Hey guys! I was wondering if I could get a gauge on my application- please feel free to critique my stats or extracurriculars! I am looking for constructive criticism to improve myself as a college applicant.
Basic Information
Female, incoming senior
Ethnicity: Asian American
ACT: 33 (taking this again in September, confident that I can get a 34+)
APS: World History: 4, APLang: 5, APUSH: 5
SAT II: lol my subject tests SUCK so might not submit those… (planning on retaking them in oct)
GPA: 4.0 and top 10% decile (my school doesn’t do rank)
Classes I am taking senior year: AP BC calc, AP Spanish, AP Environmental Science, AP Studio Art, AP Lit, AP macro, Science Research
Extracurriculars:
Clubs
Speech and Debate (President)
TEDx (Lead Organizer/ founder)
STEM Outreach (Vice President)- planning out fun scientific experiments for elementary school students
UNICEF (Fundraising Chair/ Treasurer)
Science Olympiad (member)
Awards:
4th place Experimental Design- Science Olympiad Invitationals (2019)
5th place Experimental Design- Science Olympiad Regionals at college (2019)
NYSSMA Level 4 Piano- 26/27
NYSSMA Level 6 Piano- 95/100
1st place Lincoln Douglas Debate ***** High School (2018)
1st place Lincoln Douglas Debate **** High School (2018)
Studio Art Award (2016)
May Month of Art Award (2017)
Silver Key for Illustration- Scholastics Art and Writing (2019)
District Central Office Art Exhibit- (2014, 2019)
Statewide Art competition- Olympics of the Visual Arts- 3rd place Architecture (2019)
Honorable mention- National Spanish Exam, (2017, 2019)
3rd Place Foreign Language Poster Contest (2015)
English Award (2016)
Student Leader Award (2019)
RIT Innovation and Creativity Award + $32,000 scholarship to RIT (2019)
Sports
JV and V Tennis (2017- 2019)
Track and Field - (2018)
Volunteering
Art Explorers- 8 hours, (2017, 2019)
Art Summer Camp 30 hours, (2017-2019)
local Art Center Summer Camp- 63 hours, (2018)
Local Church Volunteering for Sunday School- every other week (2017- present)
Peer Tutoring- Geometry- (2017-2018)
Volunteer for a coding summer camp at a local library 8 hours, (2017)
Picasso Jr- created and taught a 5-week art summer camp for the 3rd-5th grade at local library 20 Hours, (2018)
Jobs
Panera Bread (2018- present)
Other
Selected to participate in free SAGE photography masterclass, Sage College (2018)
Organized UNICEF Art Show- Charity Art Exhibition, raised 1.2K (2019)
Hosted “Planning Impactful Fundraisers” workshop at UNICEF UNITE 2019 Washington DC Summit
Lead organizer of a TEDx event and founder of the club at my school (2019)
Speaker at above TEDx event (2019)
Student Representative at Board of Education/ Town Board Meetings (Student Rep. Committee)
Poem and Artwork published in Visions Magazine- Art and Literature, 2017, 2019
National Art Honor Society, 11th- 12th grade
Commissioned to Photograph the Senior Art Show- (2019)
Published Scientific conference paper+ attending the conference in California in August to present my work (I don’t want to give the title because if you look it up you can see my name, but I am the first author of this paper. My research is about 3D printing a mouse model for CT imaging using different hypothetical mixtures of chemicals and alcohols to emulate mouse tissue) (2019) I am also currently working on turning this conference paper into a journal article and getting published into a respectable scientific journal.
Not sure how much this counts but photography has been one of my biggest hobbies, I run a consistent photography instagram. I created my own business from this hobby and donate a percentage of the proceeds to UNICEF. I also have my own website showcasing my photography portfolio including the prices I charge for a photoshoot. I am also currently working on advancing this “business”.
also currently working on a volunteering program in my neighborhood where a group of my friends and I help members in our neighborhood with outside chores such as weeding, watering plants, walking dogs, and house sitting for free.
More information:
I am also planning on submitting an art portfolio. If you message me, I can give you some examples of my artwork, but I think that I objectively pretty decent at art.
My mom wants me to raise my scores, but I am a horrible standardized test taker. Any advice would be appreciated- I think one of the reasons I am so bad at test taking is nerves.
my SAT II tests suck but I’m not sure if I should even submit or retake.
I am a pretty good writing and have already written 6 drafts of my common app essay.
Confident that my recommendation letters will be amazing.
As for interviews + short answers: I like to think I have an interesting personality… I want to make my essays clever and compelling but that’s easier said than done, isn’t it?
**I have not included any information that would allow anyone to find my name/ location.
Thank you guys so much for reading + any potential advice!
IMO, you look like a great applicant. I would focus on writing some great essays, have a good mix of reach, match and safety colleges and try to enjoy your senior year! Well done.
I think you look great. Looks like with the RIT award and SUNYs available to you, your safety list is solid. So pick some schools that you really like and see how it goes. You are clearly from a tough geographical area when it comes to selective colleges, so you might want to branch out a bit out of the usual suspects.
Is cost an issue? Will you need scholarships or financial aid, and if so, have you checked out if you are eligibl?
Cost isn’t a huge issue especially if I get into a top 5 school haha- my parents would be very willing to help pay. However, we definitely would benefit from financial aid, as I also have a sibling going to college so essentially my parents would have to pay double. Any recommendations for scholarships I can apply to? Thanks!!
Since it is highly unlikely that you get into a top 5 school, what are your parents willing to pay for college? Is it s sliding scale depending on which school?
To which schools are you interested in applying? You can see where you stand, given their requirements and recommendations. If you have terrible SAT2s, applying to a school that requires or recommend you submit those scores is not a good idea.
Look at Naviance for your school and it will give you an idea what schools are within striking range.
You’ve left it as a bit of a mystery as to where you intend to apply. For colleges that might match your profile and interests, look into Barnard, Vassar, Skidmore, Hamilton, Williams, Connecticut College, Kenyon, Scripps.
Well, you are a strong candidate ec wise for ivies and t20 (HYPSM too but that’s a crapshoot) because you have science AND art under your belt. However, I have two concerns. First, you’re test scores and course rigor aren’t as high as most students applying. Even if your school only let you take AP’s as an upperclassmen, most top schools would expect someone to take classes online or at a local community college. I’m afraid if you don’t show a solid dedication to academics anywhere (super high GPA, higher ACT score, or college classes) then colleges might dismiss you because their first concern is whether a student will be successful at their school. That being said many people with your scores do get into t20 schools and your ec’s surpass many others. My second concern is you fitting everything into a common application. Listing it here took a LONG time to read, and it really sold you as a student… you can’t do that on the common app. I am also a rising senior and I always thought I wasn’t doing enough… soon I realized that 10 activities is the max and there is a 150 character limit. You might want to consider this: I was listening to a podcast and a former admissions officer said she spent most of her time on the transcript then spent 1-2 min skimming ec’s. Exaggerated in my opinion, but you have to sell your passions and who you are through ec’s. If you allocate like this: art (2), science (2), sports (2), piano, tedx, UNICEF, and debate, that’s it. Even then, your passion for art doesn’t come through well. However, if you submit a resume that will help because the act of just reading through your awards should be enough to impress officers. IDK if this is actually a concern (you could use the resume, extra info section, etc. to show these qualifications), but its something to keep in mind.
If your GPA is unweighted with a 33/34 Act with all the ecs that make you a very interesting person. Your essay will be the final piece. Have safeties and several schools that are affordable you would like to attend. I think you are a strong candidate for just about any school. But have schools that you like that are slam dunks also. Every year it’s getting more competitive out there.
@tchit87 , Sorry, but you are not giving correct info. Most top schools expect a student to take the most rigorous classes available to them at their school. If her school doesn’t allow sophomores to take AP, as some don’t, then her courses are rigorous. They do NOT expect students to be dual enrolled or take classes online. Online classes are by and large useless to a student enrolled in a regular high school. They expect students to get high grades in the classes they do at school. Grades are king.
It is true that you should prioritize your most important ECs, but if there is not room for another important EC, you can put that in the Additional information section. You have a lot of volunteer hours. You might want to list volunteering as an activity, then “bullet-point” those groups: Volunteering. 150 hours annual. Art camp, Picasso camp, Geometry, Church…
You’re being coy OP about where you want to go to college, but I’m guessing you are aiming very high. Be aware that there will be students with perfect everything who won’t get into HYPSM. Make sure your list includes several matches and safeties that you like and can afford. Beyond that, you seem like a solid candidate. Good luck.
Top 5 is usually HPYSM. Lottery tickets to most all. Even Kushner’s dad hedged his bets when he donated that $25mil to Harvard with a Cornell donation as well.
The question is whether parents will pay as much for Hartwick as they would for Harvard.
You look like a great applicant - good test scores and ec’s. What sets you apart from other applicants is that you have done published research, which many colleges will like.
