I am looking to apply to Ivy League schools, but in all likelihood, I would love to go to UT honors or Tulane (does it have honors?).
Basics:I am a Caucasian female going into my senior year. I live with just my dad and we don't have tons money (Less than 35k yearly). I am hoping to go into the sciences, preferably getting a PhD in Astrophysics (or paleontology, which I love also, but only if I am denied getting into any physics programs )
SAT: I have 700/700 on CR/W and 580 M for the SAT 1 no studying (hoping to improve greatly w/ practice tests, and I need to go back and relearn the math, which is ironically my best subject). For the SAT 2 I am studying to take Math 2, Chem, and US history this year, and maybe Physics, English, and World History at the end of senior year. I've taken world history before (680) but I want to retake it now that I've learned how to study for AP's/SAT subject tests.
I will be a 4 year varsity swimmer/water polo player, and will be team captain for both this year. I am hoping to break at least 5/6 current swim records, and I am hoping to make it to state in swimming. This is my main focus EC-wise, and probably one of my application essay topics since I have been swimming since I was 8 and been to around 7 state meets. I was injured last year, so I'm hoping to make a comeback this year.
I go to probably one of the worst HS' in the US. It's really hard to make it here, as there are no competitive EC's. I'm a member in NHS, Spanish NHS, Key Club, and my own club for fundraising for tech at our very poor school called Student Technology Council.
I also have a long running internship (junior year, this summer, and will continue throughout senior year and next summer) at a large medical research facility, and my work is actually published. I did work that the PhD's in the lab were doing too, and I helped create a medical computer model of what we are researching. I am trained and certified to work in a BSL2 lab (which is the type I work with) and have tons of experience with advanced lab equipment/techniques.
My UW GPA is around 3.8/3.9, and weighted it's around 4.5.
I am an AP Scholar with Distinction. Thus far, I've taken Human Geo (3) freshman year, World Geo (3) and Psych (5) sophomore year, and Chem (3)/English Lang (5)/US History(4).
Again, I don't go to a very great school, so it's incredibly difficult for me to try to figure out what's actually going to be on an AP exam (notice how my 2 5's are in things that are easier to be self-taught). It's a miracle that I've passed my other exams, and for some of the tests I was the only person to pass at my school.
Senior year, I am taking AP Physics (I don't know which one... it was only listed as AP physics when signing up lol!), AP BC Calc (WHICH IS KNOWN TO BE TAUGHT WELL AT OUR SCHOOL THANK GOODNESS), AP Stats, AP English Lit, and AP Gov/Econ (don't actually know which Econ, it wasn't listed ).
I'm hoping that colleges will realize that I am disadvantaged in several ways, but that I've done the best where I could considering my school and my family's earnings. Especially since my EC's are pretty intense/focused with the swim and lab work.
Also, this may not help, but my great uncle is a Harvard undergrad and Princeton grad alumni (or maybe the opposite...) but he said he was willing to help me with this process. Could having an alumni in the family actually affect my chances?
What do you all think? Do I even have a chance at my dream schools?
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