Hi all,
I’m a junior, and I am in need of advice.
I am a resident of CA, 1st gen, Asian, and will be applying to colleges this fall. I have a vague idea of where I want to apply, but they are all CSUs and UCs. I’ve looked at colleges like BU and Barnard, but as soon as I saw the average GPA, my interest faded away.
I tried to take the hardest classes possible each year (I usually did well in them). This year was an exception- I enrolled in Honors Precalculus (highest offered), AP Chemistry, Honors US History, Spanish, and AP Lang. I was weak in math in 10th grade (and didn’t get the hint) so I stayed in Honors and received a C- for the 1st semester. I promptly dropped to regular math, where I now stand with an A-. For AP Chemistry, I also received a C, but I couldn’t drop out. Everything else was an A.
My current unweighted GPA stands at a precarious 3.71/4, and my counselor warned me if I got another C in AP Chemistry, it would fall to a 3.6 something and lower my admissions prospects. (A C in AP Chem for the second semester…well it looks like I’m stuck here).
Thus, the selection for my senior year schedule (if it holds any weight at all) is becoming very calculated. I planned to take AP Literature, AP Biology, AP Spanish, AP Government/Economics (semester classes), and Calculus. However, that might change.
For the sake of my GPA, should I drop AP Biology and AP Spanish in favor of AP Environmental Science and regular senior year Spanish? Or should I take a harder course load with a considerably lower GPA? (Do senior year first semester grades count at all? My counselor said my GPA from junior year was the one being sent to colleges). I enjoy both biology (thus the AP Biology choice over Physics), and I’ve learned a bit about environmental science from my internship at a lab this past summer. I’ve heard that APES is a “weak” AP, though, so I’m not sure.
I am going to take the SAT Math IIC, Chemistry (not sure), and USH subject tests soon. I have scored a 2140 on my SAT and I plan to retake it. (750CR, 670M, 720W)
I am weak in terms of extracurriculars: I have been the principal cellist of my orchestra for a year. I intend on sending in my supplement. I will probably be the principal cellist next year as well, fingers crossed. I have participated in Robotics for the past two years and I am trying out for a cabinet position. In my freshman year, I was in Science Olympiad and won state in one of the events I was competing in. I took 2nd at state for my other event. The rest of my extracurriculars are a mush- I tried FBLA and I loved it, but I didn’t go back because of the chamber music program I have been doing for three years. I tried Math Club, Science Club, Track, etc but I left as soon as I joined. My favorite extracurricular was participating in an education non profit, but I left after two years to focus on cello.
My main EC focus has been cello, but even then, I am not conservatory level material to override my terrible GPA. I’ve never competed before but I might this summer at some small regional contests.
I have gone to college summer programs and I interned at a prestigious university last summer. No plans this summer- I was completely caught up in school work and forgot to apply to some places. So I might be taking MOOCs and taking on cello gigs around the area. I was also thinking of performing for patients at nursing homes.
For my major, I have yet to choose. I love English a lot, but I don’t think my family will approve. I also have an interests in Enviromental Science, Biology, education, and possibly Music Therapy.
I would like to try my hardest one last time and maximize my college admissions prospects. I don’t care if I can’t get into a well known college because most are out of my range right now, so I’m trying to make do with what I have here and work more intelligently from there.
Thank you.