Chances for an Unusual Case - ED UPenn,HYP,UChicago,etc.

Zester · July 31, 2008, 3:05am

Before I begin, I just want to make this clear that I’m quite an unusual applicant.
I came to the US in 2006 from Australia. My Freshman grades were not transfered properly (they should all be As) and my second semester of freshmen year was not transfered, so I am 3 credits shorter than everyone else in my class.

Information:

Eth: Russian Australian
Citizenship: Russian, Australian, New Zealand
Sex: Male
State: WA
Grad Year: 2009
Major: Political Science or Psychology (probably double with chemistry minor) Then I want to go to Law School.
School: Very Competitive, ~# 30 in Newsweek.
Course Load: I’m guessing most rigorous - been taking all Honors, and will have 8 APs by graduation.
Grading System: A = 90%-100%, B=80%-89%, C=70%-79% etc.
Based on a 4.0 scale.
APs and Honors are out of a 5.0 scale,

Frosh GPA: 3.44
English 9 - B
Phys Ed - B
Team Sports - A
Math - B
Science - A
Geography - A
Wood Tech - B
Visual Basic - B
Japanese 1 - A

Soph GPA: 4.0/4.0
Honors Sophomore English - A/A
Speech - A
Web Publishing - A
Weight Training - A/A
Honors Algebra/Trig 3 - A/A
Chemistry - A/A
World History - A/A
Japanese 2 - A/A

Junior GPA: 4.0/4.0
AP Lang - A/A
Honors Precalc - A/A
AP Chemistry - A/A
Physics - A/A
AP US History - A/A
Marketing/Business - A/A
Japanese 3 - A/A

Senior Year
AP Lit
AP Bio
AP Gov
AP Psych
AP Calc AB
Japanese 4
Some Art Class/Open Period.

Current GPA = 3.866 UW, Weighted I don’t know.

GPA Summary:

My Freshmen year is the problem since my Australian grade format was not GPA based. Rather, a B = 6 months ahead of the class, and my Australian teachers said that it would be equivalent to an American A, but my school registrar doesn’t want to transfer it, so I’m stuck with these grades that don’t reflect the truth.

Rank:

My school submits rank. I’m currently 51/354, but that is because I am short of the credits than everyone else (by 3 from Freshmen 2nd Semester), and the GPA which wasn’t transfered correctly. Does anyone think that colleges will take this into consideration, especially UPenn since I’m EDing there.

AP’s (Total of 8):

<ul>
<li>US History (5)</li>
<li>Chemistry (4)</li>
<li>English Language and Composition (5)</li>
<li>Biology (next year) Expecting a 4/5</li>
<li>English Literature (next year) Expecting a 5</li>
<li>Psychology (next year) Expecting a 5</li>
<li>Calculus AB (next year) Expecting a 4</li>
<li>Government (next year) Expecting a 5</li>
</ul>

Scores:

SAT: M - 630; CR - 630; W - 630; T - 1890 (1260) * This was my first sitting. I will retake it again in October, hoping to break 2000.
SAT IIs: Chem – 760; US History – 770; Literature - 650 (didn’t study ><)

Is Math II recommended? Since almost everyone has it x.x

Recs:
Counselor - Not expecting one, unless it’s required. She sabotaged my classes and grades, so I tried reporting her to the super intendant, now shes very ambivalent towards me >_>
Teachers - I’ll be asking from 3 teachers. My APUSH teacher was amazing. Because I ran for ASB and Class Office, she promised me a phenominal one. My AP Lang teacher knows me really well and so I’ll have him write one too. And my AP Chem class was taught through team teaching, so 2 of my teachers will write one togther!
Supplemental - Either the 3rd Rec letter, or one from Youth Court.
My Essays - Hoping they’ll be good. Writing about my time on Youth Court and how it has changed me.

EC’s:

Key Club

10th Grade to Present
Got a bunch of hours from them.

Debate

10th Grade - Present.
Broke into JV last year.
Won a plaque for 6/6 at a round.

Student Senate

Elected 11th & 12th.
Passed various bills to improve the school.
Also allowed me to be part of the ASB budget committee.

DECA

Member 11th Grade -Present.
DECA Treasurer.
Hoping to get to at least regionals this year.

Junior Statesmen of America

11th Grade - Present
Almost like Debate to me :D

Bridge Across Borders

10th Grade - Present
Pretty much a foreign language club where we promote cultures and have potlucks, parties, information nights, and let new students get integrated into the community.
10th-11th Grade Activities Co-coordinator.

Youth Court

2007-2008 (It was founded in 2007 with me on it)
On the Action Team that oversees the whole thing.
I’ll be writing a college essay on this.
I’ve been a Judge, Advocate, Jury, etc.
I really love doing this, especially to give back to the community, it’s good community service, and I used it to meet real Judges, get internships, go to law conferences etc.

Youth Link

2007 - 2008
Pretty much the main organization with branch groups from it, like Youth Court.

National Honor Society

2008-2009

Track and Field.

10th Grade - Present.
100M Sprint, 100M Hurdles.
Junior Varsity.

Community Service

~ 300+ hrs by the time I graduate
24 Hour Relay, Key Club, Youth Court, Youth Link, etc.

Leadership Summary:

<ul>
<li>Current: DECA Treasurer, Student Senator, Bridge Across Borders Activities coordinator, Youth Court Action Team</li>
<li>Next Year: Same as above. , </li>
</ul>

Honors, Recognitions, Awards

-Japanese Speaking Competition Award from Australia (9th Grade)

<ul>
<li>Academic Award 9th Grade (Australia)</li>
<li>Certificate of Business Operations (for McDonalds)</li>
<li>Honor Roll 2006- Present (GPA over 3.5)</li>
<li>Leadership Academy 2008 Certificate ( Local Community)</li>
</ul>

Work Experience

1 year working at McDonalds as a crew member, about 30 hours a week during school, 42 hours a week during summer. (Had to do it to support my family). This was back in Australia.

Possible Hooks: 1st Generation Immigrant (Cliche, but hey, AUSTRALIAN!), Low Income ( <40k), Victim of Domestic Violence and Alcohol Abuse, under the VAWA provision. (I think I might write another college essay on this, tell me if maybe I shouldn’t)

As I said before, I’m not very typical, so it may be hard to answer this because my ranking and GPA isn’t correct.
Rather, can you tell me whether colleges would understand, and then chance me?
Oh, and also, with recognitions and award, where do you even put that on college apps?

The Schools.

<ul>
<li>UPenn ED</li>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>Columbia</li>
<li>Duke</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>University of Washington, Seattle (probably honors).</li>
<li>McGill</li>
<li>UToronto</li>
<li>MelbourneU</li>
<li>Georgetown</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Claremont McKenna</li>
</ul>

Thanks You So Much :D

llpitch · July 31, 2008, 4:25am

<ul>
<li>UPenn ED</li>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>Columbia</li>
<li>Duke</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Georgetown</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Claremont McKenna</li>
<li>McGill</li>
</ul>

You’re not getting into any of these without a higher SAT score. STUDY YOUR *** off these next couple months.

Victim of Domestic Violence and Alcohol Abuse, under the VAWA provision. (I think I might write another college essay on this, tell me if maybe I shouldn’t)

Don’t write about this if you’re gonna write a sob story and expect the adcoms to feel sorry for you. If you write about it, write about how you overcame it to where you are today or something along those lines.

u_ername · July 31, 2008, 5:20am

Mcgill should be easy… then again i’m in canada so what do i know

Zester · July 31, 2008, 2:31pm

McGill was is like a Canadian top school, but I heard that too xD

And yes, I’m going to study to get a higher SAT score. That was my first time. But the again, I also realize that most CCers have SAT scores 2000, and still don’t get into Ivys. Essay essay essay for me I guess x.x

Anything more?

Zester · August 1, 2008, 2:22am

Bump that ass :D

repzolow · August 1, 2008, 2:29am

Victim of Domestic Violence and Alcohol Abuse, under the VAWA provision. (I think I might write another college essay on this, tell me if maybe I shouldn’t)

Yes write about it only if you’re genuine about it, but don’t use a pity/sad tone. Make it inspirational.

shore · August 1, 2008, 6:27am

I like you came from an Australian school where I got 1 B and 1 C when in America it’d probably be an A and a B respectively. But I guess we just gotta roll with the punches and hope for the best, no point complaining, aye?

With you being an international everything gets much harder. Just like me but once again, no point complaining.

Your rank and grade are fine. Two straight 4.0 years at a top 30 school is pretty impressive. And your ECs look relatively centred on law/speaking etc so I’d say you’re looking okay there as well.

How as your college counselor sabotaged you? Why would he or she?

But overall you’re a solid to good candidate so depends on essay, rec letters and interview (slightly) and the rest is just luck.

Zester · August 1, 2008, 8:06pm

^
Oh, I’m not applying international. I already have a pending I-130, and greencards take forever to process. VAWA helped out, so I’m applying as an American student.

And yes, freaking Australian grades. But, I think you and I will be okay since a) most colleges don’t look at freshmen grades and b) we still need the Australian schools to send in their transcripts, so just ask them to vouch that an Australian B = American A (my old teachers did).

My councilor hates me since I complained to the superintendent, and they thought it was totally disrespectful etc etc, and then the registrar wouldn’t speak to me for a while - but now it’s okay again I guess, time heals all wounds. I hope that she won’t put that on her recommendation, or make me look bad or something ><

And yay, thanks Shore, you made me feel better now.
I’m pretty much hoping that my essay and recs will be amazing, plus I’ve been keeping in contact with my regional admissions officer so yay, maybe that’ll make me look better in Fall.

Chances for an Unusual Case - ED UPenn,HYP,UChicago,etc.

CONNECT WITH US