<p>Ok, so I got a 32 on the ACT, which according to the NU, that is their average and accepts 30% of people who have that score. </p>
<p>The queston comes down to am I below or above the average applicant?
What does the average applicant look like?</p>
<p>3.66UW, 4.27W. (With a 3.3UW Sophmore year), still made top 10%
11 APs on graduation, taking 5 this year
32 ACT </p>
<p>300 Hours of research by next year, would this help me alot? This isn’t like one of those research programs, just at a typical lab. </p>
<p>By next year, XC for 4 years
Orcestra all years, except this year, due to class conficts, but I am still doing the concerts.
Student Councl member at large
Chess club</p>
<p>YOu are probably above the median, but not among the strongest applicants. The UW GPA is a tad low for NU.
Have you taken any AP exams yet?</p>
<p>So ACT is acceptable.
GPA is kinda lowish, but then again it’s about the same as mine was.
Research can help a bit or a lot, depends on where and what. Grab a good rec. letter from it. Sports is pretty typical, but good. Leadership positions are ok. If you are president that is good, otherwise pretty average. Chess club probably won’t matter to them unless you do well at tournaments or something.</p>
<p>You’re pretty average for applicants. It will really be down to luck, which undergrad applications at top schools really are for most people. Apply to a lot of top schools, and you will likely get into at least one.</p>
<p>Depending on your intended major though, that research might push you into above average. I don’t know what you did, but if it was something exceptional, that will look really good if you are going into a field related to that work.</p>