Chances at Princeton?

chinaislife
Fri, 30 May 2014 08:02:19 +0000

I am currently a junior from China and had a turbulent junior year. I entered a prestigious boarding school, Phillips Academy Andover, at the start of this school year and loved it. I loaded up on the hardest classes, including AP US History, accelerated BC calculus, AP Physics C. My grades were not like they used to be, due to a combination of adjustment to a new environment and health reasons. My first trimester, I ended up with a 4.0 GPA out of a possible 6.0 (unweighted). My counselor said that as an incoming junior I had nothing to worry about and that Universities would understand. My second trimester was slightly better, but not ideal. I ended up with a 4.5, better but not up to my usual standards.

During spring break, I had a conversation with one of my sophomore year teachers. I told him about Andover, about all the fun I had and the opportunities open to me. However, as I continued, I realized the activities were not as enriching as I wanted them to be. For example, community service for the New England elite meant sharpening pencils in a nearby daycare (where Andover teachers sent their kids). I come from a farmer’s family, and most of my uncles are still in the farms in rural China battling poverty. When I was in China, I attended an international school, and there I established a microcredit lending program, Farmwell, which targeted these farmers and helped them gain economic independence by having members of the international communities extend loans directly. I thought it was selfish of me, spending 50 grand a year in the states to attend boarding school, and so therefore returned to China in order to fulfill my social responsibilities. I came back around March, and have since then worked greatly with Farmwell, establishing a website, farmwell.org, and raising more money.

Now, my grades are near perfect. Before Junior year, I had straight As. I have a 2400 for the SATS. I am editor-in-chief of an independent arts and lit magazine, and I am interning at a microcredit company this summer. Next year, I am taking Multivariable Calculus, AP Chem, AP Econ, AP Art. I never thought too much about how my move back to China would affect getting into my dream schools, but apparently not many people walk away from a school like Andover. Oh well.

Have I completely botched my chances at Princeton? Recently their director of admissions emailed me and I replied, and he followed up. We have corresponded about possible majors, etc.