How to spice up my application???

anothergalaxy
Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:31:54 +0000

PLEASE READ AND RESPOND! I NEED YOUR HELP!

Hello all, here are my stats. I’m looking for ways to help build up my profile when colleges look at my folder. Please contribute all that you can and help me think of things that I can do from today (march of junior yr) until application time to make me a more competitive candidate.

Prospective Schools: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, USC, UCLA, Stanford University, Ivy Leagues, (HYPMS)
IS it appropriate to call UC Davis a safety? :/

Demos:

-Afghan-American [Asian >:(] female
-1st-gen college, but brother attended UCB
-California resident

Secondary School Record:

-All A’s/A+s except for a B sophomore year in Eng 2 Pre-AP first semester and a B junior year first semester in AP Eng Lang/Comp (expected A’s for the rest of my HS career)
-Freshman Year: All CP classes because I moved to the city a few days before school started, and the advanced classes were all filled up (it was an IB school). I had to attend an after school class to have Geometry “pre-IB” to be put on my transcript.
-Frosh: Spanish 1, Speech and Debate 1, PE, Geometry Pre-IB, Biology, English 1
*Summer: PE
-Soph: Spanish 2, Graphic Design (<3), Alg 2 Pre-AP, Chemistry Honors, English 2 Pre-AP, AP World History
*Summer: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING -____- Not even a vacation my mom was too busy at home; farthest I went was 20 miles away to a birthday party…couldn’t build houses to Nicaragua like other applicants
-Junior: Spanish 3 Pre-AP, Yearbook Design, Pre-Cal Honors, AP Chem, AP Eng Lang, AP US History
*Summer: (Prospected) internship @ town newspaper/graphic design or technology field + Physics class
-Senior: (prospected) AP Spanish Lang, Adv. Graphic Design, Speech and Debate II, AP Eng Lit/Comp, AP Calculus A/B, AP US Gov/Pol
-MY school is new, so junior yr/soph yr, I took the most advanced classes offered
-class rank: 7/354 (top 1.9%)
-10-12 GPA- W:4.35 UW:3.88 (So far; I’m a junior in spring semester)

AP Tests:

-World History: 3 [D:] Totally expected a 5 after the test…that’s what pride does to you
-(will take): Chem (not looking like a 5), Eng Lang(not looking like a 5), USH, Spanish Lang, Calc AB, USGOV/POL

Standardized Testing:

No ACT
SAT I: taking in May, but got a 2050 on the practice one [12 on essay x), CR lowest], actual test may be near or above that
SAT II: Most likely will take Math I/II, USH, Chem, Span Lang

ECs:

-worked at learning center (paid) -gained a whole bunch of professional and personal skills
-volunteer for Athletic Booster Club and help fundraise at events
-community service soon at local women’s and children’s shelter (tutoring)
-tutoring (non-paid)
-clubs: (no officer positions; at my school, they’re only popularity contests) California Scholarship Federation, Jaguar Philanthropy Around the World, Key Club, Kimball University ( a club), Jaguar Joules
-Section editor for YrBk (really involved) + involved myself in becoming an editor (1st years usually don’t become editors)
-Graphic Design on my own for 6 years (I LOVE IT) (hook?)
-familiar with HTML/CSS coding
-Photography
–joining Muslim Student Association and Mock Trial senior year

Recognition:

-Surrealist digital art made it to district art show
-I know it doesn’t count, but finalist/winner (they didn’t notify…haha)? in District Math Contest in 6th grade
-nominated for Jr National Young Leader Conference, enrolled, but my mom refunded because she was worried of me traveling as an unaccompanied minor
-100% on every test in Alg 2 Pre-AP
-beat spanish speakers at their own game (haha); my Argentinian teacher: “You even speak faster than I do!”; classmate: “Are you sure you don’t have any Latino blood in you?”
-KHS Ambassador (a few at our school selected based on leadership ability)
-was chosen to give tours of our new campus to honorary people in our community (including mayor, etc.)
-Academic Block T frosh year, and Academic Block K’s soph and junior yr
-nominated for homecoming queen?
-100% on both sections of the CA HS Exit Exam (1 out of 2 at our school)
-Designed PTSA T-shirt and CSF T-shirt

MISC:

-great debater (swayed whole class’ opinion in an apush presentation)
-helped Leadership class with several projects
-fluent in Spanish and Farsi/Dari
-interested in law/engineering/comp sci/graphic design/humanities
-Exceptional skills in math, spanish, graphic design

Recs:

-all will probably be amazing

Reasons why I can’t be as involved as I want to be:

-barely any advanced classes frosh because of moving around trying to find an affordable house to rent
-dad past away in 2002 from an aneurysm
-single mom who has to take care of my sister who has a recessive disorder (requires 10+ hours of care a day)
-can’t drive because of birth certificate and transportation issues + my mom can’t transport me anywhere because of my 22 yr old sister at home
-my mom’s schedule doesn’t allow me to do everything I desire to do
-the new school only offers so many ap courses (i wish they had compsci)
-wish there would be more periods in our schedule, but budget doesn’t allow that

AND YEAH. Thanks for reading, please provide insight! =)