I am going into my junior year this coming year. I do not currently have any extracurriculars.
I didn’t do as well in my 10th grade year and it brought my gpa down. Got a c on my chem and algebra 2 exams but still managed a b in the class. I am going to be taking AP lang, AP bio and apush this year. Planning on becoming bio major.
If I join NHS, start doing extracirriculars, get a great sat and act score, and raise my gpa (currently 3.5 unweighted) do I have any shot at getting into these schools?
I would say it’s very difficult but you could always have a shot! It really depends if you have any hooks and on the reason u didnt do any EC’s. If you just didn’t do any EC’s bc u were lazy, it’s not going to look well, coupled with your GPA. TBH it would take a miracle based on your info
Why one of the 8 Ivies? What do those schools have that fit you so well?
No ECs?? If you don’t have hooks, good luck even if you get perfect score in every class …
I strongly suggest you expand your horizons and recognize that there are many wonderful schools out there where you can have a great 4 year experience and get where you want to go in life.
Based on the information shared in the original post starting this thread, Ivy League schools are not a realistic option for you.
Here is a list from Business Insider ranking the 610 smartest schools in America (primarily by average SAT score of matriculated students) :
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Caltech
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Univ. of Chicago
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Harvard
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Yale
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Princeton
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MIT
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Harvey Mudd
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Columbia
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Northwestern
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Stanford
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Rice
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Vanderbilt
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WashUStL
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Notre Dame
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Duke
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Pomona College
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Dartmouth College
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UPenn
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Williams College
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Amherst College
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Swarthmore College
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Johns Hopkins
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Bowdoin College
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Brown University
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Carnegie Mellon
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Tufts
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Claremont McKenna College
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Cornell University
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Northeastern University
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Carleton College
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Haverford College
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Vassar College
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Georgia Tech
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Grinnell College
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RPI
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UCal-Berkeley
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Wash & Lee
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Hamilton College
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Wellesley
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Wesleyan
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USC
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Univ. of Michigan
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Colgate
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Reed
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Cooper Union
47)Case Western Reserve -
Emory
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College of Wm. & Mary
although the lowest ranked Ivy League school, Cornell University, is ranked 28th, I do not believe that you would be a competitive applicant for any of the above listed 49 colleges & universities without substantially more than is listed in your post starting this thread.
Near impossible but if you’re legacy maybe.
I think you should give some real thought to @twoinanddone 's question about why you want those particular schools. If it is something beyond mere prestige, try giving us a list of the things you would like in a college, any geographical limitations, financial needs and letting the posters here help you come up with some realistic alternatives.
Are you looking at any specific schools? If you find a hook that fits the specified ivy perfectly, you may have a chance…
What do you do outside of school? A job or volunteer work, including helping with siblings/older relatives, can be a substitute for standard EC. Top schools want to see that you can manage your time with activities outside of school.
Hard. Don’t give up.