Indian Boy from Mississippi...Wants to get on track

Chance Me / Match Me
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<p>So, I recently became a member, and was very impressed with eveyrone who is on the site. I wanted to see if I was in-line for the colleges I want to go to. I would greatly appreciate it if at least a few people could help me (advice or constructive criticism or a “chance”)</p>

<p>*Background
State: The great Hospitality State (Mississippi)
Grade: Junior
High School: Private (leads the state in Ivy admissions)
First Gereation American born
No one in my family went to college (yay for me?)</p>

<p>*Standardized tests
SAT M–680
SAT W–730
SAT C–670
(i have only taken one, and did not know HOW to study and plan on taking more) </p>

<p>SATII Chem–680
taking Latin, Math, and History soon </p>

<p>*GPA and stuff
Held a GPA cum 4.12 (dont know weighted or unweighted)
Recently GPA UW–4.00
Held HHornor Roll since KG
Top 10% out of 100-130 (IDK, my school doesnt rank)</p>

<p>Taken 4 AP’s so far
AP Euro–5
other 3 AP havent been tested
Taking more soon </p>

<p>*EC

  1. Varsity Basketball Team–9, 11
    I was “on the Team” 10th grade for personal reasons
    Huge time commitment </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Speech and Debate
Policy Debate–3 years so far (will probably Cpt. Next year)
second runner up to state championship 2 years in a row
countless first and second place wins at tournaments
Been to NFLs: 10 and probably 11, 12
BIG time commitment </p></li>
<li><p>Mandir (Youth Leader) (Indian thing)
Probably the thing I am most passionate about</p></li>
</ol>

<p>A. Been the head coordinator for 4 years in a group with college/highschool youths.
–Program was in the developmental stages and was almost non-existent when I started. Now it is very communicative and structured. </p>

<p>B. RCT (regional core team)
influential role in planning and organizing regional/local events </p>

<p>C. Events like 150+ people Basketball tournaments, Dances, Plays, Stayovers, Sports Days, Foreign Language Seminars, etc. </p>

<p>D. Graphic Design–make all the flyers, posters, etc. consistently
Major influential role in the creation of a pictorial memior book “published” around the country (in the national organization) </p>

<p>D. Weekly activity </p>

<p>E. I love doing it </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Applying to BU’s summer internship and research program. Looking for more research opportunities</p></li>
<li><p>Been to many leadership/conference type programs in the summer: 10 and probably 11 </p></li>
<li><p>Honor Council at school (jury of peers elected by classmates…very secretive)
asked for a guillotine but did not get one. =(</p></li>
<li><p>Lots more, but too much</p></li>
</ol>

<p>*Awards and Honors

  1. maybe National Merit…dont know (not very probable)
  2. Latin Book Award
  3. Possibly the AP Physics B book award
  4. VA Hospital volunteer award
  5. National Honor Society
  6. National High School Honors society (somehting like it)
  7. Some small things, still need to find some and win 'em (joking) </p>

<p>Can’t think of anything else. </p>

<p>I like the Ivies, and have not ruled them out, but am looking at a good deal of 7-year direct medical programs. </p>

<p>My heart has a sweet spot for Columbia though</p>

<p>Could you be brutal please. (still joking)</p>

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<p>Ivies are pretty much a reach with anyone unless you’ve cured something or are very famous. </p>

<p>For medical programs, start building up activities that show you’re really passionate about the field! Go to forums, shadow local doctors, etc. Make sure senior year you’ve got enough science classes and for whatever science APs you take, score VERY HIGH on those.</p>

<p>Also start looking for scholarships now; there are a ton for juniors.</p>

<p>If you haven’t visited any of the Ivies, try to do so; make sure you also set up an alumna interview (or on campus, if you can).</p>

<p>But in all honesty, Ivies are great but if you plan on going to medical school your UG degree doesn’t matter THAT much (as in, they’ll look at you equally whether you went to Harvard or some small local college)…but wherever you end up make sure you take advantage of every single opportunity you have there.</p>

<p>Please chance back: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/827313-im-first-my-family-go-through-process-can-you-please-chance-me.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/827313-im-first-my-family-go-through-process-can-you-please-chance-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Oh also, about Columbia: of all the Ivies, Columbia has a relatively weaker undergraduate program (I looked very seriously at Columbia and its counterpart, Barnard, and decided not to apply to Columbia). If you’re looking for a strong undergraduate program where you’ll get a lot of attention and opportunities that won’t be shifted to grad schools, look at Yale, Brown, Johns Hopkins and Stanford.</p>