Chances for top Schools - Will Chance Back!

smithrb5
Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:44:59 +0000

Hi guys,

I was wondering if y’all could chance me for the following schools:

-Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown
-Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Duke
-University of South Carolina - Honors College (I’m a resident of SC, by the way)

Intended major: Philosophy, Political Science, or Economics (still undecided on which)

Here’s the numbers and all that jazz:

I am a Junior at a public high school in rural South Carolina
Unweighted GPA: 4.0
Class Rank: 3/624
SAT Composite: 2250, taken sophomore year. (740 Reading, 750 Math, 760 Writing)
I’m taking it again in February.
I’ve taken 16 college courses at University of South Carolina Upstate since Freshman year, and made A’s in every single one. Taken AP Lit, AP Lang, and AP Cal and made 5’s on each exam. (My school doesn’t offer many APs)

Extracurricular Activities:

-Varsity Cross Country (lettered 9,10,11,12) Team Captain 11,12 All Academic team 11,12
-Varsity Track and Field ( lettered 9,10,11,12)Team Captain 11,12 All Academic team 11,12
-Eagle Scout (involved in Scouting since I was six years old, stayed with it to get Eagle)
-Lt. Governor of Carolinas District Key Club and member of District Board (11,12)
-Founder and Chairman, Spartanburg County Teenage Republicans (10,11,12)
-Class President of Junior Class, running for Student Body next year
-Founder and President, Philosophy Club (11,12)
-Started and maintained a landscaping business (10,11,12)
-Selected for Palmetto Boys State
-Selected for Junior Leadership Spartanburg
-Worked with the Republican Liberty Caucus (I am a state board member) of SC to try to legalize medicinal marijuana in South Carolina

But here’s the clincher. The fall of my junior year I was taking Government 201, a college class which I excelled in. Through an interesting turn of events, my professor and I ended up working on research together. He approached me after recognizing my aptitude, and wanted to know if I would be interested in conducting research with him. I designed the study, wrote the paper, conducted the research - everything, but my professor was there to guide me and assist with the formalities. Essentially I was doing the work that the best and brightest college seniors do - but as a high school student. I presented my research at a university symposium and got published in the annual University Research Review - the youngest person ever to do so, so that was pretty cool and colleges might look favorably upon that.

Essentially, that’s the gist of me. My essays and recommendations will be spot on. I have several of my college professors who would write great recs about me.

I’m just worried that as a middle-class white kid from the south, I won’t stand out enough for top universities. I’m not a minority, my family isn’t rich nor poor, and I haven’t done anything of national acclaim. I have, however, made the most of a limited educational environment and excelled academically despite that. If you could please chance me for those schools and provide advice as to what I need to do to increase my chances, I’d appreciate it. Promise I’ll chance back!