I am a rising senior. Do I have a chance? how can I improve?
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.46 weighted
SAT I: 2150
670 CR
750 M
730 W
SAT II:
800 on physics, chem, math II
APs hopefully:
Comp Sci A: 5
World History: 4
Chem
AP.USH
Physics B
Calc A.B.
Calc B.C.
Physics C
Bio
AP comp gov
AP lang
AP U.S gov
sort of counts as AP ???: Multivar/Dif eq/linear algebra: really challenging math course???
mostly honors classes besides the AP
ECs: TBH, I'm kind of weak on this, esp leadership, however, I can't do anything to get more leadership
-varsity tennis team
-girl scouts (gold award)
-orchestra
-Helping build a new library in community: in charge of public outreach
-Tutoring
-200+ hours volunteer work
Summers
-10th: self-study AP physics B
-11th: biotech course @ U.Penn
Background
-white female, no legacy or anything special like that, not a first generation college student either, both parents went 2 college
You'll probably need to add to your ECs although the summer course at UPenn is a step in the right direction. Also, your SAT score is a tad on the low side for your demographic. You can make up for that with a good class ranking
(if applicable) and some unique essays. Keep plugging away . . .
yea, I'm going 2 try 2 retake SAT in oct and aim 4 a 2250 superscore, the 2150 was just out of my first time taking the test. My class rank @ the beginning of the year was 6/460, so hopefully that won't change much. I'm struggling w/ ECs bcuz there isn't enough time to show true commitment 2 a new thing, but maybe I'll join a few more clubs.
For SEAS and as a white female with 800 on all three key SAT II's, your chances are good to very good. For Columbia College, low SAT I especially CR and lack of EC's are going to take you out of the race. What do plan on studying?
Where are you located? Are you near any research facilities, universities, etc. that would take you on as an intern, particularly in a bio field? They look good on your app and are useful for the future just for the experience.
Maybe work on the SAT score but at this point you might as well just wing it.
I'm a current Columbia student (class of '14) and I'm working on starting a company that provides application and essay counseling/advice, but I'm trying to freelance my services a bit before diving in. I'm planning on offering one on one skype conferences to evaluate candidates' essays or applications/supplements. Contact me at rcm2140@columbia.edu for more info!
Hmm, I'm also from the DC area. Email professors at UMD/GWU/Georgetown if you're still interested in internships - you might be surprised what they have open for the summer/year. NIH definitely doesn't make or break a candidate.
I was going to guess what school you go to but it doesn't really matter, haha.
@ neiro66
how would I go about emailing a prof? just a random email w/ a little bit about me and ask for an internship? I feel like that would be a bit sketchy, has this worked for you?
@doglova
I got my internship last year by writing nice emails to professors after researching a little about their work and including a resume. I emailed 3, got a response from 2, ended up working for 1. Even though you're a late to the game there's no harm in asking. Let me know if you have any more questions...
A lot of my friends got bio internships at Georgetown and UMD last year.
