Great ECs, less than good GPA: what are my chances?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>A quantitative analysis of who I am. </p>

<p>GPA:
-3.2 (I just remember that our really bad guidance department still hasn’t finished updating transcripts. So I’m probably slightly higher than that. Maybe a 3.3) </p>

<p>Courseload:
-Every single Honors or AP course offered at my High School, with the exception of honors chemistry and AP Calculus. At my request, my school actually expanded its AP program to include AP US Gov. </p>

<p>PSAT:
-193 Oct. 2004</p>

<p>SAT: (CR/M/W in that order)
-750/560/730 (2040), April 06
-1310 Math and verbal composite
I plan on taking the SAT atleast one more time, hopefully scoring higher in Math. </p>

<p>AP:
-Physics
-English
-US Gov. and Politics
-United States History</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: No particular order.
-Student Council President
-French Club President
-School Board Student Member: Although nearly 1/3 of Maine school boards have a student member, I am among the most active. I am the only student member of a school board to have ever attended a Maine School Management Association Conference.
-Citizenship Education Task Force Steering Committee member (Maine State task force that deals with civic education issues. Steering committee includes fewer than 20 members. I am the only youth on the committee.)
-Legislative Youth Advisory Council (Appointed by the Maine Speaker of the House to represent youth at the state level. One of 16 members.)
-One of the foremost authorities in the nation on youth involvement in the legislative process. In August, I shall present to the National Conference of State Legislatures annual conference in Tennessee, on that issue.<br>
-On the payroll of two Maine Congressional Campaigns.
-Interned for Gov. John E. Baldacci between Soph. and Jun. years.
-Suicide Prevention Task Force Steering Committee member. (My town has among the highest rate of suicide in the country. It was featured as a cover story on the February issue of Sports Illustrated because many of the suicides have come from Football players. I am one of seven people charged with responding to this crisis. Since I joined the team, over a year ago, there has not been a single suicide.)
-Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools student Rep.
-Youngest Delegate to Democratic Party State convention in US History (I think), due in part to a new Maine Law (which LYAC (above) helped pass) which allows seventeen-year-olds to vote in primary elections and participate in state party conventions as delegates, as long as they shall be 18 by the general election.
-Founder and President of Winthrop High School Chapter of College Democrats of America.
-Democratic County Committee Member.
-Youth In Government (model Gov.): Appointed Commisioner of Economic Development. Only commisioner to pass the governors entire package through committee.
-Boys’ State (another model gov.): Elected Majority leader of the Senate. Received Scholarship.
-Washington Workshops, Congressional Seminar 2005: Elected Chair of the Education Committee in the model congress(highest elected position). Awarded ‘Citizenship Award,’ The only award given.
-Member of the Healthy Futures Board of directors: a community organization that provides health services.<br>
-Award-Winning Shakespearian Actor.
-Various other community organizations.
-300+ community service hours. </p>

<p>Other stuff to consider:
-I’ll get fantastic recommendations from my teachers, and could get other personal recommendations from prominent state an federal politicians.
-My college counselor says I am one of the best interviewees he’s ever seen.
-On the legacy front: My grandfather went to harvard, his father to tufts and harvard.
-Essay should be better than average.
-I have connections with a College Professors all over the nation, who would love to put in the good word for me.
-I will probably be taking a class at Bowdoin (argueably the best Maine School) my senior year. </p>

<p>As far as a list goes, I have only a general list that includes schools that I would like to attend. It is difficult for me to tell exactly what schools I can get into, considering a less than impressive GPA, odly imbalanced SAT scores, yet sterling extra curriculars. Here they are: (In no particular order)</p>

<p>Georgetown
Harvard
Cornell
Haverford
Carleton
Gettysburg
American
Tufts</p>

<p>I’m definatly open to suggestions on my list. It’s only preliminary, and I somewhat doubt I could get into any of those schools. </p>

<p>So, what are my chances?</p>

2

<p>Georgetown- slight reach
Harvard- super reach
Cornell- reach
Haverford- slight reach
Carleton- match?
Gettysburg- match?
American- match
Tufts- slight reach</p>

3

<p>I think that the first 3 schools on your list are very high reaches becase of your low SAT m and your low gpa. This is true even for Harvard, where you’re a legacy. The legacies I’ve seen admitted to H recently were extremely strong across the board.</p>

<p>Since you seem to love government, I think that you should consider other colleges in state capitals and near the nation’s capital: BU, GW, U Maryland, Michigan State, U Minn. all may be places where you’d have decent chances and that also have strong government programs. Make sure, however, that if $ is a factor you apply to some places that you know that you definitely can afford, and also would love attending. FSU might be a nice safety if you wouldn’t mind being in the South.</p>

4

<p>Here’s some suggestions.</p>

<p>Take off every Harvard, Georgetown, Cornell, Carleton, Tufts, Haverford. You’re not getting in with that GPA/test scores. </p>

<p>Add schools where you fit the midrange test scores and where your GPA isn’t in the bottom 10%.</p>

<p>With a 3.2, you’re not top 10%, and these schools all accept somewhere around 90% of their applicants from the top 10%. Your chances are slim to none if you have a GPA that isn’t near the top.</p>

5

<p>No offense, but lengthy text does not equate stellar ECs. It is much more effective to focus on one EC that you are truly passionate about with a few extra others than to do everything in the world in a seemingly nonchalant manner.</p>

<p>In other words, if you cut your EC list in half and choose one of them that a) is very unique and distinctive, meaning few other applicants will have done it and b) is something you genuinely enjoy and are passionate about, you will have a chance at some of the colleges you listed.</p>

<p>Improve your GPA senior year, and Harvard will be more accessible…but why exactly is it a 3.2? Bad freshman year? Do your teachers rarely give out A’s? Also, what classes generally have you done worse in…is there an upward trend? Depending on your answer to these questions, your chances for acceptance might improve.</p>

6

<p>Actually, your ECs are outstanding – school board member, legislative committees, campaigns, etc. If you also had a strong gpa, you’d have higher than average chances of getting into the top colleges that you list. Your relatively weak gpa, however, makes those colleges high reaches.</p>

<p>However, you may qualify for not only admission but also for merit aid based on leadership at some second tier colleges, so check out their requirements. You probably have decent chances at some first tier colleges, particularly those ranked #25-50. This particularly would be true with a strong first semester of senior year.</p>

7

<p>That math is gonna rape you. Get that to like 650 (700 would be amazing for you), get good grades first semester, and you’re sitting pretty though.</p>

8

<p>All I can say is that Georgetown, Harvard, and Cornell are good reaches for you to have on your list. Try finding some matches and safeties now, at this point.</p>