. I've "dabbled" (if even that) a little in C.

Volunteering. (~500 hours total)
This is where I've devoted an incredible amount of my passion the last year. This is what I feel should be one of the most important things when applying to colleges and jobs, if for no other reason than to make this crazy mixed up country a little less crazy and mixed up.
Missionaries of Charity, Kolkotta, India (summer '07): 1 month
Habitat for Humanity, New Orleans (summer '06): 3 weeks
Interned at the regional Peace Corps recruiting office: 2 weeks

If all goes according to plan, my essay will be the brightest part on my mucky, dusty little resume (me hopes to be an english major!)

Oh, and I can yoyo really well, and I can solve a Rubik's cube in 37 seconds (current best time).

Also, I'm male and Indian (sadly, not the Native American kind).

Hm. That ended up being a little longer than I was hoping it would be. Sorry 'bout that.

Thanks and be as brutal as you would.

metfan2121 · 08-26-2007, 11:09 AM

sounds like youre in easy, high sat and lots of community service with ec's that youre devoted too. you're only weakness is your gpa, although the admissions office will probably know of your school and know it is difficult.

jrpar · 08-26-2007, 11:21 AM

That GPA is going to make it tough at the schools you are asking about. What's your class rank?

Epiglottis · 08-26-2007, 08:22 PM

Yes, I know that. Academically, school's been kind of a bust.

My school doesn't run with class rank anymore. But, if I had one, it would be one that I wouldn't want to tell people. Very, very low.

Any suggestions about that? Is there one particular thing that I should majorly stress on my application that would downsize this GPA thing?

jrpar · 08-26-2007, 09:28 PM

The best thing you could do is to do really well in school senior year.

metfan2121 · 08-26-2007, 10:36 PM

i guess i misread your info, i assumed that it was very competitive and you were still near the top 10% of your class. none the less i still think you'd get it, but you're gpa is a definite weakness.