Hello,
I’m new to CollegeConfidential, a rising senior, and in dire need of a “chance-me” for Brown University. In preparing for an upcoming trip to Washington, DC, some idea of where to visit seems a prerequisite.
My parents have never stressed emphasis on where to go to college, though I’ve noticed students around me preparing as early as the fourth-grade. Everyone has their own path.
I guess I should tell you a bit more (please inform me where more detail would be beneficial).
I go to a high school ranked among the top twenty-five in the country, and considered first in its state (as a side note, in my opinion, this is misleading. In short, most teachers here seem unenthused. My guess is that the SSAT, essays, and recommendations that go into admission account for most of the overall statistic based ranking).
I am strongly interested in biological science, though I’ve also explored physics (mainly through Richard Feynman’s work), as well as philosophy (Ayn Rand, primarily), art (most recently through underwater macrophotography, though also from attending my parents’ collegiate drawing classes from day one), architecture (I’ve studied most of Mies Van Der Rohe’s work in Chicago through photography), and prosthetics (I spent the summer of 2013 designing a control-system for an electromyographic prosthetic arm. Sadly it never came to fruition, but I learned to work with electronics).
If you can’t tell thus far, my parents never particularly stressed academics, and I spent most of my time on extracurriculars, even in my first three years of high-school. I came through Freshman and Sophomore years with mostly A’s. Junior year was tougher, as expected to some degree, and I am left with a 3.71 GPA going into my last year of high school.
I scored a 1470 on the New SAT on the first shot, and plan to retake and strive for a 1540.
Extracurriculars:
- Two consecutive selective aquatic-biological field research trips, one to Lake Superior, one to the Bahamas. Full scholarships. Selective admissions (<20%)
- Done demonstrations and given talks about experiences in those two programs in large meetings, including a media event with around 200 people.
- Developed a research project on the behavioral patterns of an aquatic organism, took it to a large public institution, and started overseeing the collection of data and analysis by a team of ~20.
- Ten months regular assistance at a public institution in a professional research lab. Experience with chemical tissue staining, blood analysis etc.
- Hired as graphic designer for local summer camp
- Played soccer for eleven years, will continue for last year this fall.
- Tried out many school clubs.*
- Tutored 9th grader at school in Algebra for a semester.
*On clubs and school - I’ve attended the meetings for at least 9-10 clubs. I’m surprised at the number that
self-limit to fundraising. I feel this may be a sensitive topic, but I feel it’s important and is something I’d like to at least address in college application essays. Briefly, I think that clubs aimed at charitable purposes could better serve the ultimate beneficiary, as well as participants, through more dynamically tackling the issues at hand. For example, instead of building houses in an impoverished county of the U.S., why not first spend time developing a curriculum for club participants explaining the socioeconomic policy and domestic actions that led to families not being able to sustain themselves? Then, bring historical, political, and most importantly, practical knowledge to these communities, through students, to better enable a process of self-sufficiency for communities in a state of destitution? This is in no way intended as an affront to those involved in the annual charity trip, just a few ideas about improving the efficacy of a common wish to improve the lives of others.
I’ve always strived to apply myself to the most challenging courses my school offers. While there is no option whatsoever to take AP classes, some courses are aimed at the AP exams. Calculus AB, for example - the sole exam I took, was prefaced by an entire year of my school’s Calc I. My best guess is that I scored a five, though the results officially come out in July.
I will be taking Senior Year -
[QUOTE=""]
Studio Art
Interdisciplinary Thinking
Calculus 2/3
Journalism
World Since 1945
Field Biology (Bio 3)
Utopias and Dystopias
2D Art
The Hero’s Journey
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My GPA is currently 3.71. From what I understand, this is considerably below average for most “Ivy League” schools. Of course there are anomalies, though my query is should I apply, and what other recommendations, school-wise, could someone offer?
I apologize for the long-windedness of this question: how would a school like Brown view my basic application? Do I have a shot?
Thank you for any response!