I’ve always wanted to go to a really good school and I think that I have a really good app. Y’all are the judge of that for sure
Class of 2018 boyyy
Objective
-GPA : Weighted: 95 Unweighted: 92 (AP classes are only 8 points towards your gpa at my school)
-ACT: 31 (Someone please help me I can’t figure out a way to get this score up and I really want to! Any tips I’ve been studying a lot)
-SAT Subject Tests: I plan to take US History and Biology M
-Intended Major: Major: Public Policy and Public Health which is Community Health Prevention at Stanford (I plan to double major and go to law school for Health Law)
-Class Rank: Top 10%
-Race: African-American/First-Generation born in America (Nigerian)
-Major Awards: NSDA Distinction Degree, AP Scholar, Outstanding Congressperson, and Honor Roll
-State: TX (howdy lol)
-School: Big 6A school like 3,000 students considered low income (not a lot of competition)
Any other hooks: Parents just got divorced, been alone living with my mom for 3 years/ Single parent household (Motivated me to keep going and keep pushing although my mom makes good income, we struggled a lot together) My dad is a small business owner and his shop was a target of the Ferguson riots in 2014. My mom pushed me a lot and tells me I can do better
13 AP’s and 6 Honors
AP Bio
AP US History
AP Human Geo
AP English Lit
AP English Lang
AP Statistics
AP Calc AB
AP World History
AP Physics 1
AP Environmental Science
AP Psych
AP Macroeconomics
AP Government
Subjective (idk what sleep is)
Warren High School Debate Team (Debate Captain)
Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking
Congressional Debate
I've been in this since I was a sophomore. I'm apart of NSDA and I have my Distinction Degree. Went to state competition. I do pretty well.
Created a United Nations Organization known as Girl Up that helps out girls in third world countries receive an education. Started everything from scratch honestly but, I'm glad that all the hard work paid off (Started in 2016/ Founder and President)
Created a school wide Hygiene Drive that raised over 1,000 items for the local homeless shelter this year
-Started an annual color run known as A Walk For Her raised over 1,000 in profits which went to Girls Who Code, Built By Girls and other associations
GoFundMe campaign raised over 100 dollars so far
Haven for Hope group volunteering projects (local homeless shelter)
Small fundraisers here and there that raise money for organization
Created a website on Weebly and on the actual Girl Up website
Given a grant from the United Nations for 100 dollars to
Created annual summer camp known as #GirlsCan where young girls can
Formed another summer camp known as Confidence and Cupcakes that also reached out to young girls to improve confidence
National Honors Society (President)
The first Black (and Nigerian female) President at my school and created a lot of service projects to help out the community
Introduce new teachers to our school
Bus Duty
-ect.
Fish Camp Leader (chosen through application, rising seniors only)
Basically a camp where freshman are introduced to their new school before school starts. Spent a week doing it and all the leaders had to organize the fish camp and find a theme and design a t-shirt!
A lot of church service!
I'm a Youth Community Outreach Leader. Started a clothing drive at my church where church members would donate their old clothes and we
Participate at out monthly food distribution (now also a clothing distribution)
I've been playing the piano for my church band for almost 3 years now. I've been playing the piano for 8 years
City Council Mayor's Youth Alliance (application only and interview)
-Basically a cool city organization where a select group of individuals are chosen to be apart of the Mayors Youth Advisory Council. We have meetings monthly at the town hall and we have civic engagements we go out into the community and
do good things
Academic World Quest
A team of individuals who go to a tournament once a year and take quizzes on the world around them. It's pretty cool and really helps a lot when it comes to debate.
Local Hospital Summer Volunteer Program (application only and interview)
Spent my summer volunteering at my local hospital gained about 75 hours worth or service
Music?
-So before I decided I was on the debate team I really loved music lol
-First Chair in Freshman Orchestra Violinist (led orchestra to getting the highest ranking a competition)
-Solo and Ensemble (received highest ranking with partner in duet)
Hobbies
Writing and blogging. I have over 900 followers on my blog and I talk about studying and tips for high school.
Researching and watching documentaries about life in other parts of the world or in inner cities.
Playing the piano
Politics :) I consider myself an activist and many people at school no me for that
I plan to volunteer in Nigeria when I go this summer around July do some work there that would be nice.
Schools I plan to apply to:
Georgetown
NYU
Brown
Cornell
UChicago
Stanford
Boston University
Howard
USC
Rice (lol my mom)
Northeastern
University of Houston
Additional Info:
-Hopefully applying through QuestBridge
My mom makes 100,000 a year and my dad makes below 70,000. My dad gives us little to no financial support and my mom pays a majority of my stuff. My mom and dad just went through a divorce which took a lot of money from my mom’s pocket. Idk advice me I’m weak lol
Teacher REC’s thinking about getting
Bio Teacher - 10/10 sponsor of my club she’s a GTown alumni
Principal - she knows me very well and I think it would be a good letter
English Teacher - knows me and is aware of my personality
You have a great amount of EC’s and your GPA is decent but your ACT is still lacking even though you are a URM. I used Prepscholar to get my ACT up 5 points but that does cost money.
I think your GPA is fairly decent, but many applicants for these schools have weighted GPAs above 4.0, or in your case, above 100. It seems from what you’re saying that your school calculated weighted classes differently, so I am sure colleges will take that into account. As for your ACT score, what helped me improve my score from 32 to 35 was just practice. Practice over and over and over and over again. Figure out which type of problems you keep missing and figure out a strategy that will help you on those questions. If you can tell me what specific section(s) you have trouble on, I can offer you more specific advice. Your ECs are stellar, but I would recommend doing a little more in the medical/research field. Try to get some research opportunities in the medical area under college faculty. If you can get a publication, that would be even better. Try to enter a science fair project into your regional fair and try to get to the ISEF level. As of now, you are definitely a strong applicant, so I do think you have a shot at these schools. Good luck!
@forgubmenot I’m always changing and always joining new clubs and when I do I just make a new thread. I posted my last thread last month. I didn’t want to say I was a violinist at first because I had only done for freshman year and first semester of sophomore year. Also I’m not someone who wants to go into the medical field or the health sciences field at all. I don’t want to be a doctor, I want to be al lawyer so those ec’s don’t really interest me as much
When you say first gen, are you saying you’re the first in your family to attend college (your parents didn’t attend any college of any kind even in Nigeria)? I think you’re ACT is fine but you can take it again as people tend to do better the second time. I would reduce the number of ECs, that’s a lot and colleges may think you’re just spending a little time on each, focus on the ones where you made the biggest impact. You’re an excellent candidate and your chances are very good, even at the toughest schools - Stanford, Chicago, Brown. Your list is fine, I would add UT Austin as a safety as well. You’ll need a third SAT 2 for Georgetown, maybe a language or literature (I know, tons of fun). If you really have a strong preference for a college, apply there early. If not, Georgetown, Chicago’s are flexible so you can apply there and a public so you know in December if you want to pursue some of the other colleges on the list. Good luck!
I have to disagree with @theloniusmonk here, by saying that “you’re ACT is fine” and that “UT Austin is a safety”. I’m telling you right now, UT Austin is in no way a safety at all. I know @sofiestudies you live here, but UT is never a fallback unless you are top 7%, which you’re not. Also, a 31 is a good score nationally, but in terms of Stanford and Brown, those are at the lower end if even on there scale at all. You gotta bring that score up at least 2-3 points if you want into those places. Your EC’s are fantastic, but I think @theloniusmonk monk is wrong when they say that your chances are good at those schools. The fact is, no ones chances are good at those schools, and with a 31, your chances aren’t that high either. It’s not impossible, but don’t be fooled into thinking you have tons of fallbacks and that this will be a cakewalk. UT isn’t a safety, and the schools you’re shooting for are reaches for everybody.
@theloniusmonk@oakland818 Thank you guys for the advice but, I personally cannot stand UT Austin. I think it’s a terrible school for law and just happens to be the center for violence. I think it’s just way too overhyped. Also, I’m not a first generation to go to college I’m the first generation to be born in America my mom went to school in Nigeria and my dad went to St. Louis College of Pharmacy lol. Is there anyway that I can get my ACT score up? Do you have any tips please help me.
I do not believe you will qualify for Questbridge. Being in the first generation to be born in America is not a hook, nor is being from a single parent home. It looks like you only have two real safeties: Howard and University of Houston. Have you run the Net Price Calculators to determine if those are affordable? (Note that with your father’s business, the NPC may not be entirely accurate, but it should give you a ballpark figure.) If those schools are affordable, will you happily attend? I think your list is very reach-heavy.
To bring up your ACT, get The Real ACT book and study. Take the tests in there - timed. Then go back over the questions you missed to understand why you missed them.
It sounds like you’re a great applicant. i just got into stanford from the waitlist and I have very similar circumstances to you(black, single mom, lots of AP classes, good but not extraordinary test scores, lots of interesting essay material). If you present yourself well I’m sure you’ll have an excellent shot at any school. I wouldn’t worry too much about Act. I got a 1430 on the SAT, and tha’s comparable to a 31 ACT. Good luck with everything, just don’t stress too much.
@suzy100 there is no such thing as “qualifying” for Questbridge.You can apply at any income level but they would prefer that you are low income. I don’t understand why those wouldn’t hooks…
Here is what is on Questbridge’s website about income:
Financial Qualification:
-Household income is less than $65,000 a year, and often less for a typical family of four, with minimal assets.
-Often eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
“I have to disagree with @theloniusmonk here, by saying that “you’re ACT is fine” and that “UT Austin is a safety”. I’m telling you right now, UT Austin is in no way a safety at all. I know @sofiestudies you live here, but UT is never a fallback unless you are top 7%, which you’re not. Also, a 31 is a good score nationally, but in terms of Stanford and Brown, those are at the lower end if even on there scale at all. You gotta bring that score up at least 2-3 points if you want into those places. Your EC’s are fantastic, but I think @theloniusmonk monk is wrong when they say that your chances are good at those schools. The fact is, no ones chances are good at those schools, and with a 31, your chances aren’t that high either. It’s not impossible, but don’t be fooled into thinking you have tons of fallbacks and that this will be a cakewalk. UT isn’t a safety, and the schools you’re shooting for are reaches for everybody.”
Well if you’re a junior and a recruited athlete for Stanford’s football team and you’ve just been told that admissions has cleared your offer, you’re in, your chance is 100% of being part of Stanford’s class of 2022. In fact you will keep Stanford waiting to consider offers from other schools before you sign your letter of intent.
Admissions officers are conscious of two things - the way blacks have been institutionally discriminated against and how American Indians were treated. As such those two groups are given priority, simple as that. Second sofie’s parents are divorced with the father living in or around Ferguson and being impacted by the black lives matter riots. This is a unique family situation and as such a unique perspective she can bring to any college.
ACT’s averages - so admissions offices know standardized tests are biased towards high income and against minorities. They evaluate test scores based on these and other family contexts (even though looks like sofie comes from a higher income family, lol). Assuming that the top schools have ACT 25-75 range of 32-34, still means 25% of the class is filled by people below 32. And 31 is not a weak score, I advised her to take it again as people improve the second time, just not to stress about it.
Here’s my prediction:
Georgetown - in
NYU - in
Brown - wait list, hedge - if you apply ED, you’re in
Cornell - in
UChicago - in
Stanford - wait list
Boston University - in
Howard - in
USC - in
Rice (lol my mom) - in
Northeastern - in
University of Houston - in
@softiestudies
Georgetown - Match
NYU - Low Match
Brown - High Match
Cornell - Match
UChicago - High Reach
Stanford - High Reach
Boston University - Low Match
Howard - Safety
USC - Low Match
Rice (lol my mom) - High Match
Northeastern - Low Reach
University of Houston - High Match
SORRY YOU’RE TOP 10 didn’t even see that! But still I mean didn’t MIT reject some kid that invented a nuclear reactor haha you really never know. Honestly I regret what I just wrote. I hate chance mes. They’re just going to stress you out. You do you and don’t worry about what people say. People on here know nothing half the time and no one really knows if you’ll be accepted. Some girl with a 4.3 and a 34 on her act got rejected from UT this year from my school. The highest GPA at our school is typically a 4.5 because it’s private and one of the hardest schools in the state. We also have a lot less opportunities to take different AP classes but you know I don’t know. You’re a great applicant just keep it up.