What chance do I have? (long thread)

fahdh2
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:10:37 +0000

I am a 17 year old Asian in his senior year of a competitive and very large, diverse high school in IL (4400 students split between a fresh/soph campus and a junior/senior campus)

My current school includes physical education in the GPA. Also, in IL, PE is a required course all four years of high school (you can opt out, but I did not take advantage of that by taking it over the summer 5 hours a day for several weeks).
At my previous school, I took the most rigorous courses except for Honors Spanish (I sort of regret not doing that now).
At this school, I am also taking the most rigorous courses.

GPA UW: 3.71
GPA W: 4.27
Projected graduating GPA W: 4.35 ~school no longer ranks (magna cum laude GPA= 4.2-4.4 and summa cum laude GPA= 4.4 and above, which is about top 3%)
Projected graduating GPA UW: 3.73
Still, top 6-7 percent in a very large public school (class of 1000) (highest GPA is 4.63ish)
Freshman year: 4.0 UW/4.42 W
Sophomore year: 4.0/4.42
I transferred schools during summer vacation, and struggled during my the first semester of my junior year. I would easily be ranked in the top 15/1000 had I not struggled, probably with a 4.52 GPA
Junior year S1: 2.43/3.0 (I know)
Junior year S2: 3.71/4.57
Senior year projected S1: 3.83/ 4.67
Senior year projected S2: 4.00/4.83

ACT: 32/32
Math: 33/32
English: 31/33
Reading: 30/31
Science: 32/30

SAT II Chemistry: 700
SAT II Biology: 750
SAT II Math Level II: 750

College course at a community college last summer:
Introduction to Psychology -A/3.0 credits

Classes:
Freshman: Honors Biology, Honors Freshman English, Honors Geometry, Spanish I, World Geography, PE

Sophomore: Hon Algebra II, Hon Soph English, Hon Chem, Spanish II, Child growth and development semester 1 and health semester 2, US government semester 1 and Drivers Ed semester 2, PE

Junior Year: AP Language and Composition, AP US History, AP Microeconomics/AP Macroeconomics (S1/S2), Honors Pre-Calculus BC, Honors Physics, Honors Spanish III, PE

Senior Year: AP Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, PE

AP tests:
Freshman: none available
Sophomore: none available

Junior year:
AP Language and Composition-3 (mentally exhausted during essay portion)
AP US History-4
AP Macroeconomics-5
AP Microeconomics-5

Senior year:
AP Literature and Composition: projected 4
AP Statisitics: projected 4-5
AP Chemistry: projected 4-5
AP Biology: projected 5
AP Calculus BC: projected 4-5
AP Physics B (self study): projected 4-5

Honors:
Illinois State Scholar (12)
AP Scholar with Honor (12)
AP National Scholar (hopefully later this year)
Who’s Who Among All American Scholars (11)
Inclusion of 2008 U.S. Achievement Academy National Yearbook (Who’s Who in Minority Leadership) (11)
National Society of High School Scholars (11) (does this mean anything?)
Recipient of Sigma Theta Delta In-House Scholarship at UW-Madison (does this mean anything?)-not mentioned in any applications

ECs:
Researching Influenza A (H1N1) virus to suggest potential ways to improve people’s health, 60 hours (12)
Shadowed a gastroenterologist 30 hours (12)
Volunteer at a nursing home 40 hours (11)
Volunteer at a hospital in guest services 60-70 hours (12-I start tomorrow)
Tutoring a student peer in AP Chemistry and AP Calculus BC 50-70 hours (self-studying for both, but in Calc AB)
Track (no leadership roles) 9,10
Math Club (no leadership roles) 9, 10, 12
Varsity Academic Team 9, 10, 12
SOS (Students of Service) (no leadership roles YET-probably will be the committee chairman for 1-2 events) 12
Robotics club (no leadership roles) 11, 12
Indian Club (no leadership roles) 12
Future Doctors of America (Founder and President) 12
-this club will take about another month before it is established

Essays:
Common App Personal essay is excellent and philosophical, really revealing my character
-some figurative language in the essays for creativity and my own unique style

Counselor recommendation:
great, also mentioned my struggle during the first semester of my junior year

Teacher recommendations:
Excellent
-AP Biology teacher: I am the top student in AP Biology out of 60-70 students, and this is reflected in the letter
-Honors Sophomore English teacher: One of his favorite students, exhibiting a “mastery of the English language”
-Honors Physics teacher: Not only comments on my work ethic and “good student” qualities, but elaborates on good character (polite, respectful individual)
-all comment (to my surprise) that I am a rare student who wants to actually understand the material and that I grasp concepts most other students miss, that I think through problems rather than rely on formulas, that I have gained the universal respect of my peers who come to me for guidance

Sent all three to Washington University in St. Louis

Work experience:
Physicians administrative assistant (basically a secretary)-summer, 06/2009-08/2009, 10 hrs/wk
-checking and responding to emails, answering phone calls, typing of letters

Optional info (for Common App):
Math team
Track and Field
FDA (forming it)
Self-studying for AP Physics B exam
Presently learning Arabic and Mandarin Chinese, both of which I commenced learning last summer.
Intro to Psychology at community college, received A