Chances for admittance at top tier school

Applying to College
1

<p>As a high school student from an impoverished community in West Virginia, I wondered what my chances are of being admitted to some of our nations prestigious universities and LACs.
While I recognize they are reaches, I plan to apply to Penn, Georgetown, Tufts, Northwestern,Whitman, Reed, and Duke
For good fits (at least admissions related) Bard, Macalester, Denison, George Washington, and probably another LAC.
And finally for safety Univ of Denver (i know a professor there who was solid teacher), SMU, and another LAC. </p>

<p>ACT: 28 (though it may improve, probably taking one last time)
CLR: 1/ 205
GPA-4.57 (weighted) 4.0(unweighted)
Extra distance academically: Summer programs at Princeton and Stanford and online courses to make up for weak class offering at my school</p>

<p>Strength of Schedule: The hardest courses available
Extracurricular: Decent sized list including Class President, Prom and homecoming committee chair, Quiz Bowl Captain, various other leadership activities, and I have shown horses on the national level for like 5 years</p>

<p>Please let me know what you think of chances and feel free to make suggestions (like saying im crazy for applying there or why not try school x or y). </p>

<p>Also try to excuse poor grammar (or lack thereof) its 4:30 AM and I just began to question the reason for me still being awake.
Thanks</p>

2

<p>Intended major/AOI? That will help with suggestions/predictions.</p>

3

<p>Your ACT doesn’t seem to fit the rest of you, so your chances may be best at schools which don’t require such test scores (does anyone have a list?). Otherwise you look like a top candidate, due mainly to 4.0 UW, classes and rank. At schools where Common Data Set C7 says that essay is very important, this may well be the deciding factor. A 700 SAT CR and 650 M should move you closer to a fit at, e.g., Reed (which doesn’t use W).</p>

4

<p>I probably will pursue a career in International Relations or Political Science, but I havent ruled out economics and English.</p>

5

<p>Are you low income and/or first generation? Were the summer programs free and competitive to get into?</p>

6

<p>I would probably qualify as low income. </p>

<p>I received scholarships for the programs and worked for the remainder of the money. The program admitted around 45% of the applicants (you be the judge of the competitiveness).</p>

<p>I’m quite certain that I would be second generation because my mother has a degree in special education (she went back to school later in life). My father,who I live with, does not have a college education.</p>