<p>if i were in the adcom, i’d love to see you in some leadership positions in those clubs of yours, especially since you have stuck with some of them throughout your high school career and are dedicated to them. the crew and basketball is pretty impressive in itself. def make sure you elaborate A LOT on your SPECIFIC type of work at the hospital, research institute, and @ U of Wash, somewhere on your application. </p>
<p>i also smell a personal essay opportunity with the bball coaching (i.e. talking about struggles you may have had to overcome being in this leadership position, how it has developed your people skills, etc…and you can also tie bridge builders experiences into it) They wanna know that you are indeed a leader and are capable of taking initiatives. they wanna see that you’re a positive light and can motivate other people, but be careful not to brag too much.</p>
<p>yes include the flyfishing, and you can mention the rec sports but only if you do them on a pretty regular basis, otherwise it’s kinda cheating.</p>
<p>You also really need to get more volunteer work under your belt. maybe something at a nursing home, local special olympics, some reading/literacy programs at your local library maybe (libraries always have tons of programs…i urge you to check out your library if you haven’t already), a book/canned goods drive, working with terminally ill or abused children. you can volunteer for certain teen hotlines like a suicide prevention hotline or something to let the adcom know you’re into helping your peers. one thing i loved doing is volunteering at the zoo and working with the animals. u can participate in a 5k/10k run to raise money or awareness for a cause. your city proly has something like that, right? you should join keyclub or something similar if you have it at your school.</p>
<p>another thing, our Mu Alpha Theta had a math tutoring program after school for our students. u can start that. also, we had a system where each mu alpha theta member was paired with a teacher in the math department to help them grade papers, teach calculator-operating sessions, etc.</p>
<p>our NHS did SAT/ACT tutoring programs and with our club funds we made a $200 scholarship for the best graduating student, who was chosen through an application process by officers and sponsors. We also had a book club for NHS. We also did the angel program during christmas where you would adopt a less fortunate child and buy presents for them. </p>
<p>you can do some larger scale relief fundraisers within your school for katrina or the kashmir earthquake. do u have a Goodwill or salvation army store near where u live. u can volunteer there.</p>
<p>also, are you involved with any school or local publications like newspaper or yearbook or literary journal. that would be a big plus. The orchestra thing is def a hook for you . play that up for sure. I also see an essay with comparing an contrasting your science background with your music background and how one influences the other. that could be interesting. I’m sure as you know your essays will be very important so work hard and long on them. stay confident in knowing that you’re a good writer, but don’t be afraid to let someone you trust scour them and tear the **** out of them if necessary.</p>
<p>Please be sure to include academic or athletic distinctions or awards that you have received in high school.</p>
<p>When you get teacher recs, i’d proly get one from your english teacher (ap english if you’re taking it), one math teacher, and a science teacher, if you can. this will show your well-roundedness in academics. i always think teacher recs hold more weight than a rec from a guidance counselor or principal. try to do an interview with a brown represenative when it comes to application time (it’s usually an alum in you area that interviews you, and they usually contact you first after you send in your application).</p>
<p>I’m sure a lot of this you already know or proly have done but haven’t included it in your initial posting, so i’ll let you weed through my comments and take what you will from it, if anything. remember to THINK BIG. good luck.</p>