<p>I’m planning on majoring in political science on the pre law track and i’m applying early action for the fall of 2011</p>
<p>Courses:</p>
<p>Junior year:
AP english language and composition
AP U. S. History
Precalculus- Honors
Spanish 4-Honors
Accounting -Honors
Physics Traditional (above regular but not honors)</p>
<p>Senior Year:
AP government and politics
discussion and debate
business law1
AP calculus AB
AP literature and composition
philosophy and ethics
constitutional law
marketing
AP spanish language</p>
<p>Extras:</p>
<p>1st in state for small business management team
worked 3 jobs for the past 3 summers
international club
spanish club
president of girls reserve club
business club
National Honors Society
political articles published in local newspaper
Work with disabled children at local center
part of a rare Mini Medical School program at hospital- teacher’s assistant for 3 years
involved in classical piano/organ (i teach now) and have won every competition since i was seven years old
1st in state for standard smooth ballroom dance</p>
<p>ACT: 31
SAT: 1820
GPA: 5.0 Weighted</p>
<p>(yes, i realize these are rather low, but … what can i do, i’m trying my best…)</p>
<p>Your ECs look very good between volunteering and clubs and hobbies, your GPA is great (I’m assuming you would be ranked at the top if not near the top of your class); however, I must say, some of your courses seem a bit iffy. Accounting? Marketing? Constitutional law? Business law? Discussion and debate? Personally, those courses might look odd on your transcript, but hey, if you have high grades in them then I guess it’s okay. </p>
<p>Your ACT isn’t too bad, but your SAT probably will not cut it. I would recommend taking either your ACT or SAT over in October and send that to NU. However, what doesn’t look quite so good is that you have no SATIIs. If you are applying early, then you must have all your tests finished by October or November if you rush deliver. So, you may have to choose one or the other. But overall, you are a decent applicant should you bring up your scores.</p>
<p>Your ACT 31 is in the middle 50% range (30-33), so it’s not awful or anything (I was a 32), but it never does hurt to have it a point or two higher. I would definitely send it, however, and not your SATs.</p>
<p>As for your “weird” courses, they seem to be fitting in quite well with what you want to do. If you’re going into pre-law, having the two law classes and a speech/debate class shows your interest and focus in a subject. It doesn’t look like it interfered with taking a pretty nice “normal” schedule with honors and APs hitting all the important stuff, so I think some of those classes will look nice. That’s just my opinion, though.</p>
<p>Also, you don’t need SAT IIs. Having good SAT IIs help, having bad ones might hurt, but not having any doesn’t impact you either way. I’m not so far off from you - early decision, good courseload, you have slightly more convincing ECs, I had a 3.9 GPA and a 32 ACT, with no SAT IIs, and I got in. I don’t know if that helps, but it does show that your stats are admissions quality.</p>
<p>If you have time, take some SAT IIs you feel comfortable in and see how you do. But you might be better off trying to bump that ACT score</p>
<p>I am largely in agreement with the above.
I would definitely shoot to improve the ACT to a 32, which could be a difference maker. If you can’t improve the SATIs, or get knock out scores on math and English SAT Subject Tests, I would only use the ACT.
Also, have you received the AP scores yet on the English and USH that you took this year?</p>