Hi! My senior year schedule is as follows:
AP Spanish
AP Calc AB
Honors Mod Lit
International Business
Business and Management
Independent Study
Physics
Does this schedule look too easy (like I am slacking) to colleges? I am looking to apply to Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Indiana, and South Carolina. Also, I am planning on majoring in business. Thanks!
“International Business” and “Business and Management” are not considered academic classes, so I’d replace one of those.
What does Independent Study entail? is that a study hall?
You’re missing a social science/history, unless your Independent Study covers that.
Note: run the NPC on each of the universities you listed above and bring the results to your parents, then discuss college budgets. All of these universities are located in many different states and will therefore have costs that vary greatly. Not all offer scholarships and none will offer financial aid.
Note that USC Columbia’s international business program is extremely selective and if you don’t get in directly your odds of doing so later are very very small. A good possibility is to apply to a cohort and to Honors College (you’ll need a very high ACT or SAT score).
@MYOS1634 How are they not considered academic classes?
Also, @MYOS1634 , I took world history freshman year, AP US History sophomore year, and I am currently taking AP Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (semester classes at my school, and I tested out of civics (semester class).
They’re considered vocational. They’re easy, little reading/writing. They’re not really the same as what you’d find in college, in the same way that 7th grade physical science may be distantly related to AP physics 1 but really isn’t the same.
You need one more unit of histiry/social science.
The recommended rigor for universities like those you listed would be 4 units of English and social science, 4 units of science including biology, chemistry, and physics, foreign language through level 4, and math through pre-calculus or calculus.
Here are some of my stats. What do you think?
Here are my classes:
Freshman Year:
World History
Honors Geometry
Band (Chamber Winds)
Geophysical Science
English 9
Spanish 2
Sophomore Year:
AP US History
Health/Personal Fit
Honors Biology
Honors Algebra 2
American Literature
Spanish 3
Junior Year:
Chemistry
AP Stats
Honors Precalc
AP Macroeconomics/AP Microeconomics
Spanish 4
Advanced Sci-fi/Advanced Comp
Senior Year (plan)
AP Calc AB
AP Spanish
International business (semester)
Independent study (dealing with leadership, semester)
Business and Management
Honors Modern Literature and the arts
Physics
ACT score: 29 (35E, 28M, 28R, 26S) I know this is low, but I am taking again in April and hoping to get to 30s
Taking the SAT through my school in April
Tested out of Civics (semester)
Class Rank: 1/494 and 66/1522
Weighted GPA: 4.0667 (my school only adds weight to AP classes)
UW GPA: 3.92
Weighted with honors and APs counted: 4.333
Extras:
National Honors Society
Student Congress (KLAA Representative, School Improvements committee chair, Make A Wish student fundraising co-chair)
Varsity Golf and Tennis
Unified Sports for freshman and sophomore year (helped disabled kids play sports)
Counselor at a camp for kids with muscular dystrophy (1 week) (last year and most likely this summer)
Attended Michigan leadership camp
Key Club
Over 300 hours of community service
What do you think of all of this as far as getting into any of those schools?
Thanks!
I took the ACT 3 times and raised it from a 29 to a 33. It can be done. I also took the SAT and got a 1500. I applied to Michigan and was accepted but no merit aid. I’m out of state so that makes Michigan pretty unaffordable for me but that’s okay as I have other options like Indiana. I have been offered $16k each year in merit aid which helps a lot with the 48k tuition. I’m still waiting to hear on additional scholarships but I did not apply to Kelley. I’m STEM. Your class load sounds fine, just remember schools do want to see you taking the most rigorous classes possible. If you have a chance to visit these colleges do it. Personally while UMich is the same population of students as Indiana to me Indiana feels more like a cohesive campus and doesn’t seem as big as Mich. Indiana is just a beautiful campus. I’m waiting on 4 more decisions but for now Indiana is looking strong for me. Also put time and thought into your essays. They do make a difference! Hope this helps. @pbmcdoug
@STEM2021 Thanks! I live about 20 minutes from Michigan, so I have been there multiple times as my parents went there and my sister currently goes there. I have also visited Indiana, and I loved it! I have visited MSU as well. I will be visiting South Carolina in a few weeks, and Wisconsin in the summer!
You are welcome! If you are in state and have a legacy at Michigan then I think the odds will definitely be in your favor and it will be far more affordable for you than if you were out of state. Good luck to you! @pbmcdoug
Your curriculum is light on honors courses. Did your high school offer more than you didn’t take or was that the maximum number? Many universities will check you have 4-5 honors or AP, combined, each year, for a ttal fo 16-20 classes either at honors or AP level (with 8 AP’s max, so 8-12 Honors expected). I count 9 total which is very light. Now, if your high school doesn’t offer honors English seminars or AP lang, no honors chemistry, etc, it’ll need to be in the School Profile, because otherwise it’ll hurt you.
You have a shot at all Michigan schools, but if you really want USC-IB, aim for 32+ (and more), and Honors there is extremely competitive. A way for you to shortcut the process is to apply to one of the cohorts.
What’s your parents’ budget? Indiana, Wisconsin will be very expensive. Indiana gives scholarships based on test scores so prep for that ACT. WIsconsin has no merit scholarships so if you don’t have 40K you’re out.
You would have a shot at Denison, with its well-tought out Global Commerce major, and Dickinson (reach) with its International Management majors. American U is another one. RUN THE NPC’s on these and show the results to your parents.