Need help with college list

IntellectualUser
Sun, 24 Jun 2012 19:27:11 +0000

Hello. This is my first post, so please forgive me if I neglect certain CC etiquette.

It’s time for me to look at colleges but I honestly have no idea where to start. I plan on majoring in biology (specifically genetics) and/or finance, but even that is out in the open.

Here are my stats

Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female

SAT: 2320 (CR: 800, M: 780, W:740. Essay: 11)
SAT II: Math II 800
Biology E 780
Physics 780
ACT: 34, I might retake this one because of a lowish science score in comparison with the others

School: Public School, one of the best in the state (but it’s in Iowa…)
GPA: 4.227 (weighted), 4.00 (unweighted)
Ranking: My school doesn’t do rankings but stated that if you had a GPA of 4.0, you were no. 1. My class has around 400 students.

AP Classes: Biology 5
US History 5
AP European History: Pending
AP Physics B: Pending, but I’m expecting either a 4 or 5
AP Psychology: Expecting a 5
AP Language and Composition: Expecting a 4 or 5

I plan to take these AP courses in my senior year:
AP Calc
AP Government
AP Macro/Microeconomics
AP Chemistry

Extracurriculars:
Graphic Design competitions
Student Journal Editor: also designed the t-shirt
Web/Design Editor for one of our school’s news websites
Intramural badminton/basketball: I am the “designated” graphic designer for badminton
National Honors Society for 2 years
Quiz Bowl: I was also responsible for setting up our school’s intramural quiz bowl program
Fashion Show Model: As a joke, but I pretended I was serious
Library Volunteering: 5 years, around 200 hours(?)
Video editing class assistant for elementary/middle school-aged students
Piano: 7 years
Band: 5 years
Unpaid Intern at a botany lab
Paid Intern: data entry/analysis for geology programs
Will be an intern at a different laboratory during my senior year

Awards:
Purple Ribbon Winner (highest in the competition) for graphic design and other second place ribbons
USABO Semifinalist
Multiple piano district and state awards
Placed in a quiz bowl tournament
Will probably be a National Merit Finalist

So that’s it. I know some of my extracurriculars seem like I’m grasping for straws, but I just wanted to put out anything I could.

Thanks in advance because I’m definitely at a lost where I should apply. What would be a reasonable reach for me? Should I consider some Ivy leagues? I already have my safety chosen, but I want to know what other universities I could shoot for.