<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I'm currently finishing my Junior year in high school and I'm starting to really look at colleges. The counseling at my school is terrible, so I was hoping for some good advice on where I should apply and where I have a chance at getting in. </p>
<p>Here are my stats:
ACT: 34
SAT: 2260
PSAT: 228
Rank: around 3/300 (only 1 B so far, 6 AP classes so far)</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Sports: Tennis Captain, 4 years varsity tennis, 4 years varsity swimming
Band: Vice President, 4 year member, 1st chair trumpet
Community Service: 4 years Key Club, 2 years NHS
Other: I'll be working on a Conservation Crew for four weeks over the summer in Colorado. I'm also planning on volunteering a lot in other capacities over the summer.</p>
<p>Here are SOME schools I'm interested in:
Columbia
University of Chicago
Dartmouth
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
Brown
Northwestern
University of Southern California
Colorado College
Bowdoin
Pomona</p>
<p>I want an excellent education, but I'd also like to be stimulated outside of the classroom and have a good time. I love outdoor activities and spending time in nature, but I'm also attracted to schools in big cities. Of the schools I listed, I've visited Columbia, UChicago, and Northwestern. I loved all three, Columbia and UChicago slightly more than Northwestern.</p>
<p>Here are some questions I'm grappling with:
Where should I apply? (obviously)
Where should I apply early?
Should I apply at several highly selective Ivies to increase my chances of acceptance to one, or only apply to my favorite, as a reach school?</p>
<p>Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!</p>