Looking at some schools- could I get some help?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>Hi I’m a junior and quite new to cc board. I’m begining to look at some schools (wanting to go into medicine so looking at a good undergrad program). I’m a 1st gen malaysian. My stats are as follows</p>

<p>GPA- 3.91
Act- haven’t taken hopefully 31-34
Rank- top 10%
EC’s- Volunteer at the Mayo clinic and the church- some 100+ hours there</p>

<p>-Set up a English summer camp in China where I taught some 15-20 students english for a week 3 hours a day</p>

<p>-In SEMYO South Eastern Minesota youth orchestra- concert master and section leader for four out of my 8 years playing (I’ve played violin for like 9 years)</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Concert master of my school orchestra in 9th grade</p></li>
<li><p>Varcity chess club 3rd board 9,11th grade</p></li>
</ul>

<p>-Math league- 9,11th grade participated at state in 9th grade, 2nd place as team in our division</p>

<p>-Debate, 21st out of 84 at state 10,11th grade</p>

<p>-golf -jv 10th grade</p>

<p>-Journalism- editor</p>

<p>-I’m also trying to get a novel published (not sure how that will go though)</p>

<p>-Mentee under a doctor at the mayo clinic (don’t want to give to many specifics here)</p>

<p>-Founding member of a religious group me and a few others created</p>

<p>-Recs- should be great! Got some connections :)</p>

<p>-Essays should be good- My mom has an editor friend who would be willing to help me on this front</p>

<p>I’m looking into a few top schools like U of Pen, U of Michigan, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and a few others. Do I seem competitive enough?</p>

2

<p>Your grade may be just a tad bit on the low side for those colleges. You’re competing with 4.0 GPA’s with stellar ECs. Score high on your ACT though.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the advice! I’m studying hard for it. I had a hard time in 9th grade becuase i was’t aclimated to the large student body - 40 students to 400 students. I should also add that I’m taking all AP/ honor classes and am tripple accelerated in math. I also have one more question: does being malaysian help or hurt? Thanks.</p>

4

<p>If I were you, I’d work hard on your ACT and SAT scores, as above mentioned posters.</p>

<p>Ever take the PSAT? Might be a good thing to mention if you have.</p>

<p>SAT IIs are also important. Even if they aren’t required for attendance, they can help get you out of intro classes and help (to a degree) with your resume when AdComs give you the looking over. </p>

<p>Of course, this is all relative to what you consider “competitive”. Listing some colleges you’re looking at it would be extremely helpful for future posters examining your post. </p>

<p>Your ECs are pretty good, aim for either A. More Leadership or B. Focus in on one of your extracurriculars and absolutely EXCELL at it. Honestly, I’d recommend the latter opposed to the former; AdComs love to see leadership, but showing intense dedication to an EC, even if it’s only one, can get you into high places (Friends who got into USAF Academy and Yale with this same strategy!). </p>

<p>Putting your course load would also be useful, as future posters (and myself) can see exactly what type of academic rigor you’re putting yourself under.</p>

<p>Malaysian might help. At absolute worst, it won’t do anything, but it certainly will not hurt you. The better question would be “are you a native of Malaysia?”</p>

<p>The first generation (if you’re referring to being the first in the family to go to college, which I’ll assume you are) is a major help for almost any college you go into, especially the Ivy Leagues.</p>

<p>Hope I helped! Mind chancing me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1486676-umich-ann-arbor-chances.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1486676-umich-ann-arbor-chances.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>Thanks so much for the advice Gen!
I’ve taken the psat but not to hot- only 200
Freshman
Honors English, H. Algebra 2, WOrld history, H. Bio, Honors Ochestra, gym, and Content reading
GPA: 3.8- yea I did kinda bad…
Soph- H. US history, H. American Lit, H. precalc, H. CHem, gym, CHinese 1, H. geometry
GPA - 3.95
Junior- AP human geo, ap lit, h. journalism, ap chem, ap stats, ap calc, h. physics, h. chinese 2</p>

<p>I’m hoping to excell at activities that help people! I love to help others, wheather it’s volunteering, teaching, leading etc. I hope that this will show in my essays etc.</p>

6

<p>It’s cool, I only got a 202 on the PSAT :I Nothing from there for me either, but our scores are still nice, I guess. </p>

<p>Is the GPA you gave weighted or unweighted? </p>

<p>I’d strongly recommend you take some more AP classes, if they’re offered at your schools. You don’t have that many so far, but if you did a bunch of them (3-4-or even full schedule!) senior year, it might show colleges that you’re willing to push yourself to your limit. </p>

<p>Also, as mentioned before, what colleges are you looking at?</p>

7

<p>my gpa is unweighted. Weighted I have like a 4.6 i believe (lots of math classes to boost it). I’m taking ap calc 2, ap bio, ap lang, ap gov and ap econ next year also so there’s a few more. I only got a 3 on the ap us history, but I expect to get a couple of 4’s and hopefully a five or two this year! I’m looking at colleges like carnegie mellon, rice, u of pen, and ucla along with a couple of low match colleges but those mentioned are my goals.</p>