<p>Hi there, and thanks for the chance! 
And wow. Your GPA and scores are great (also, unless math isn’t a strong suit for you, I’d say aim for at least a 750 on Math II since in general, most people do very well on that test). And you have a ton of great ECs! I think you have a wonderful shot at UCLA (quite literally, I know at least 50 people who were far less qualified than you and got in), and as for Pomona and Rice, you can only apply to one early since they both have binding Early Decision programs, but I’d say they’re both matches for you (maybe Pomona’s a high match, but you’re certainly qualified). </p>
<p>Now to answer your questions:
- I’m a pianist and decided to submit a music supplement, and I personally believe that it gave my application a boost. The thing about these supplements is that unless they reflect an EXCEPTIONAL level of talent (not just “proficient”), they won’t help you and if your supplement is mediocre, it may actually hurt you. However, seeing as your music achievements (especially in the flute!) do seem to indicate an exemplary level of ability, I’d say pick your strongest repertoire pieces and send in a supplement! Really, just go with your gut as to whether you think your recordings are good enough.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Your strengths are kind of widespread. As I said, your GPA is great, your scores are solid, and your ECs are varied and suggest a very high level of involvement and commitment. As for weaknesses, (I almost hate to say this since they’re so fantastic but…) your ECs seem a bit generic - a lot of applicants to schools with competitive admissions will have similar extracurricular activities to you. You can easily overcome this, however, in your essays by showing your level of passion and a unique personal/learning experience that you and only you would have gained with your involvement.</p></li>
<li><p>This is going to sound super cliche, but honestly, put the 10 ECs that mean the most to you. (This will require some introspection, however.) What I did with my own ECs was to rank them in order of “impressiveness” (i.e., difficulty to attain) and then rank them in order of how much passion and personal commitment/involvement I had with respect to each one (including how much time I spend on each and whether I planned to pursue it in college/life), and the nice thing was that the two lists lined up pretty well! Which makes sense, because you’d achieve more in a particular EC area the more invested you are in it. It’s going to require some thinking on your part, but you can’t pass off the task of picking your “strongest” ECs to a collection of anonymous users on a website. I understand that you want to paint yourself in the best and most impressive-looking light to admissions (as a current HS senior, I completely get it), but you don’t need to shortchange or skew your personal passions to look appealing. To tell you the truth, with the descriptions you’ve offered in your post about each activity, they ALL seem strong; it’s really up to you to decide which ones are most important to you.</p></li>
</ol>