How can I improve my college application?

Answered

Hey @Anib, thanks for the question! It looks like you're off to a great start with your application. You have a strong GPA, sounds like you'll have a strong SAT score, and are well on your way to building a strong EC profile. What types of schools are you looking to get into and what are you hoping to study? While the process for improving your application will largely be the same regardless of your answers to those questions it might help me provide more specific advice.

Many schools nowadays have what is called a holistic application process, they will look at a student's unique experiences alongside traditional academic achievements like grades, classes, test scores, etc. In order for them to look at all your other experiences a school will often expect its applicants to have reached some minimum requirement of academic achievement. That's not to say you won't have your application looked at by a top school if you have a 3.0 GPA, it just means it might be a bit more difficult and you'll really need to WOW them with your extracurriculars. So with that out of the way let's take a look at your profile.

You are in a great spot with your GPA. It might seem obvious but continue to strive for as high of a GPA as possible. The higher your GPA the more likely you will be to have your application fully reviewed by an admissions officer. With a 3.9 you'll pass any minimum requirement any school has I'd imagine.

Related to your GPA is your class rigor. You didn't provide any information on your classes (which is fine!) so this will be basic information to help you. I'm more than happy to answer follow-up questions if you have them. You're going to want to push yourself academically as much as possible without causing yourself too much stress. Colleges love to see students challenging themselves academically so take as many AP/IB classes and honors classes as you feel comfortable doing. If those classes can relate to your future major that's even better. If your school offers dual enrollment classes that is something you might want to consider but I'd aim for taking APs over a dual enrollment class if possible.

Your practice SAT score is in a strong spot. If you can score a 1500 on the real SAT and do well on the essay you can essentially consider yourself done with needing to take the test. While you might get a small boost from increasing your score higher than a 1500 it honestly is unlikely to be worth the amount of time you'd need to invest in order to increase your score. Since so many colleges look at applications with a holistic view it would probably be better to spend extra time working on ECs compared to more studying.

Speaking of ECs, they are an area where you can expect to differentiate yourself from other applicants and play an important role in your application. You're off to a good start with your ECs, but I'd say right now you're going to want to improve those once things calm down. Generally, colleges are going to evaluate your ECs by the level of commitment required. What that means is they're going to look at: how much time was committed, how much initiative did you take to get (and stay) involved, what level are you involved at (think regional, state, national), and what leadership or responsibilities did you end up with. With the ECs you have now it would make sense to look for leadership positions in NHS and the Arts Honors society in addition to the ASB positions. Dance, and hopefully your volunteer work, seem like both great things for long-term commitment and dedication. If possible I'd look to add another EC related to something you want to study in college or, if you're looking into medicine, maybe expanding your volunteer hours. Summer programs are also an option, especially if you can get into one that has a competitive application process. For right now, I wonder if you can help contribute to fighting the coronavirus in your community in some way? That could be through organizing groups to fundraise for people who might have lost jobs, or bringing food to people, or something else entirely.

Overall I think you're in a fantastic spot. If you keep doing what you're doing while building on your profile you will have a solid shot at some great schools.