Not your ordinary chance thread

wombatsoup
Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:54:07 +0000

It kind of is, but with a twist. Didn’t think I would ever do this, but I’m freaking out a little about this whole downward trend thing I’ve got going. I want to know how big a deal it is in context, and if I should possibly write about it in some way.

General Info:

Gender: Male
Location: Middle of nowhere, PA
High School: Tiny rural public, sends 1-2 grads to top schools every year.
Ethnicity: White
Financial Aid: Yes, a lot.
Major: Neuroscience/Cognitive Science

Tests:

SAT: 800 CR, 740 M, 780 W, 2320
SATII: 790 Chem, 780 BioE, 720 USH
APs: 5 on Chemistry, Calc AB, Biology, Psychology, US Govt. and Politics (self studied); AP Scholar w. Distinction

Grades:

“Most Rigorous Courseload” basically, my school only offers six APs in actual classes and one is Spanish, no honors.
My school also has an unusual grading system:
100-95 A
95-85 B

GPA: 96.2/3.75 UW. I included the midyear report.
Rank: 5/76

Freshman:
Biology 99
Algebra II 100
French II 98
Chemistry 98
English 98
Civics 98

Sophomore:
French III 98
Am. Cultures 100
Physics 100
AP Chem 99
English 10 98
Pre-Calc 99

Junior:
AP Calc AB 92
Contemporary USH 92
AP Bio 95
French IV 97
Prin. of Dem/Econ 96
English 11 93
AP Psych 93

Senior (mid-year, obv.):
French V 95
AP Lit 85
Anatomy and Physiology 90
Technology II 100
APUSH 84/85
Statistics 94/95
Abnormal Psychology 93 (Local LAC, night class, audited, my instructor was nice enough to grade my material)

The midyear report is what worries me the most. Due to my own stupidity/stress/a lot of stuff going on I had the worst semester of my life academically this past semester, after having a noticeable dip Junior year. Grade-wise my mid-year report would best-case be ABBABAA, worst-case ABBACBA. Neither of those are good. Wat do? Should I write about this? I didn’t in the additional information because I was a) in denial and b) I hate making excuses.

Extracurricular Activities:

-Volunteer at Camp Emerge, and a few other camps (<9, 10, 11, 12)—A camp for families with Autistic kids. My brother is autistic and though I spend more time doing other things this is the most meaningful to me; I wouldn’t otherwise be going into neuroscience.
-Boy Scouts of America (<9, 10, 11, 12)—Eagle Scout, OA Troop Rep, Patrol Leader
-Football (10, 11, 12)—JV 10, 11; V 12. I suck, basically.
-Science Club (9, 10, 11, 12)—President 11. Science Olympiad and other stuff like that, some demos. Won some nice medals, nothing beyond regional.
-Outdoors Club (11, 12)—Founder, President. Thought it was a shame, rural as we are, not to have one. Ski trip in a month!
-Basketball (9, 10)—JV lol
-Hospital Volunteering (11, 12)—Two hours a week, about 20 weeks a year. Not much, hence seventh.

Also NHS and Weight-Training Club (lol)

No jobs.

Awards:

-Telluride Association Summer Program, UT 2009. Best six weeks ever.
-National Merit Semifinalist
-Had independent research I did as part of AP Bio published in the Whitman Journal of Psych, a national journal for HS students.
-Book award for best science student at my HS

Subjective:

Essays: Personal, tell some interesting stories, I like them a lot.
Recommendations: I haven’t seen them but I assume they are very good.
Additional Recommendation: From my TASP prof, should be great. He asked me what I wanted him to talk about and I essentially had him tailor it to Columbia, though it would work everywhere. Didn’t send to Harvard.
Interviews: I interview well and have experienced a few intense ones.

Colleges:

Pittsburgh (already in)
Columbia (#1)
U Chicago
Cornell
Yale
Harvard
Johns Hopkins
Ursinus
Macalester

I realize the die has already been cast, I’m just curious and wondering whether I should submit a note with my mid-year report. I’m generally very self-defacing, so you can’t say anything negative that I haven’t already told myself. Be honest, and don’t hold back.