Wondering if I'm good enough...

Colleges & Universities Northwestern University
1

<p>Hello all…here’s my stats
-School: Public School–Illinois suburb
-First generation student
-Heart condition–granted a wish from the Make-A-Wish foundation</p>

<p>DREAM SCHOOLS
UPENN
COLUMBIA</p>

<p>REACH/MATCH???
JOHNS HOPKINS (ED–acceptance rate goes up to 50%)
NORTHWESTERN
BOSTON COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
UCLA</p>

<p>SAFTIES
PENN STATE
UofI Urbana Champaign
BOSTON UNIVERSITY</p>

<p>ACT: 27, writing 9/12–Retaking in sept.–shooting for a 30+
SAT: taking in october
Class Rank: 124/502 (25%)–will go up next year
WGPA: 4.875/5.0
UGPA: 4.525/5.0
AP SCORES: LIT–4</p>

<p>Freshmen Yr.
French II-B/B
Global Issues-A/B
English I-A/A
Algebra I-A/A
Biology-B/A
other electives–all As</p>

<p>Soph Yr.
French III-B/B
English II-A/A
2D/3D Art-A/A
Honors Geometry-B/B
Chemistry-B/A</p>

<p>Junior Yr.
French IV Honors-A/B
US History Honors-B/B
Photo I/II-A/A
AP English Lang-B/B
Journ/Creative Writing Honors-A/A
Algebra II Honors-B/B
Physics Honors-B/B</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP Macroeconomics
AP Biology
AP Psych
AP English Lit
AP French Lang
Honors Govt
Honors Pre-Calc</p>

<p>XRTAS
-Newspaper Editor (9-12)–ALOT OF HOURS! TOTALLY EXTRACURRICULAR–Not a class during school. We have production week when we are at school until 9 pm!
-French Club Member (10-12)
-French NHS (11-12)
-NHS (applying for senior year)
-NArtHS (11-12)
-MHS (11-12)
-School Play Publicity Prodcution Member (10)</p>

<p>VOLUNTEER
-Messenger at Hospital (11-12)–every other saturday…two hour shift
-Dog Walker/Cat Socializer (8,11-12)–once a week–two hour shift
-Food Bank Volunteer (10, 11-12)–once every other week–three hour shift</p>

<p>ACHIEVEMENTS
-MHS enrollment award
-Upstate 8 Honorable Mention (Photography)
-Certificate of Participation at UIC Medical School’s Mini-Medical School for a Day Biomedical Research Day–Got accepted out of all Chicagoland high school applicants…400 accepted. Really sparked my interest in the medical field.</p>

<p>CAREER PATH
-Cardiothoracic Surgeon–same field as my heart condition…I want to pay if forward…in a way. I want to get involved in the same field that saved my life.</p>

<p>ESSAYS
-I’ve got alot of interesting topics with Make-A-Wish and my heart condition and different events…plus I used to want to be a journalist and have taken many writing classes. I am a skilled writer so these won’t be a problem</p>

<p>RECS
-planning on getting my Jounalism/Newspaper Advisor to write one up. She’s an excellent writer and knows me so well…we are at the school until 9 pm on production week and she knows me better than my own family ha. </p>

<p>I really want to know if I can get into here. I plan on applying ED here of at Hopkins. Which would you choose? I would do premed here then transfer after 4 yrs to do med school. What do you think I could improve? What am I strong in</p>

2

<p>If it caused any confusion…I was granted a wish by the make a wish foundation. weird wording there…</p>

3

<p>I would usually think that your 29 ACT is a potential killer, but you never know, because you have an interesting story to tell. Also, how do you have a 4.525 UGPA, as it looks like you’ve got an awful lot of Bs? Finally, have you taken any SATs or SATIIs?</p>

4

<p>Thanks for your optimism! I think I have that gpa because of my honors classes. they have saved me. I wish I took them fresh and more soph year. regrets…oh well. but that is what it says–im reading it directly from my transcript. and again, im retaking the act to boost up that score and i havent taken the sats yet but I believe that I will do well.</p>

5

<p>I can’t figure out that GPA system, because the UNweighted GPA should give no extra points to honors classes. As best I can figure, out of a 4.0 you would be about (or just a tiny bit under) a 3.5 on an unweighted basis. That will be a problem.
As I said, you will need to tell an interesting story, because based on scores on transcripts alone, you will probably be in the lower end of applicants.
Good luck!</p>

6

<p>To be honest, stats aren’t the best, but obviously you have had a serious heart condition and have had to overcome some things in your life. I would definetly write about that. I really don’t think it is a substantial benefit to mention the make-a-wish foundation. Just talk about your experience and what you have had to overcome. Just be honest about who you are and your experiences and I’m sure you’ll shine. Of course it would also help if you got your ACT score up, gpa up and class rank up. Good Luck.</p>

7

<p>First generation helps, but even with that I’d say Penn/Columbia might be impossible.</p>

<p>Northwestern is a big reach. UChicago is likewise but possibly more achievable because they seem to focus on ‘story’ more.</p>

<p>Johns Hopkins is a reach. BC is a reach, UCLA is a reach.</p>

<p>Doesn’t mean these schools aren’t worth applying to. First generation means something; I have no evidence backing this up but I’m convinced it matters LESS than URM status.</p>

<p>My advice to give you the best chance of admission: talk about your confrontations with adversity and how you triumphed. I’m sure your story is good and I’m sure you would be a great addition to any of these schools, just make sure you have a robust application that can substantiate your ability and potential in spite of your (admittedly) weak academic stats.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

8

<p>ur career path’s motivation is really inspirational. =]</p>