New here, will chance back!!!

asianfang
Sun, 06 Sep 2015 06:26:46 +0000

I’m a senior, applying to GA tech, University of Illinois engineering, Umich engineering, Rice, Northwestern, uChicago, Cornell, Columbia, Princeton, will consider a couple more.
Engineering major of some type, maybe a minor in business or statistics.
ACT: 35 (35,33,34,36)
SAT Subjects: Will take Math II, Physics, and Literature in October
PSAT: Likely only commended
GPA (UW): 3.9ish
GPA (W): 4.6ish
GPA has upward trend from freshman year semester 1 (All A’s since)
Class Rank: School stopped ranking, but I’m in top 10% for sure
AP:
10th:
Calculus BC, Physics B, CompSci A, all 5’s
11th:
Language, Physics C (both), Macro, USH, all 5’s but a 3 in USH (terrible, I know)
12th tentative: Stats, Micro, US Gov, Spanish Language, Psychology, Biology, Literature

Also took MV Calc and Linear Algebra junior year.

EC’s:
Varsity Swim (will be 4 years varsity and possible captain)
NHS
Freshman Leader (pretty hard to get in, and it’s a pretty big leadership role)
Work as a tutor
Band
not too much bc of swimming…

Volunteer: hours
Chinese School ~40
Community Events/NHS ~50
Freshman Leader ~ 60 per semester

Recs:
Teacher 1: 9-10/10 but didn’t teach me junior year. I went from a B student to an A+ student, and came in every day before class to help students.
Teacher 2: 8-9/10 I was definitely one of the better students but not the best, only reason why I would rank a 9 would be I wrote a personal essay as an assignment that resonated well with him.
Counselor: 8/10 Counselors here are very busy so it’s difficult to “form a friendship” because you can’t set up an appt to “bond” or something. That being said, my counselor was well aware of my struggles freshman year and we are on good terms.

Other notes:
Common App is pretty unique, definitely something a reader will remember. (I just have to polish to make this good essay a great one)
Toying with the idea of being recruited, d3. (I have 1 IHSA state cut)
Should I omit USH AP score??
Internship 10th grade at Northwestern University through school program
Broke a JV record for swimming (I was varsity but swam in a junior varsity division for a meet)
Both parents went to GA tech if that matters.
Overall: I think I’m a good applicant with some definite flaws in ECs and grades. I know Columbia/Princeton are high reaches and even Cornell/Northwestern for that matter. My essays are kind of my hitch for all my top schools. My “safety” option is that, hopefully worst case, I only get into Illinois as a general undecided student (they can reject you for engineering and accept you as a general student right?) I’m also deciding in between Columbia, NU, and Cornell for ED. (Columbia is dream but I think I have a good shot at the other two ed)

I will also do my best to chance back!!! Best if luck to all HS class of 2016 students in their college applications!