Unusual application to college- what do you think? Its a fun one!!

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Hi everyone!

This is a very new world for me, so if I forget anything please let me know!

I am curious as to where you all think I can go to college. My “extra-curriculars” are strong; my graders are somewhat weak.

  • 16 year old white male
  • I am a junior in high school (I go to one of top public schools in nation)
  • Interested in entrepreneurship, international relations, and community/economic development
  • Unsure as to exactly what college I will attend, applying to all IV Leagues + Stanford, USC, Georgetown, a few universities in Madrid and Barcelona, Oxford, Cambridge, and NYU (international campuses).

Grades:

  • GPA: 106-107ish
  • Ranked within top 20 people of 800
  • Only taking 5 classes as a junior (reason below)
  • Only 3 language credits
  • Will graduate with: - 5 years math - 3 years language - 4 years english - 4 years science - 5 years of history - Minimum # of electives, earned in AP Psychology and AP Comp Sci + 2 years of independent study
  • Projected ACT around 33 or 34
  • Possible National Merit Finalist

ECs:

  • Full team lead of TEDxYouth@Austin (largest TEDxYouth in world)
  • Founder of first youth hackathon in Austin, TX
  • Co-founder of an online curriculum for young entrepreneurs (other co-founder is google science fair winner)
  • Co-founder of IOS application (awards follow)
    • MIT Launch (an MIT Incubator program for high schoolers) 'Most Impactful Company'
    • Outboxing Incubator 'Most Investable Company'
    • Possible grant from Awesome Foundation
    • Looking for Seed funding currently
  • Active member of Model UN and Stock Market Club (officers for both)
  • Active youth board member of Miracle Foundation (local Austin NGO)
  • Director of international photography project, currently working on projects in South Sudan
    • Two successful Kickstarters launched
  • Ambassador for America's Amazing Teens (1 of 25 or so in world)
  • Founder of MUN at another school that I do not attend
    • Helped them win 'Best Small Delegation' at largest conference in TX
  • Delegate for Global Youth Peace Summit (two years in a row)
  • Delegate for Global Youth Peace Summit Kenya (first year ever this year)
  • Published in a book, attempting to get a position at HuffPost Teen
  • Varsity golfer freshman year
  • NHS
  • Student council
  • Some articles written online about me

Yeah…

I don’t focus on school as much as I might need to, but I do think I will be able to write some very compelling essays and earn a place at a competitive college. I’ve always told myself I would write my own ticket to college simply by not caring exactly what they (the colleges) were looking for, but rather I would just do whatever I wanted, have a good time, be social, and get heavily involved in the community!

Can I do it? Any suggestions on colleges for me? I don’t care so much about name, but rather that 1) I will have a good time 2) I will have freedom 3) I can study international for at least 4 semesters 4) The college has a strong entrepreneurial community

Thanks!! I know its confusing and a long list, so I appreciate any attempt to help out!

Also, please excuse any spelling and/or grammar errors:)

2

Your school list reads like that of an applicant who’s just read the US News rankings and taken some top names.

There is no student in the world who’s perfectly suited to every Ivy League school. A student who’s happy at Brown and a student who finds Princeton appealing will often be two very different people. Look into these schools more.

Know that you can’t apply to Oxford and Cambridge-you need to choose one or the other.

Your ECs read like a laundry list. You won’t be able to list half of those on the Common App. Pick the ones you really care about, and focus on those.

Also, be aware that a lot of top schools look for four years of classes in a foreign language.

There’s very little point in chancing until you have SAT/ACT scores, SAT II scores, and a GPA that includes your junior year grades. I’d suggest you take some of the above into account, and post in a year’s time or so.