<p>Hey Everyone,</p>
<p>Well this is my firstime on here and I am hoping people will help me/put me in the right direction. I am a junior at Central Catholic HS class of 2013. I have been wanting to go to Denison University since last summer. This hope has been left unchanged. I want to go as a Psychology major with a Neuroscience Concentration. I plan to apply early decision. Pleace chance me and give me feedback on what is good and what is lacking. Oh and I am a male.</p>
<p>GPA and scores:</p>
<p>Right now my weighted GPA is a 3.79. My school only goes by weighted because of the academic rigor, they do not give me unweighted. My SAT scores are pending, but my psat’s were 1500. But I am planning to take in June, working hard to make it at least a 1700. I talked to the admissions directors as well as a representative for the psychology department. They said SAT scores are not required until matriculation (enrollment).</p>
<p>School Extrecurriculars:
Scituate High school Track (400) (Freshman)
Scituate High school Drama Club (Freshman)
Central Catholic High school Masque (Sophomore Drama)
Central Catholic High school Swim team (Junior)
(Central Catholic HS Ultimate Frisbee team) (Junior)</p>
<p>Out of School leadership:</p>
<p>I was the youngest student to who partook in the Central Catholic HS Best Friends, program. Best Friends allowed students of Central Catholic to visit the Children’s Institute. The Childrens’ Institute is an institution dedicated to serving those who are physically disabled or are ‘non-neurotypicals.’ I placed myself in a fairly similar setting to that of my charter school, and socialized with students- whether they were receiving muscular therapy, speech therapy, or pursuing recreational activities. Best Friends was originally intended for seniors to pursue some community service. But as of this year, I influenced the Central Catholic HS campus ministry office to open this opportunity to lower class men. (Sophomore year)</p>
<p>Youngest staff member at a charter school which caters to those on the Autistic Spectrum and those classified as Non-neurotypicals. I started as the youngest volunteer (age 14) to aid other staff members in their activities with the students. Now, at the age of 17- I am the youngest official staff member of the charter school. My job has a one-on-one approach. While many of the older staff members stay within school walls, I took a risk and with consent, gave each and every student a chance to immerse themselves in the typical social background of Neuro-typicals. The charter school originally believed students may be able to develop social tactics though software simulation like Sims. Last year I stressed to the program director that a software program would not aid the students in functioning optimally in a neuro-typical setting. As of now, each student is given a period of time with me to go out of school walls and immerse themselves in cultural events and outdoor recreational activities. (Junior year-present)</p>
<p>1 of 2 high school interns at WQED Multimedia. I have credits in two documentaries. One was about Cresson Sanatorium and how the unrealistic- moral stigma behind Tuberculosis arose in families. (Some families believed that a young individual who attained Tuberculosis was a sinner and were condemned among home neighbors.) Another was about Pittsburgh’s cultural influence. The documentary emphasized on a University of Pgh African dance class, and how it aided students in immersing themselves in African culture and history. ( Fall of Junior year)</p>
<p>Youngest staff member who caters to a 23 year old paraplegic. I do not consider this a job or service. I honestly consider this a true relationship between client and individual. He is a humorous young man who requires the help of others to function on a day to day basis. I was trained to feed, clothe and transport him via wheel chair to pursue recreational activities. I have worked with many individuals who possessed mental and physical disabilities, yet never in my life had the opportunity to work with an individual that required much help in order to function properly. Everyday this opportunity aids me in the practice of patience and tolerance. Young individuals do not know the struggle behind how these individuals live. Yet I am still continuously exposed to it. I use this opportunity to express the need for tolerance and compassion in every social setting I am in. (Junior year-present)</p>
<p>Awards:</p>
<p>Dorothy Devereaux Award (Freshman Year)- award given to freshman students every year who consistently applied their high school education to their everyday lives.</p>
<p>Central Catholic High school Service Award (Sophomore year)- award given to high school students who pursued some form of community service.</p>
<p>Employment:</p>
<p>Busser at a seafood restaurant (8th & 9th grade)
Worked for Abodex Inc. (House painting & roofing) (9th grade)
Charter School (Freshman year-present)</p>
<p>Essay:</p>
<p>I plan on writing about how starting at the charter school with a previously jaded view of non-neurotypicals drastically changed over the years, now leaving me as an individual who sees these them as astounding people who bring so much to the social spectrum of life. For example, some of the older staff members were students themselves, and I was directly taught by one member, who stressed we are all the same and compassion is key to social unity between those with physical/mental disabilities and neurotypicals. This one experience is what gave me the leadership quality to open minds of younger students become compassionate and accepting members of society. (note: all of this will be explained in more specific detail and will later emphasize why I want to study psychology with a concentration on Neuroscience at Denison U.)</p>
<p>Reccomendations:
My guidance counselor is glad to give me a positive reccomendation for Denison U. I have a good relationship with my english and religion teacher. I am positive I will recieve good reccomendations from both.</p>
<p>Extra Concerns:
You will notice my extra curriculars are quite small. But I am not worried about this because each activity was only pursued with a specific purpose. The school activities were pursued because I wanted to enjoy the social aspect of school. I did not want to become a star actor or athlete. I did it because there were merely interests. The out of school leadership activities is what I want to mainly focus on. Yes they seem short lived, but they demonstrate consistency. While others move on to other activities, I proved consistent in one aspect of service. All of my activities mainly focused on those who were mentally/physically challenged. They were time consuming and hard work. I still pursue activities like these to this day. This summer I am going to a summer camp for a week, to work with children who possess Muscular dystrophy. All of these activities gave me the necessary skills to become an accepting and compassionate member of society-regardless of differences.</p>