College list suggestions and advice?
I'm currently a junior in a very competitive high school. I have about a 2.85UW cumulative gpa at the moment due to my freshman grades being heavily affected by mental health complications. Although by the time I apply for college next year, I'll most likely have about a 3.4UW gpa. I've only taken one AP class so far but am planning on taking AP Environmental Science as well as sociology and human-anatomy/physiology classes next year since I'm very interested in the stem field. I'm planning on applying as either a Psych major or Pre-Med (interested in becoming a clinical psychologist). I have not yet taken the SAT or ACT but have received above average scores in the ISASPs (Iowa's statewide testing that has a very similar format to the ACT). I would prefer to attend a college that's very academic focused, East Coast based, little to no Greek life, liberal political views, diverse, and STEM heavy. To give you a rough idea of my preferences, some of the schools I'm interested in are College of the Holy Cross (top choice) , Boston U, Providence, Denison, Smith, Emerson, and Mount Holyoke. My main questions are do I have a decent change at any of these schools, what other schools do you recommend, and how can I improve my cumulative gpa as well my extra circular activities?
Extra-circulars:
- Won a school-wide writing contest and read the piece at a winners banquet
- multiple passion projects
- AP Psych (currently taking)
- 4 years of French (in school)
- self taught in German and Korean
- UC BerkeleyX Psychedelics and the Mind Course (edX, certificate)
-HarvardX Fundamentals of Neuroscience Course (edX, certificate)
- HarvardX Building Personal Resilience: Managing Anxiety and Mental Health (edX, certificate)
- Girls Go STEM through the U of Iowa. (attended two years in 6th and 7th grade)
- student government (x2) in elementary school
- played competitive/academy tennis for 5+ years and was a featured player
- received multiple gold standard awards issued via teachers
- volunteered as an instructor at my high school's summer tennis camp
- competitive swimming, 2 years
- running club & XC in junior high, 1 yr
- part-time job on weekends, 6hr shift
- catholic religious ed program
- played clarinet for 4 years in school band
- self taught in piano
Hey there! Your resume already looks amazing - keep up the great work! In spite of your struggles, you've shown that you can overcome them and are a very hard worker, which is something valuable that colleges appreciate. If you're able to display that your hardships imbued growth, colleges will take notice and love that about you! I think you've totally got a shot at all of the schools on your list! A few more safety schools you could also look into are Elon, Hofstra, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Thomas Jefferson University. I think your ECs look amazing - you're obviously very well-rounded! For now, I'd stick with focusing on your studies. Showing colleges that you can pull up your GPA and really get on top of your grades is important. Don't worry if you don't get entirely straight A's and B's - it's not the end of the world! However, I'd try your best to keep B's and above from now on if possible. If you're going for a GPA boost, there are a few things you can do. I'd inquire with a school counselor about taking dual-enrollment courses through a local community college if offered. These are easier than AP courses (and even some honors!), but they're weighted the same, and will immensely boost your GPA. Additionally, in some instances, if you score a C or below in a course or fail, you may be eligible to retake the class over the summer. It's usually a completely self-paced, online course that you can complete, and if you make a higher grade here than you did previously, your grade will be replaced. This is a great way to eliminate scores that might bring your GPA down, and I'd definitely talk to a school counselor about doing this if you feel like it'd be beneficial. Now, DO NOT overwork yourself! If you feel like you can't handle doing summer classes or advances courses - don't! It's never worth your mental health. You've displayed that you can overcome challenges by pulling up your grades - this is a great thing, so don't worry if you can't change it! If dual-enrollment classes or summer-retake courses aren't an option, I'd try to take some honors classes to boost your GPA. Other than that, just do the best that you can do! You've got this! Best wishes to you! <3
Thank you so much!
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