Stats ‘n’ Stuff
SAT I (breakdown): 2270 (680M, 800CR, 790W - 8 Essay) This was my first attempt - a cold take, if you will, since I didn’t take the PSAT. The math section was a fluke, as was the essay. I’ll do much better in June.
ACT (breakdown): Haven’t taken yet. PLAN said I’d get somewhere from 30-40. I know, not helpful.
SAT II: Also haven’t taken. Planning to take Math II, Biology, and possibly Chemistry (afaik some schools don’t accept biology).
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
Weighted GPA (if available): 4.02
Rank/percentile (if available): My college counselor says my grades are great, but I don’t know if he’s just being polite.
AP (place score in parenthesis): Sophomore - AP Computer Science (4); Junior - AP Caclulus BC (4/5?), AP Physics (3/4/5?), AP Spanish Language and Composition (5?)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load
- *English*: Creative writing. My school won't let me take anything else. Am I shooting myself in the foot, or is it appropriate?
- *Computer Science*: I've taken most of what we have, so I'm not really sure what to do. I have some trimester-long electives in things like Python and graphics, but again, with administrative issues, I can't take them first-trimester, if at all, so they won't show up on transcripts.
- *History*: Electives. This is coming from a school that nixed APUSH from the roster the year before. My school doesn't get along with the College Board.
- *Sciences*: AP Chemistry and Advanced Biology (we don't offer AP Biology anymore). Love physics, hate the class... but I could be convinced otherwise, since we do offer AP Physics C.
- *Languages*: Selling my soul to AP Spanish Literature and Composition (the one that comes after the first AP)
- *Math*: Calculus III.
- *Arts*: I halfheartedly took photography for a year and a half and then got involved in technical theatre. Due to schedule limitations, I can't take the course anymore, but I get my arts credit via practicum. Wait - is this an EC?
**Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): **
- Scholastic Awards: It’s become a running joke of sorts. 5 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key, and 6 Honorable Mentions. Normally, I wouldn’t mention these runner-up sort awards, but I think this sort of gives you a little perspective: I can produce mediocre work in massive quantities.
- National Center for Women in Information Technology Affiliate Award x2, possibly x3
- Applying for Colorado Gold Contest: Statewide adult novel-writing contest. You’ve probably never heard of it - and with good reason. But if I won or even made finalist, I’d put it down on my application… if not just for kicks.
- Best Costume: Won at a Lockheed Martin CodeQuest competition. Just kidding. I won’t really put this down.
Subjective
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
- Playwriting Club: 4 years; in the running for presidency. Our one-act plays are professionally performed in a festival at the end of the year.
- Kenyon Review Young Writers Studio: I think I (and my wonderful English teacher) deserve brownie points for applying a week past deadline and getting in anyway.
- Iowa Young Writers Studio: This summer. Yeah!!!
- Writing Conference: Attended since 2007; participated critique sessions the past two (going on three) years with agents/editors.
- Critique Group: I’m the only teenager who’s ever attended. 3-4 hours a night every Thursday night. Ouch. But worth it.
- Weekly Poetry Reading: 3+ hours every Sunday night at the most legit indie poetry scene downtown. Probably won’t put down.
- Application Design Class at CO School of Mines: It was taught by students. It got awkward when I realized I’d been using Eclipse longer than they had.
- Summer Tech Internship: Definitely a decent one in Colorado - though may turn down for a bigger name in California on the off-chance I actually get it.
- American Computer Science League: Sophomore through Senior year. Had to drop out last-minute because of an overlap with playwriting, so I can’t attend nationals this year. Gah.
- Independent App Design: Releasing an app on the app store this summer! Gon’ make some money! Woo!
- Volunteer Work: 50-odd hours with a local summer program tutoring inner city kids in math and reading skills and teaching them ice hockey. Potentially mentoring underprivileged children in STEM skills this summer.
- Rock Climbing: 2-3 hours a night in the fall and winter. Participation for seven years; captain junior/senior year.
- Mock Trial: Sophomore to Senior. So random. I know. I hate lawyers. But it occupies so much of my time it’d be stupid not to include it.
I feel like most of these are pretty illegitimate, though. I’m heavily involved in my writing, but I don’t have too much to show for it - our local, more “legitimate” teen writing group is expensive, and frankly, it sucks. Any advice, moving forward? Things to apply for? Courses to take?
Essays: Yet-unwritten. I’m considering writing about being an artistic girl involved in STEM. Is that too trite? Because I have a really cute title for it.
Teacher Recommendations: Well, this is why I’m doing Mock Trial. It’s run by my history teacher, who’s always written me glowing reports - evidently, I’m one of very few students to ever earn an A in his class right from the get-go. My second will be from one of my science teachers. We have a very similar outlook on life and dealing with stress in a hypercompetitive private school environment, and I think her comments in that respect might really help set me apart. My parents actually started laughing at the ridiculous greatness of what she wrote on my report card.
Counselor Rec: This is probably one of my weaker points. We really don’t get along. The thing is, I think it might be because we’re so similar - I remember bickering with a kid in my computer science class earlier this year, and now we’re texting each other about how attractive the various Avengers are… so, yeah.
Additional Rec: If you think it’d be appropriate for me to apply to Dartmouth, I’ll need a peer report. It’ll probably be from one of my computer science classmates. I’ve helped her out a lot with the course material.
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Biomedical Engineering (possible emphasis in nanotechnology) or premed Biology with a minor/overlap/second major in Computer Science. It depends on the school.
State (if domestic applicant): Colorado
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Small but competitive private school. About 95 kids per class. We send lots of kids to non-HPY Ivies and top LACs. Lordy, the colleges kids in my math class got into… I mean, I sit right next to Miss Harvard.
Ethnicity: Mixed (Pakistani/Caucasian)
Gender: Female
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Does being a girl in CS/Engineering count? I know some schools have some in-university programs for tech/engineering women, but does that help with admissions? Otherwise, nah.
Schools
Totally Illogical - Dartmouth, WUSTL, JHU, Harvey Mudd, Carnegie Mellon, MIT (I’m only sort of kidding), UCLA, Berkeley, maybe another Ivy League if it’s appropriate?
Possibly Less Illogical/IDK - Scripps, Colorado School of Mines, RPI, Cal Poly, Case Western Reserve
Reasonable? - University of Washington (just in general, not compsci), Rose-Hulman, UCSC
Any suggestions? Also - am I overshooting? I know I can come across as hyperconfident in person (apparently, I interview well, though - a video interviewer told me I was one of the most well-spoken girls he’s met), but I try to tone it down as best I can. Do I have a shot at any of my reaches? Are there schools you’d recommend I take a look at?
I guess I’m just a little confused as to where I stand.