Am I a "hooked" applicant? Chances for Elite Schools with a C in AP Physics

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Hi everyone,
I am currently a junior at an extremely competitive public high school in Charlotte, North Carolina. My grades in school have been suffering due to my extracurriculars which I am very passionate about. I am most likely going to get a C in AP Physics 1 this year and I would like to know how it will affect my chances of going to an elite school for my undergraduate studies. I have included a list of all the classes and grades I have received in HS as well as test scores and a brief summary of my extracurriculars. I am particularly interested in my chances for getting into Duke, Berkley, Brown, Rice, Chapel Hill, Yale, U Penn, University of Michigan, Cornell, and Harvard.

I want to know how bad a C is going to look and if my community service makes up for it in any way. Do I need to do anything else? If I get a 4 or a 5 on the AP Physics 1 exam will it compensate for my grade in the class? Does my 501©3 make me a “hooked” applicant?

Class Rank: 14/~800
GPA: 4.5238 Weighted 3.9048 Unweighted (B in Calc BC, C in Physics 1, A in Literature, A in Human Body Systems, A in CompSci not yet added to GPA)

I’ve only taken the SAT once, without preparation, and got a 1450 my sophomore year. I recently took the ACT as well. I am taking both again soon and I am confident I can get above a 1520 or a 34.

Freshman Year-

  1. H. World History: A
  2. H. Eng 2: A
  3. H. Chemistry: A
  4. H. Math 3: A
  5. PLTW Intro to Engineering Design: A (Weighted 5.0)
  6. AP Psychology: A/5
  7. H. Concert Band: A
  8. Standard Health & P.E.: A
  9. H. Mandarin 3 Online: A

Sophomore Year-

  1. AP Human Geography: A/5
  2. AP Earth and Environmental Science: A/5
  3. AP CompSci Principles: A/5
  4. AP English Language and Composition: A/5
  5. PLTW Principles of Biomedical Science: A (Weighted 4.5)
  6. PLTW Principles of Engineering: A (Weighted 4.5)
  7. H. Pre-Calculus: A
  8. H. Civics and Economics: A
  9. H. Mandarin 4 Online: B
  10. H. Leadership Development Online: A

Junior Year-

  1. AP Physics 1: Probably a C
  2. AP Computer Science A: Probably an A
  3. AP English Literature and Composition: Probably an A
  4. H. Accounting: A
  5. PLTW Human Body Systems: Probably an A (Weighted 4.5)
  6. AP Calculus AB: B
  7. AP Calculus BC: Probably a B

Senior Year-

  1. AP Statistics
  2. AP Chemistry
  3. AP US History
  4. PLTW Medical Interventions (Weighted 4.5)
  5. PLTW Civil Engineering (Weighted 4.5)
  6. AP Mandarin 4 Online

Extracurriculars:

Team Co-Captain for a World-Class FRC Robotics Team
-competed at world championship
-subteam lead sophomore year
-co-caption jr year
-unanimously nominated by my teammates and mentors for the Dean’s List Award. I made it to states sophomore year and was nominated again this year. I hope to make it to Worlds this year.

Founder and Executive Director of a 501c3 nonprofit
-Started a nonprofit sophomore year

  • Mission: provide quality STEM education to financially disadvantaged public school students of several Indian villages
  • donates 5-10k USD worth of materials like laptops, lego kits, robotics kits, K’NEX kits and other tehcnology to every school inducted. I worked with several education professionals to create a 4-year online curriculum so the teachers I train and hire in India can make use of the equipment donated.The curriculum has taught kids who have never seen a computer before how to turn one on, use the internet safely, build and program a LEGO Robot, build a nanosatellite with a ground tracking system, and much more. I also track and monitor student progress online so I know my teachers are doing their jobs.
  • Status: 3000+ students served, 14 people (mostly women) employed, 8 schools inducted, $100,000+ materials donated
  • I recently made a proposal for 50-50 cost sharing to the State Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, India and they said they will cover 70% of the cost (millions of USD for 1300 schools) instead and want me to induct 1,300 schools ASAP. I already made plans for another 50 or so schools to be inducted by the end of 2019.
    -Hours Spent: I stopped counting after I hit 1,000 sophomore year itself
    -Planning on hiring regional directors soon so I’m not as overworked.

English as a Second Language Enrichment Program
-Students who have had STEM exposure in high school are much more likely to take up a STEM major than those who are not. I work with the ESL Dept. to teach most of the AP CompSci Principles curriculum to a group of 20 or so ESL students at my school. I met with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schooling (CMS) Officials and they said submit a proposal to implement this program in all schools which is what I am trying to find time to work on.

Project 658
-teaching code and doing other STEM activities with Syrian refugee kids after-school once a week
-my robotics team has been doing summer code camps with this organization for years, but this year I made sure to do weekly STEM activities during the school year as well

NC FIRST Advocacy Day
-Presented to the Senators and Reps of Charlotte-Mecklenburg area on why state funding for FIRST Robotics Programs is an investment worth making

Indian Classical Dance

  • I have been learning Bharatanatyam, an Indian Classical Dance for the past 9 years. My dance graduation is in 2020.
  • I also did a lot of Hip Hop and Bollywood performances and even taught classes for younger kids during my freshman and sophomore years. I still teach classical now, but its a part of training for my dance graduation so I don’t get paid.

Bag4Bag
-Hosted several hygiene product donation drives at my school to donate materials to a Title 1 school through a Child’s Place. I also led my robotics team to organize STEM activities during after-care at this school.
-For every bag bought on my robotics teams’ website, we donate a bag full of self-care products to students at this Title 1 school. I designed the bag and led this initiative.

Grant Writer

  • I have been asked to be a grant writer for this local nonprofit, Queen’s City Robotics Alliance. Should I take this on? It would be about 10 hours of work a week which I do not have time for, but I will make time if it will improve my chances of getting into elite schools.
    -I have already written grants for my nonprofit

Misc.
-I’ve been on PBS and Charlotte Observer for my nonprofit work. My work has also frequently appears on Indian news channels and newspapers.
-I was an honorable mention for the Natl. Women in Tech Computing Aspirations Regional Affiliate Award

future:
Summer:
-setup/host medical camp in India, contacted a bunch of doctors and reached out to Doctors Without Borders
-volunteer at hospital
-retake SAT and ACT
-I will lead my robotics team to start the first truly Indian FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team in India (the only other 2 teams in India are from an international school and barely any of the kids are Indian) and some LEGO League teams as well

Senior Year:
-help start and actively mentor an FRC team at a local title 1 school.
-My robotics team already contacted many local companies who have agreed to hire and train FRC alum right out of HS. An opportunity for a STEM job with a lot of room for growth without a degree can be life-changing for these kids as most of them are homeless and need to start earning ASAP to support their families.

Letters of Recomendation:
English Teacher
Executive Director of Queens City Robotics Alliance
Indian Government Official (nonprofit stuff, impact on community, economy etc.)

2

Unless you receive major national level recognition for your role in the 501©3, it is probably an EC that sets you apart from the average applicant, but not a “hook.”

At the most highly selective schools, EC’s that you set you apart only matter if they are setting you apart from the most highly qualified applicants to those schools - they won’t make a difference unless you have the stats. So, to improve your odds over the single digit acceptance rates at the top schools, get stellar grades, stellar standardized test scores, write engaging and compelling essays, hope your teachers and guidance counselors describe you as “the best student they’ve seen in their entire career” and then, after all that, worry if your EC’s set you apart from the other kids with stellar stats, grades, essays and recommendations.

I wouldn’t recommend counting on your EC’s to make up for less than stellar grades. Maybe cut back on the time you’re devoting to your EC’s and put it into improving your grades this semester and studying for your SAT and SAT2.

3

The typical “hooks” (not all of which are considered at every college):

  • Recruited athlete (you can earn that, but usually takes a long time).
  • Development (your parents can donate a building or so to buy your way into the college).
  • Legacy (unchangeable).
  • URM (unchangeable).

Other things that you can earn or achieve are generally not “hooks”.

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/2095312-generic-chance-answer-for-super-selective-colleges-p1.html

4

No, starting a non profit for a foreign land will not make up for the B and C in stem courses, if this is about a stem major. Or tippy tops.

Except dance, everything you list is stem related. Read up on what the TT colleges expect in depth and breadth. Learn what holistic is about. I get the impression you’ve set your sights and pursued interests…but missed what this level of colleges looks for. Dig in and learn as much about that as you can- from what the colleges, themselves, say and show. (Not blogs or forums.) Also check whom they want to write LoRs.

5

For reference, a “hook” means that your application is in a different pile from the others. For example, if the institution received your application as coming from THE @sunnygnc , that would be a hook. If you were to tell us the name of your 501©3 and all of us had heard about it, that would be a hook. Otherwise, it’s just an EC.

6

Your grades and scores will still be more important than extracurriculars. Focus on school from here on out. BTDT.

7

Your first job in school is to get an education. I think elite colleges expect students to get solid grades and test scores. They may make some allowances if a student had extenuating circumstances, but choosing ECs over academics is totally within your control. You should work really hard to bring your grades up before the end of the year.

8

Your current list is top heavy…very top heavy.

And what about finances? Will your family be able to pay the full cost of attendance at Berkeley? CA doesnt give need based aid to OOS students.

9

I don’t want to burst your bubble, but I’d be very surprised if you got into any of those schools, just based on my knowledge of where other kids I know got in and with similar grades. I think you should put some match and safety schools on your list. I think you’re a great candidate for NC State and the in state tuition would be a bonus. Good luck.

10

Yes, a C in AP physics is going to be noticed by top schools. ECs should never take priority over schoolwork.

Your list has nothing remotely close to being a match or safety. It’s a list that’s going to lead to disappointment. Prioritize school. Make a realistic list, not a list based on prestige.

ETA: Actually, you can prioritize ECs over schoolwork, but the price will be that you will further reduce your chances of top schools. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. If your ECs make you happy, do them. You should enjoy yourself as much as possible when you’re young.

11

I assume you do your EC’s because you are passionate about them, and also because you want to share your love of STEM with the kids in these Indian villages. It’s a good thing to reach out to people who don’t have your advantages, and I’m sure it’s been a huge growth experience for you.

As long as you didn’t start that non-profit in order to get into a super-selective school—you’re doing great. Why should you give up something uniquely yours that’s making a difference in order to get perfect grades? Your chances of getting into those schools either way are very low (as are everyone’s chances).

Do the work you feel called to do and diversify your college list so you have options. You can get a top knotch education beyond the schools with sub-10% acceptance rates.

12

I’m also in the camp that the primary focus of high school is the education piece. If you are intending to pursue a STEM field, a C in Physics and Bs in calc are definitely going to be a problem for the schools you listed.

A strong EC is not a hook. And it wont make up for falling grades. A downward trend junior year is not what colleges want to see.

My advice is to put your time and energy back into your school work, prepare well for your standardized tests, and put together a more realistic college list with safeties and match schools.

13

Your junior year marks are critical. Why are you considering adding more random ECs when your grades in core classes (math and science), especially ones that relate directly to your core interests, are dropping?

I’ll also point out that your course selection does not really align with what some of your dream schools recommend. From Harvard’s website:

Harvard is at the high end of specificity, but pretty much all of them want 4 years of english, expect 3-4 years of social studies (you will have 2), and like to see the bio/chem/physics trio (you don’t have bio).

PLTW courses, fairly or not, are often seen as electives, not as core academic classes (not saying that elective means easy!).

Finally, no, a high score on the AP will not make up for a lower grade.

14

I agree with what @collegemom3717 has said. The issue is not just the C, but the trend. I do think you have 3 ss course (world history, human geo and APUSH…some schools will also consider AP Psych as a SS, some won’t)

It is a glaring weakness that you have not taken high school biology. That may make admission unlikely not only to the schools that you mention, but also schools the next tier lower. I encourage you to swap out AP chem for bio (ideally AP or honors).

Lastly when you are wondering whether ECs make up for curriculum and/or grades, it tells me you have more research to do regarding what colleges of the caliber you are seeking want. Good luck

15

Elite schools like the ones on your list look for an upward trend in GPA not a downward one. Your grades should be staying the same or getting better as you tackle upper level courses. If you are interested in a STEM major, the lower grades in those subjects will be especially noticeable. Ditch the outside activities for now and spend the extra time getting some tutoring for your classes to try to bring your grades up.

16

Most will consider it a SS. In fact, I can’t think of a single example of a college admissions office that will not consider it a social science regardless of where the psych department is housed at the university. But I’m sure there are a few.

As a data point of one, I successfully applied to many of the schools mentioned (and am attending one of them), and I had no bio in HS. There are some valid reasons for not following a college’s suggested HS preparation. That said, these schools will look for consistency in grades, or at least an upward trend. I won’t be as negative as some of the other respondents (other than to point out that many have single digit admissions rates. But I will echo that ECs will not “make up” for academic performance, nor will strong AP scores.

17

@skieurope, your thoughts on no 4th year of English?

18

Oh, I totally missed that @collegemom3717 . Yes, the OP needs a 4th year of English. Most colleges will expect English every year, regardless of how the HS credits past English courses. And effective writing is a life skill which is necessary for all jobs. Many of these colleges have a freshman writing requirement which is not waived by AP scores. So this is a prime example where electives should not supplant core courses

19

from your list:
Duke, Berkeley, Brown, Rice, Chapel Hill, Yale, U Penn, University of Michigan, Cornell, and Harvard.

Since you are in state, UNC CH might be a target. Out of state would be a reach. The next closest would be university of Michigan. I assume you are also applying to NCstate?

20

“Most will consider [AP psych] a SS.” But lurkers should know the tippy tops will look for the core history first. World, APHG, and APUSH will do it, but barely.

And core lab sci. Not APES, engineering, biomed sci, comp sci, body systems, medical interventions, civil engn, and the like. I suspect OP is at a magnet hs that offers different “Academies” that offer a sort of pre vocational exploration.

There will be plenty of competition from NC who focused more on cores. And that rigor.