Good grades/scores, weak ECs...chance me?

Applying to College
1

<p>So I’m a white girl from Minnesota with:
36 ACT, 800 Math II, 800 US History, 2300 SAT (I may re-take or just not submit this one if it’s going to drag my scores down)
3.97 uw, taking all honors or AP classes
5s on AP Euro, Calc BC, English Lang/Comp, APUSH
but my ECs are lame:
volunteering with my church, my school volunteers club, and as a camp counselor for the past two summers with the local parks and rec program
Photography club for 2 years
JV lacrosse my sophomore year
Varsity track my junior year (and the first time I’ve ever run track)
NHS senior year
Playing piano for 9-10 years
Volunteering as an assistant teacher at a painting class this summer
…that’s it. I know that my ECs are going to hurt me, but I made the mistake as a freshman in thinking that grades were the top priority. Additional info:
I know I qualified for the Natl Merit competition, but we haven’t received any additional info on it yet.
I’m a state-level winner for the National French Exam this year.
I’m very confident in my letters of rec, and writing is my strongest subject so I should be able to scrape together a few good essays.</p>

<p>My reach schools are Duke and Pomona. I’m also going to apply to Iowa State, Gustavus Adolphus, UT Austin, Notre Dame, Northwestern (U.) and possibly UNC Chapel Hill. What are my chances of getting into the more selective schools or getting significant aid at the less selective ones?</p>

2

<p>What’s your budget like? Have you run the Net Price Calculators for Pomona and Duke? If yes, how did your parents react? (meaning, :smiley: or :eek: )</p>

3

<p>You are considering retaking the sat with a 36 act? Seriously?</p>

4

<p>I think you have a good chance of getting into some of the most selective schools out there. However the question right now is how much can you afford to pay at these selective schools? At the tippy top colleges you won’t get any merit aid. So answer “What can I afford” question first and then the answers people give you here will be much more meaningful.</p>

5

<p>mnkid12 – Since you are from Minnesota, I’m curious about how you ended choosing Gustavus over Carleton, Macalester and St Olaf? Don’t get me wrong Gustavus is a great school . . . just curious because it is on S2’s list also.</p>