Hello, I'm interested in seeing what my chances are for first getting into University of Virginia and then getting a full academic merit scholarship (Jefferson Scholarship). I'm aware my grades are low and I don't have any spectacular summer activities, but please take my other credentials into account as you post on this thread.
Subjective:
Ethnicity: Pakistani American
Age: 17
Schools:
Large Public in IN (9)
Small Private in TN (10-11)
Medium Public in TN (12)
Recs (Potential): I hope to always be at the top of my class and do much better than my previous record, so I hope they'll be good.
Essays (Potential): One on being a Pakistani American Ahmadi Muslim (a minority group) Democrat in Tennessee, One on how I found a passion for learning purely for itself rather than as a tool to achieve material gains
Intended Major: Physics, Chemistry, or Math
Objective:
Grades (9-11): Semester 1 (9): 7A/1B, Semester 2 (9): 1A/4B/1C, Semester 1 (10): 5A/1B, Semester 2 (10): 5A/1B, Semester 1 (11): 2A/4B, Semester 2 (11): 4B/2C in All Honors Classes and 2 AP Classes: AP Chemistry (Semester 1: B, Semester 2: C+) and AP Calculus BC (Semester 1: A-, Semester 2: B)
Senior Course Load and Grades (Potential): All A's (100%) in AP Biology, AP Statistics, AP US Government, AP Macroeconomics, Honors English 4, Honors US History, Personal Finance, and Choir
GPA and Class Rank (Potential): Will be about 3.5 UW (9) and 3.97 W (10-11) (Top 20%) when I apply b/c I will only send in previous grades but after first semester of senior year, it will hopefully be 3.94 W and about 3.54 UW and I hope to be ranked in about the top 20-30% of 380 students
SAT: 2400 ACT: 36 SAT Chemistry: 800, SAT Math II: 800, SAT Physics: 800, SAT Biology M: 800, SAT US History: 800
AP Exam Scores: AP Calculus BC 4 or 5
Extra-Cirricular Activities:
Speech and Debate (10-12): State 2nd Place (10), 350 Tournament Points
Piano (9, 11): Gold Star Rating in Region (9), Participate in Recital (9-11)
Mock Trial (11): Lawyer- 2nd Place in Region
Young Democrats (10-11): VP (11)
NHS and Mu Alpha Theta Member (10-12)
Community Service (10-12): 100 Hours in Mosque and Science Center; Local Library (12-Potential)
Employment (12-Potential): Work at Kumon as Math Tutor for 5 months
Math Club (9, 12): President (12-Potential)
Student Newspaper Member (12-Potential)
Research (12-Potential): Independent "Research" done in Science- mainly with a home telescope and in some higher math
Other Awards/Distinctions: Regional Math Test Top 5 (9, 10), National Merit Commended Scholar (12), State Math Problem Solving Test Top 10 (12-Potential)
Awards to be sent after initial submission of application (all potential):
Intel STS Semi-Finalist in Math (Sent in Late January)
USA Physics Olympiad Semi-Finalist and AMC 12 Top 1% (Mid-February)
USA Chemistry Olympiad Top in Region and USA Biology Olympiad Semi-Finalist (Early March)
Everybody will tell you that chances belong somewhere else, but first does your school even nominate a student for the Jefferson Scholarship? Also, the Jefferson Scholarship is run by the Jefferson Foundation and they look for more than intellectual achievement--they look for more intangible things that would be impossible to say from an internet forum. That's why there are so many rounds of interviews one must go through to become a Jefferson Scholar.
I think Virginia is a big reach for you. You're not a Virginian, and you've got a significant mismatch between your grades and your standardized test scores.
I agree with Sikorsky. UVA doesn't care about your perfect SAT scores, and in this instance, they actually work against you, because they make you look like an underachiever when looking at your grades.
Also, I don't think you'll get your Chemistry Olympiad information in time to influence your application.
My daughter finished first in the state of Virginia in the Chemistry Olympiad, but she didn't get the information until a couple of days before the UVA wait list closed.
Yes, actually you are right, that was just my bias talking. 900 of the brightest chemistry students in Virginia participated, but many bright Chemistry students did not.
But of those 900, my daughter placed first among the "Large School/Governor's School" division, and she smoked a bunch of kids that have been accepted to UVA along the way.
But I get it, Chemistry isn't UVA's thing. No biggie.
And actually being nominated for Jefferson doesn't guarantee you'll be accepted to UVA since it's not run by the school technically. Probably most nominees do, but just so you know. Our state only sends on regional candidate out of two days of interviews...the odds are not in your favor with this scholarship.
DoctorMagic, your biggest problem is your class rank. Over 95% of the students accepted this year were in the top 10% of their class. I would imagine that the GREAT majority of the other 5% were scholarship athletes and students from Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax. So...I wouldn't spend any time worrying about the Jefferson scholarship, it's an extreme long shot for you to get into UVA at all.
There are a lot of schools that would love your gaudy SAT scores, but trust me, I am speaking from personal experience, UVA won't give you any extra consideration for them. Not at all.
Thank you guillame. My daughter had a stressful year of ups and downs, but I think she is extremely happy where she is landed. I think she is going to do great things, but more than that, I just want her to be happy and do what she loves.
Doctormagic, I think you have about the same chance any other out of state student- that is to say, not a great one, but it'd be worth your time to apply. You have to take VADAD's observations with a grain of salt because his high-achieving daughter was,inexplicably, waitlisted - but don't worry too much about your class rank, because there are exceptions to the rule. I ranked outside the top 10 percent of my class and I will be attending UVA this fall, as an Echols scholar, no less. (I'm not an athlete nor did I go to TJ. No hooks.) Bring it up if you can, of course.
If you guys read the original post, you would see that he got 4 Bs and 2 Cs in his Junior year.
I don't think Virginia will like that, at all. They told my daughter that a major reason she was wait listed was because she got a C in World History in 10th grade.
If that is my biased speaking, so be it. That's my experience.
