<p>How competitive is it to get into the college of commuunicaton at loop campus? I have applied for fall 2011 as a journalism major, and I have a 3.0 GPA unweighted, 3.5 weighted, and I have taken 18 honors, 1 AP, and 8 standard classes (math and spanish). My class rank is about 190 out of 349 (very competitive high school). I have dealt with SIGNIFICANT challenges throughout high school (terminally ill father, mentally ill mother who has been institutionalized three times, and I was in a car accident in tenth grade), so my grades do not accurately reflect my intellectual ability, and has been explained by my guidance counselor. I am also a minority (African American). For SAT, I have 1720, but I am taking the ACT saturday and on practice tests I scored a 32 (35 science, 29 reading, 29 writing, and 33 math) These are the courses I have taken at my high school (top 25 in the state high school):</p>
<p>Freshman Year:</p>
<p>Freshman English Honors
Orchestra Honors
US History 1 Honors
Algebra 1
Conceptual Physics Honors
Phys ED (semester)
Computers (semester)
Spanish 2</p>
<p>Sophmore Year:</p>
<p>Literary Studies
US History 2
Biology Honors
Geometry
Health (semester)
Phys ED (semester)
Orchestra Honors
Spanish 3</p>
<p>Junior Year:</p>
<p>American Literature Honors (Semester)
British Literature Honors (Semester)
Algebra 2
Orchestra Honors
Chemistry Honors
AP World History
Economics Honors (Semester)
Journalism Honors (Semester)</p>
<p>Senior Year:</p>
<p>Physics Honors
Orchestra Honors
Spanish 5 Honors
Precaculus
Sociology Honors (Semester)
Russsian Literature Honors (Semester)
I have two senior study periods this semester
Writing Workshop Honors (Semester)</p>
<p>Extra-Curriculars:</p>
<p>Violinist in the orchestra since 3rd grade and counting. In high school I have been part of the string orchestra, full orchestra, and the pit orchestra which is for the spring musicals</p>
<p>Copy editor for school newspaper: 10th grade</p>
<p>Contributing writer for the school newspaper (ever article I have submitted has been published last year): 11th grade and 12th grade</p>
<p>President/Creator of my high school STAND (A student anti-genocide coalition) chapter: 11th and 12th grade (I am EXTREMELY involved with this. I have had my chapter contact the White-House to campaign for Darfur, and I am in collaboration with many other STAND chapters throughout the state. I may apply for a National position soon with STAND)</p>
<p>Member of Tri-M music honor society: 11th grade</p>
<p>Volunteer work:</p>
<p>Volunteer at after-school program at an elementary school in my town: 11th grade (16 hours approximately)</p>
<p>Registration Coordinator for First Book: 11th grade, and 12th grade</p>
<p>First Book is a non-profit based in Washington D.C. that gives programs that serve low-income children such as Title 1 schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, ect, access to free or reduced-priced books. So far, I have single-handedly helped 25 schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and YMCA programs throughout the country gain access to free or reduced priced books. I especially enjoyed helping schools and programs in inner-city Boston, because I knew I was helping to increase literacy throughout my community. Last year, I had won the First Book Nationwide Registration Coordinator challange, which was for Registration coordinators to help the most programs in need gain access to free books. During November 2009, I had helped 16 programs nationwide recieve free or reduced-priced books. As a result, I had won a $250 Border's Gift Card to give to a program or school of my choice that I had helped. I had chosen a Boys and Girls Club in inner-city Boston to recieve the gift card aroung the holidays. As a result of my efforts, the director of that particular Boys and Girls Club was able to achieve her dream of starting a book club with the kids. I am not entirely sure how many hours I have volunteered for First Book. It has definitely been over 200 hours, however, I love volunteering for First Book so much, that I have stopped counting the hours long ago. I really do not care about how many hours I have volunteered, just as long as I have made a difference in people's lives. Volunteering for First Book has definitely inspired me to become a journalist, because the literacy rate and graduation rates for some areas of this country are simply shocking and I have not seen any major change so far. I believe that there still is segregation the still exists today (which is a major cause of the broken Public School Systems of America), however not literally enforced, it is figurative. i.e. Wealthy white suburbs, lower-income ethnic inner-cities. I have seen both sides of the spectrum, since my father and the rest of his entire family have grown up in inner city Boston, and have been through the awful public schools there. My father had attended an all black segregated school until he was 12 years old, and my family has exerienced an intense amount of racism throughout their lives. Many people think that racism does not exist today, however I want to tell stories as a journalist that will question society, and open people's eyes to the certain topics most do not want to hear about. I want my stories to convey a sense of "This is what is happening now. If we as a society do not pressure our lawmakers to make significant changes, then what will society be like 20, maybe 30 years from now?"</p>