Do I have a shot at getting into a good college?

Question

I am in high school (grade 10) and as the college-mania begins, I have been thinking a lot about the schools I might want to attend. I would love to get into a unversity like Harvard, Yale, or Stanford, or some other highly reputable school, but I'm not sure I have the kind of background that schools like that require. Here is my background:

As of now: GPA: 4.27
Extracurriculars: Debate Team, Model U.N. (position on board for this): 2 awards won, Science Olympiad: 4 awards won, Academic Competition, Spanish Club, City Youth Orchestra (I live in a pretty big city--about 1 million)

I have done a number of community service hours as of now (doing more prior to graduation), but just general things, like soup kitchens, etc.

I'm not a minority.

I'm taking 2 AP courses this year, all honors otherwise, and one English elective (I'll be taking more AP's junior and senior year).

I'm a pretty serious violinist.

Thanks! If anyone has a clue whether I'm good, thanks!

sorry, my unweighted GPA is 3.97 :(
also, I'm not sure if this is important, but I have been attending gifted summer institutes, and I won about 5 awards at them last summer.

I don't know if this matters either, but I am a very serious soccer player--I play year-round, on travel teams and on my school team.

Answer 1

First off, what is your UNWEIGHTED GPA? Weighted is great if you're going up against a number of students who have not taken AP courses, but if you're aiming for the big schools, EVERYONE will have very high weighted scores. In other words, assume everyone is taking as many AP courses as they can, and getting A's in all of them.

Second, colleges are not allowed to look at ethnicity as a motivating factor in their selection, and many will not consider race at all. Colleges ARE allowed to canvas heavily for minorities to apply, and for those who are accepted, to attend. But ethnicity as a determining factor is not allowed.

You have excellent extracurricular activities, but to be truly outstanding you need to do something unique. The top students are ones that are passionate about effecting a change.

In the end, the top candidates will be those students who can teach the academic community with their experiences, not just be top performers. So if you have a unique set of skills, knowledge, or passions that YOU can contribute to the community learning experience, then you will be a top choice. Otherwise, no matter how good your GPA, scores, or community service, you will face stiff, but not insurmountable, competition.

Answer 2

Sounds like you have a great start although I don't know what a 4.27 GPA is as the highest is a 4.0 (schools won't consider "accelerator" grades or "extra credit" approaches some high schools use). In other words, if you have some "Bs", you don't have a 4.0 GPA but that's not so bad.
Good extra curricular activities.
You should consider what you want to do for a living and not just the best known schools, for example, if you're wanting to go into technology or engineering M.I.T would be a better choice or businsess, perhaps, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania - you get the drift.
The other thing you need to start working on for the top schools are recommendations/references. These are best from very high profile people (politicians or business leaders) that are alumni of the school.
Good luck!

Answer 3

Unfortunately, even with perfect grades and high test scores, Ivy's are virtually impossible to get in. My cousins were 2 and three in their class and neither got into any Ivy, so I wouldn't get my hopes up. That being said, there are thousands of colleges throughout the country. You shouldn't limit yourself to community colleges and bigger state schools. There are opportunities for everyone to get into college, even if they are a small, local school, with a not necessarily 18-21 enrollment. If you keep your grades up and get even better test scores, I have no doubt in my mind that you will be able to go to college. By the way, is there a reason that you don't take the SAT's? If possible, I would take those as well because you give colleges more information to look at besides your GPA. Good Luck! P.S. I can tell that you are indeed smart from your writing! Don't give up! :)

Answer 4

Well, the GPA is great and the fact that you're taking two APs as a sophomore is also impressive. Assuming you continue this, and get great AP test scores, PSAT and SAT scores, SAT Subject Test scores... and continue your other club work, perhaps receive some academic awards...you should be in good shape to be a qualified candidate for these schools. Of course, that doesn't mean you'll be admitted, as schools turn away qualified candidates all the time.

Read A Is For Admission; it'll help put things in perspective. Also, consider other fine schools. No doubt there'll be a good fit for you, and you'll find yourself at a place where you can learn, grow, have fun...and also make a contribution yourself.

Answer 5

You have a very good chance at getting into an Ivy League school if that's what you want. They have an application process and then an essay that you have to do and a lot of times it's followed up by an interview. They look for people well rounded and not just intelligent or gifted. Doing volunteer work and being actively involved in your own community as well as the "world" community is a big plus. Good luck!

Answer 6

Based on what you said, you almost sound like the type of person many schools would rubber stamp "accepted".

Rather than focusing on the status of schools, you should consider what you might want to study and then start looking at schools with a good reputation in that field.

While it may not be a popular choice, don't be afraid to consider a near by state university. The education you will receive from most state universities won't be much different from the prestigious schools. You'll be missing the prestige of having something like Harvard or Yale on your resume, but you're tuition will be tens of thousands less over the 4 years. If you'll be paying for school with student loans, you'll appreciate having $50,000-$100,000 less to pay back once you graduate.

Answer 7

This sounds very good, but you will need to see how you do on the SATs to get a better sense of your ability to get in. Even the best students don't have guaranteed admission to the types of schools you are talking about. However, assuming your record holds for another two years, you stand a very good chance.

Answer 8

are you kidding? you don't even have to ask. of course you can! But the best thing you can do is talk to an advisor at any one of the colleges you're looking to attend. they can assist you, and tell you whether or not you have the requirements to get in, better than anyone on here can, i'm sure

Answer 9

Your GPA and extracurriculars are extremely impressive. Keep it up and start studying for the SAT and/or ACT.

Answer 10

I think you're pretty much set. I think all you need is a 3.5 GPA anyway. I'm in eighth grade and we had a bunch of brochures and lectures about college so you're not alone. It's pretty boring and parents add on more pressure.