Can you list school matches that could be for me? BTW are my extracurriculars weak?

College Search & Lists
1

These stats are starred will my goals/plans for the next two years of High School. While, all of my regular writing is actually mine.

I’m going into the eleventh grade this year.

GPA: *3.5 UW (I have a 3.4 gpa right now)

My goal for the SAT is a *2000-2100. But, my PSAT score was a 1370.

Class Rank: Top 50%

  • 8 APs by graduation
  • Mostly honors/AP 11th and 12th

Freshman year:
Honors World History
Honors Spanish 3
Honors English 9

Sophomore year:
GT World History
Honors Spanish 4
Honors English 10

Junior year:
AP US History
AP Spanish 5
AP English 11
Honors Algebra 2
Honors Anatomy

Senior Year:
AP Psychology
AP Spanish 6
AP English 12
AP Stat
AP Physics

Volunteer hours: 75 hours from school related activities and I will be gaining at least 1000 over the next two years from volunteering at an *Animal Shelter, *Homeless Shelter, and *Summer internship at a hospital (11-12). I’ll also be associating with smaller organizations, but I will be dropping them in my essay instead of on my extracurricular list.

Extracurriculars: Piano (9-12) (I taught myself piano when I was in the sixth grade), Babysitting job (10), *Waitress (11-12), Peer Tutor (9-11), *Member of Key Club (11-12) (Plan on running for a leadership position), *Want to start Red Cross Club (11-12), *Member of National Honor Society (11-12) (Only meets once a month), *Member of Class of 2017 (11-12), *Gymnastics or Competitive Horseback riding (11-12), *Member of Poetry Club (12) or *Member of Creative Writing Club (12)

I’ve also been writing a stories for the few years, but didn’t know if I should list them unless they were published or awarded. I’ve writing since I was in the eighth grade. What do you think?

Major Awards: Academic honor roll each quarter (9-10)

Ethnicity: African American
Gender: Female

I’ll also be applying for scholarships during my senior year, so feel free to suggest scholarships that I should apply for.

2

I plan on running for leadership positions for all of the clubs that I take interest in during the next two years.

3

Schools that I’m interested in:

The George Washington University
Howard University
University of Miami
Emory University
Johns Hopkins University
University of Maryland- College Park
Boston University
Northeastern University
Fordham University
New York University
Duke University
University of North Carolina
Wake Forest University
Ohio State University
University of Pittsburgh
University of Virginia

Can you tell me which ones are matches, reaches, and safeties?

4

I’m not familiar with every school on your list (though I do know that Duke will be a big reach for you) but if you are really interested in finding this information you can google “School Name Common Data Set”

So, for example, if you googled George Washington University common data set, you would see that 86% of admitted freshmen were in the top quarter of their graduating class, and 99% were in the top half. You would also see the 25th and 75th percentile scores for SATs, ACTs, and much more useful info!

You should take the time to research where you stand at all of the schools on your list (here’s a helpful link: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/76444-links-to-the-common-data-sets-posted-by-colleges-p33.html)

Also, it’s really hard to predict what schools will be matches for you when you have just provided abstract ‘planned’ extracurriculars, scores, GPA, etc. I would advise you to work really hard Junior year, and then reevaluate what schools are realistic for you. Good luck!

5

Reaches: University of Virginia
Wake Forest
University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill?)
Duke University
New York University
Johns Hopkins University
Emory University

Matches: Pitt
University of Maryland

Safeties: Howard

The matches and safety schools I am not too familiar with. Google their common data set and see the average admitted GPA. If you’re at the average, then match. If you’re lower, then reach. If your GPA is much higher than the average then safety.

Howard you might get great scholarships if you do well on the SAT.
Also U of Alabama might give you a full ride if you do well on the SAT.

The main problem is that you’re in the top 50% of your class. Most of the schools that I listed as reaches have an overwhelming majority of their students be in the top 10% of their class, with extremely few people in even the top 30%.

Your main focus should be to get your grades and class rank up.
If getting a 4.0 junior year means dropping your EC’s, then drop them. GPA (and rigorous courseload which you have) is by far the most important factor in college admissions. 1000 hours of volunteer won’t help at all if you don’t get strong grades junior year. I just want to make sure that you have your priorities straight.
Do EC’s if you think you can juggle schoolwork and volunteering at the same time while not sacrificing your grades.