chronicfuture12

(Yes, that is my favorite song).

Alright, I am a Senior who is looking for some last chances to help me out with where to apply to and such.

Ethnicity: Mexican/White
High School: 98th in United States (about 10% of us get into Ivy Leagues/equivalent or better)
Major: Neuroscience
GPA (lower numbers explained later, but they still are here): 3.45 UW, 4.00 W, slight downward trend, but leap in Senior year, close to top 10% rank, if not in it.
SATs: 2070 superscored (680 CR, 720 M, 670 W), 2020 for highest single taking, taking once more in December. Also, just took the ACT, though unsure how I did.
SAT 2: Biology: 720, Math I: 760, Lit: 620 (Don't know what went wrong with that one, but retaking)
AP: Psychology: 5, European History: 4, Macroeconomics: 4, Government: 4, Physics: 3, Calculus: 3, Language: 5

Courses (One of the heaviest loads available):
Freshman year: H English, H World History, H Algebra 2, H Bio, Latin 2, Intro to law, Comp Graphics
Sophomore: H English, H Am History, H Latin 3, H Analysis, H Chem, AP Psych
Junior: AP Language, AP Economics/Government, AP Physics, AP European History, AP Calculus, Latin 4
Senior: AP Literature, AP Latin (Literature), AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP American History, Law Seminar, Ceramics (required art course)

EC:
-Key Club (Officer - in charge of website creation/management and organizing events)
-Latin Club (Officer - help with all Latin club projects)
-Tennis Team (Captain - Senior Year, our team is #6 in state)
-Table Tennis Club (Founder/President)
-Latin Honors Society (tutoring)
-National Latin Exam Gold Medalist for 5 straight years (got a free dictionary as a reward, awesome!)
-REPP (Ridge Encouragement for Political Participation)
-Participated in state-wide math contests (perfect scores on some, debating whether to mention or not)
-Science club all four years (biology, chem, physics state competitions - no real significant awards)
-Economics Club
-Served dinner at a retirement home (job/100 hours)
-Worked at the town pool (75 hours)
-Volunteered at the VA Hospital (240 hours)
-Volunteered at homeless shelter (150 hours)
-Various volunteer activities from Key Club outside of school, including Homeless Shelters, creating a prom dance for senior citizens, setting up various fundraisers (estimating about 100 hours)
-National AP Scholar with distinction

Letters: GC- amazing, me and her share a connection with our interests, she always talks about how much I have matured and think in a logical manner; Teachers- 1 awesome, 1 okay (my two favorite teachers chose randomly since so many students asked, of course I did not get chosen.)
Essay: Good (unique, to me at least, it has to do with my philosophy about life, and my central focus of helping elderly and it somehow relates to my Psychology major, not going to say it is one of the best essays ever written, but I still feel it is unique)
Hook: Umm...well, I am Mexican? I'm only partially, but the culture is prevalent in my life, and URMs for the win?
Issue: My parents got a divorce which affected my Sophomore and Junior gpa a lot, which devastated me for a while. My guidance counselor is explaining in her letter how the divorce hit me really hard economically/socially at first, but ultimately led to my more mature and logical approach to life (which it really did).

Colleges (keep in mind, I did not include colleges that I think are safeties or low matches):
Cornell (ED to CALS)
JHU
Brown
Boston College
Colgate
College of the Holy Cross (legacy)
Bucknell
Lafayette
Carnegie Mellon
Villanova
College of New Jersey

Thanks so much for any comments! I will chance back if you want!

kb09026

Your SATs might keep you from getting in to Cornell early, but your ECs are really good, and of course your URM status helps. As long as your counselor makes sure to explain your extenuating circumstances, your GPA shouldn't affect you badly at all, as long as your senior year grades are really good. Your course load is also pretty impressive, especially considering your high AP scores. I think you're in everywhere except Brown, and possibly Cornell and CMU.

Could you chance me back?
Last time, I Promise

chronicfuture12

Looking for some other responses please. I will chance back.

phantasmagorical

I think you have at least some chance everywhere, though Brown, Colgate, and Cornell are reaches. You definitely have as good a shot as anyone else at the rest! Your intense courseload and URM status will both help, and as long as your counselor can explain the grades, you're as good as gold at the majority of those schools.

If you have a chance, I'd appreciate it if you could look at my thread too. Thanks!
Chances, please! :) WUSTL, JHU, Ivies, etc.

chronicfuture12

Thanks for your responses, but still looking for some more! Thanks!

chronicfuture12

Bumpers plox.