golfer3

Please chance me for Dartmouth Early Decision.
I will chance back.
Thanks!

PROFILE:

School type: Top 300 public in Southern CA
Ethnicity: 25% Mexican 75% European
Gender: male
Income level: high

STATS:

9-12 weighted GPA: 4.578 (5.0 scale)
10-12 weighted GPA: 4.71 (5.0 scale)
9-12 unweighted: 3.94 (4.0 scale)
10-12 unweighted: 3.96 (4.0 scale)
School doesn't rank and my counselor said our GPAs aren't that reliable because we weight easy courses like marine bio honors as much as hard ones like AP Physics C

Condensed Course Description:

Strong Aspects of my schedule:

1. Consistent GPA improvement (4.3 freshman year, 4.7 sophomore year, 4.7 junior year but I took an AP test without taking the course and scored a five and I took part in the science fair which is normally a class and honors weighted but I entered it too late; my counselor will mention these things).
2. My schedule has become more rigorous by the year especially in regards to mathematics courses. I did not take honors math the first two years of high school, moved up to Pre-calc honors junior year and am now in both Calc BC and Physics C AP (traditionally the hardest science course)

Weak Aspects of my schedule:

1. I received two B's in high school and one was junior year (pre calc Honors). I was sick a lot second semester and my math teacher wasn't that accommodating and I couldn't keep up with the material
2. I have taken no honors of ap foreign language classes. I have taken four years of spanish and have gotten straight A's but foreign language is the only honors/ap course offered in which I have no courses that are honors or ap level. My counselor will still check most rigorous though for my schedule.

Senior Year
AP Physics C
AP Calculus BC
AP English Lit.
AP Environmental Science (I hate chemistry and thats the only intense science course I haven't taken. How much will that hurt me?)
AP Government/AP Economics (1 class)

TEST SCORES:

ACT: 32 (34 E, 29 M, 33 R, 31 S, 11 Essay)
I will retake in October and am expecting a higher score (yay for score choice)
SAT: will not take
SAT Subject:
770-US Hist.
710-Bio E
Awaiting Score: math 2
will take Lit in November
AP:
5-AP Biology
5-AP European History
5-AP US History
5-AP Comparative Government and Politics (self-study)
4-AP English Language
4-AP Human Geography

Activities and awards:

AWARDS (lacking, I know):
Ap Scholar with Distinction
National Honor Society (12th grade only)
CSF member since freshman year
Model UN outstanding at a small conference
high honor roll freshman through junior year (except 2nd semester)
maybe some speech and debate awards?
KIWIN'S-4th most hours out of about 140 members

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Golf (4 Year Varsity Co-Captain, 2007 Co-MVP; I have made the league individual tournament every year but have not advanced. My team has made the playoffs the last two years but has not advanced)
SCPGA jr. tour (small jr. golf tournaments)-I have played 4 tournaments. Best finish t-16th.
KIWIN'S (key club district)-(10-12)-Junior year I was recording secretary, as a senior I hold the #5 position in Key Club International
spanish honors society (10-12)
Mu Alpha Theta (11-12)
Science Club (treasurer) (11-12)-I was on the Ocean Bowl team last year and we got fifth at LA surf bowl. I also participated in the science bowl B team (non-competitive) and will do ocean bowl competitive team, science bowl B team, and science olympiad this year.
Model UN-(11-12)
Students Organized for America's Homeless (VP) (11-12)
Academic Decathalon (12; new club)-appointed Co-president
High school science fair and science fair that sent students to the intel regional one. I didn't advance. My project stunk. LOL
Speech and Debate (12)
Camp Escapades volunteer (summer program in which I helped autistic children at a summer camp)
I also participated in a golf camp the summer before junior year
probably NHS
about 280 hours of community service

Thanks!

golfer3

bump10char

Ellie7

The two weaknesses you listed are my exact same, as well!

I think you have a good shot, it all looks pretty solid, though I would try to get the ACT score up.

Heres mine:
ED Williams, EA Notre Dame, etc

golfer3

Bump please. I promise to chance back.

vbplayer

You look like a solid applicant. I would surprised if you didnt get in! I don't think a 32 is awful and I don't think it will kill you (I could just be saying that to make myself feel better, though).
Do I have a shot RD? =/

longstreet

Very impressive stats first off. You're two Bs will hurt you slightly but the no AP spanish wont be a huge deal as long as you have taken 4 years of it. Your grades and ECs are obviously stellar. Your standardized tests aren't that amazing but they are at least in the competitive range and won't help or hurt your app (please note that I'm referring to the SAT - most ivies admit that they way the ACT and SAT way more than subject tests or AP tests) You are enough Mexican to justify putting that you are a minority and that will really help you. I would personally say you have about a 60-65% chance at acceptance. Good luck. Chance me back?

Can I get into at least 1 ivy? Ill chance back promptly

golfer3

Thanks for the chance and yes I will chance back. However, I am actually applying to Dartmouth RD (long story) and I actually can't put Mexican on my app. because my counselor said I have to be either 50% or higher or have some connection to the mexican culture and I have neither. Do I still have a somewhat decent chance?

An0maly

Even if you're not an URM, I still think you have a good chance of getting in. It would be kind of silly to post a random precentage, but I think you're in =]

phlipper101

Thing you need most is passion and initiative. You've got the grades but now you need to set yourself apart from other people.

Lobzz

Applying ED won't improve your chances. The acceptance rate seems higher, but that's misleading because the ED round is full of 1)Athletes 2) Children of faculty, and 3) kids whose parents went to Dartmouth and have bank accounts with more zeros than the university's endowment. But you seem like a solid applicant for any university nonetheless.

masonfactor

Stats in terms of SATs & GPA for kids admitted ED vs RD last year were similar despite the higher admit rate. The ED applicants just tend to be more self-selected

Lobzz

Not just more self-selective, but most of them know that they have 95%+ at D (athletes, big-shot legacies) anyway. So they figure, "might as well get my decision in December." Thats the MAIN reason why the ED acceptance rate seems higher.