I will beginning my junior year of high school this year. While I plan to apply to the top ~20ish schools for premed, I’ve been feeling a little nervous.
I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA until now and feel I can expect a 3.95 or 4.0 by the time I graduate.
So far, I’ve taken (for AP):
2015
AB Calculus (4)
2016
AP US History (5)
AP Psychology (5)
AP Biology (4)
BC Calculus (3) - AB Subscore (5) <<<< (I was expecting a 4, and was really disappointed knowing how high the 5 rate is.)
Physics 1 (3) <<<< (Honestly, I’m happy about this one. While my school offers the class, we technically didn’t have a teacher. I wasn’t even expecting to pass given my circumstances, so that one doesn’t bother me.)
SAT Subject:
Bio (710)
U.S. History (650)
Yes, I will take a Math II. I plan to take it enough times to achieve a score of above at least 720.
Is it worth self-studying/brushing up on the material for BC Calc next year while I take other classes in order to improve the score, or is this just one score and I shouldn’t be concerned.
Future classes:
11th Grade (2017):
AP Stats (4-5?)
AP Chem/IB SL (4?)
IB History/AP World (5?)
AP Lit (4-5?)/IB English HL 1
12th Grade (2018) Obviously I’ll get these scores after I apply and so they won’t “matter”, but they’ll of course be on my transcript
IB English HL 2
IB French SL 2
IB Bio HL 2
IB Math HL 2
AP US Gov
As for standardized testing, I took the PSAT as a sophomore and got a 1360 (out of 1520).
As for an ACT score, let’s assume I’ll get a 32-34.
And SAT, I’m unsure where I’ll place, honestly. Is 1400 a safe bet given PSAT + actual big-time studying in the future?
As for EC’s (+Projections):
-3 years of Peer Court (80+ volunteer hours on a peer panel for juvenile offenders)
-I’ve been playing piano competitively for ~9 years now, with at least two duets, solos, and one concerto/yr in my city’s university festival competition. Hope that counts?
-2-maybe 3 years of varsity tennis
-I started the Feminism Club at my school where we do annual donation drives to the Road Home and have weekly meetings.
-4 years of staff writing for the school newspaper
-3 years of French club
-NHS?
Sob stories (because let’s be honest here, there will be an essay of how I’ve “overcome challenges” or some crap like that).
Growing up a gay teen in a conservative household in Utah? Who knows if that’s an essay that writes well.
Long story short:
-Can I hope for admission to an Ivy League or any school in the top 20?
-Should I try to retake BC calc, or will one or two low AP scores not matter much, given a good grade in the class/the rigor of my coursework?
-How do I avoid being burned alive by all of this? (And how do those perfect scoring, 16 AP-class-taking ubermenschen still breathe?)
Thank you for reading through this mess. It means a lot!