Is Northwestern a match for me?

Colleges & Universities Northwestern University
1

<p>-GA resident, male
-Ethnicity:mixed Hispanic (Spanish) and Asian (Filipino)
-UW GPA: 3.94ish
-Weighted GPA: 4.14
-school doesn’t rank, but I got an award for being the junior with the highest weighted GPA, meaning I’m a would-be valedictorian.</p>

<p>SAT I’s (I’m retaking this October or November. I will aim for getting as close to perfect as possible.)</p>

<p>Math: 800
CR: 730
Writing:710</p>

<p>SAT II’s (should I take some more, I’m also applying to 6/8 of the Ivies, Stanford, and MIT as well)
Math II: 800
Chem: 720
U.S. History: 710</p>

<p>AP scores:
US Gov and Politics: 5
APUSH: 5
AP Chem: 5
AP Eng. Lang: 5</p>

<p>Senior Load

  1. AP Calculus BC
  2. AP Statistics (is it true stats is not really math, but is more like reading?)
  3. AP Biology
  4. AP Physics C
  5. AP Literature
  6. Economics (I wish my school offered AP.)</p>

<p>-school doesn’t offer honors classes, but mentions “due to the rigorous curriculum of the school, no classes are designated as honors” in school description.</p>

<p>My only B’s have been graphic design freshman year, AP Gov last year(will a 5 on the exam atone for this), and a mandatory composition class at our school this summer? I got straight A’s junior year.</p>

<p>-will mention Math, Economics, and Chemistry respectively as my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice majors. I want to be an investment banker or hedge fund manager when I grow up.</p>

<p>EC’s:</p>

<p>Boy Scouts
-Eagle Scout (just did my board of review). My project was building benches, pressure-washing old ones, and putting sealant.
-Senior Patrol Leader during 10th grade, Patrol Leader during 9th
-broke a national record for hiking. I hiked the Bartram Trail (100 miles/5 days, has a lot of elevation): honored by Governor Sonny Purdue and national head of boy scouts for this feat
-LOTS of community service projects
-raised money for inner-city kids to buy scout uniforms
-Philmont Summer 2010</p>

<p>Tennis (all 4 years)
-private lesons
-varsity tennis</p>

<p>Academic Quiz Bowl team (10-12)</p>

<p>I founded and am president of our school’s food critic club. We go to restaurants about once a month and write critiques about them, which are published in the school newspaper. I’m trying to see if we can get published in the Zagat Survey.</p>

<p>Trumpet
-private lessons
-Superior Rating (9,10,11) at Solo Ensemble Festival
-Community Jazz Band (9-12)
-GISA all-select band member (11th grade) (top band members of private schools in GA)
-played for church on Sundays
-invited to play at school’s open house 10th grade</p>

<p>Piano
-lessons
-invited to play at several concerts</p>

<p>Young Republicans (should i say this? i know prestigious colleges are very liberal?)
-Vice President in club
-Raised money every year for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (don’t know exact amount, club’s teacher sponsor can tell us).
-campaigned for McCain for president, and Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson for U.S. Senate</p>

<p>Duke TIP summer program (summers after 9th and 10th grade, I respectively studied macroecon. and robotics)</p>

<p>Academic Awards:
-Georgia Certificate of Merit
-Phi Beta Kappa Award (given to Junior with the highest weighted GPA in class)</p>

<p>Hobbies:
-food-trying at restaurants (and even cooking some by myself)
-camping/backpacking</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
I also volunteer at the library during the summer.
-I’m almost certain my PSAT score will qualify me for semifinalist standing in the NMS search. I didn’t fill out Hispanic in the ethnicity section, so I wont get National Hispanic Recognition Program Honors.</p>

<p>Recommendations: I know several teachers at my school who like me and will probably write well about me.
Essay: 1) talk about perseverance, about how I thought I could accomplish anything after my national record hike (would this sound too trite?)
2) talk about how certain adversity in a trumpet competition didn’t kill my trumpet passions.</p>

2

<p>I personally would view you as a very strong candidate. Obviously your academics are very strong - I don’t know that you need to “make up” for a B in a class when it is only one of 3 next to a majority As, and a 3.94 UW GPA. My school has a similar setup with no honors…ours listed on my transcript something like, “all non-AP classes are considered honors.” I don’t think that’s a problem. Taking 5 AP classes will make up for that one non-AP, I promise. ;)</p>

<p>Also, don’t be afraid to mention something like Young Republicans in a resume, especially since you held an office. I doubt in a school as varied in its student body would actually turn you down because you mentioned this. That would be very silly of them.</p>

<p>I really think NU would eat you up. Your academics, your test scores, your ECs are in the “good” to “great” territory. I actually think you’re honestly worrying too much when it comes to NU. =P</p>

3

<p>I agree, you appear to be a strong candidate! I had similar grades and a lot of leadership like you and am going to NU this fall. I’d imagine coming from Georgia wouldn’t hurt as well, since they take a lot of midwestern kids.</p>

4

<p>Well, considering we all know you are probably going to get into NU. I want to address your other schools. Since you said “match” for Northwestern, I am guessing you’ll be going for some big ones too like HYPSM. </p>

<p>Well, I’ll be honest, you are below average to average candidate for those schools. And those are some slim to horrible chances. Unless you really drive in the hispanic thing, you will most likely get rejected across the board except for maybe some of the lower ivies (considering your school is legitimate). Its not that you are “under-qualified,” it’s just your bland/commonplace application for these schools. I’ve literally read hundreds if not thousands of applications just like yours. After going through the college application process, my advice: Do something unique/amazing/incredible if you are not going to drive the race issue. </p>

<p>I’m sorry I don’t mean to be arrogant or a jerk. I’m just trying to fill you in on my perspective after going through the same process you are going through right now.</p>

5

<p>^^Agreed. I think you said it perfectly. Basically it’s not that you’re not strong, it’s just that there are so many people with as incredible resumes as yours, you just need something to set you apart from the,.</p>

6

<p>I totally agree with InvisibleMan. It’s not something to feel bad about. College apps are so competitive that I saw some amazing kids get turned down from big schools. A kid I knew who had a great job, great GPA, great honors, and got a perfect SAT AND ACT was rejected from Stanford, waitlisted at Harvard. I mean, what the heck?! He’s going to Princeton, but if he can get rejected, I think anyone can. I saw National Merit Finalists with good scores and GPAs get waitlisted at all of their schools. </p>

<p>If you get rejected or waitlisted at these schools, don’t let it get to you. Like others have said, you’re probably an average or slightly below average applicant for these schools…and even excellent applicants are having trouble getting in.</p>

7

<p>Don’t be fooled by the high percent admit rate… Like I’ve said on otter posts : today, no one is a shoe in. There are tons of people just like you. Coming to nu and other top schools is refreshing and challenging-- studying with people who are as smart or smarter than you. </p>

<p>If you’re good at statistics just look at it this way: with the majority of the schools yore applying to having such low admit rates you should apply broadly to increase your chances but don’t miss out on proving why you’d be a good fit for that particular school. Do your research and have that come out on your app. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

8

<p>I would include trumpet/piano and tennis in your hobbies. I’m also a senior about to apply so iono too much about NU’s criteria. I think your ethnicity will be some help though (and I am doomed as an Asian male…) since from what I’ve read, colleges like their diversity a lot.</p>