<p>Background
White male
First-generation immigrant
Don’t qualify for financial aid, not a particularly harsh upbringing</p>
<p>GPA: 3.67/4.27
Courseload: Really really difficult. Never took a non-honors or non-AP class if one was available. Taking 6 APs this year.
I’ve gotten mostly A’s, a good amount of B’s, and one C in Spanish. Grr.</p>
<p>Tests
SAT: 2220 (didn’t retake after my 36)
ACT: 36
SAT II: 800 Math 2, 800 Physics</p>
<p>Awards
National Merit (probably finalist) with 240/240 on PSAT
AP Scholar with Distinction
-5 on Calc AB, Statistics, and English Language
-4 on AP US, 3 on AP Euro (sophomore year)
Won some local math contests (1st at state-level scholarship contest is about the most impressive)</p>
<p>ECs
-Drum Major of high school band. Really big time commitment, leadership experience, the whole shebang.
-Science research. Doing some Computer Science research that’s pretty high-level for a high school student but nothing extraordinary.
-Tech Crew (theatrical), worked as Light manager and Sound manager
-FBLA. Two-time national qualifier, 1st place at state for Technology Concepts and 3rd for Cyber Security
-Little clubs like Juggling and Comedy Troupe (Improv, it’s awesome)</p>
<p>Jobs:
Full-time computer science internship over the summer
Part-time assistant instructor at extracurricular math teaching program during school</p>
<p>Other stuff
Essays are good (no, really, they’re good), my counselor rec is great, not sure about teacher recs, but I’m guessing they’re not bad either.</p>
<p>Weaknesses:
Transcript is iffy (and doesn’t show improvement, grades go down with time =). I covered it a little bit with my essays but not really.
No superb humanitarian extracurriculars or volunteer hours (but I did write about why I refuse to log volunteer hours, which might be good).</p>
<p>Colleges:</p>
<p>Reach:
Stanford/MIT/Berkeley/Columbia</p>
<p>Target:
Carnegie Mellon</p>
<p>Safety:
Vanderbilt / NYU / ?
State school if I get rejected everywhere =[</p>
<p>I’m applying for Computer Science, making my interest and in-depth involvement in the subject clear through my essays.</p>
<p>Chances? Do I need a safer safety?</p>