Will I get into the University of Virginia?

Do you think that I can get into the University of Virginia?

• I honestly think that the only thing I lack are some extra curriculars. I don't play sports and I'm not in band or anything! I currently have a 4.1 or 4.2 GPA, I don't remember exactly, and it will only get higher! By the end of my senior year, I will have taken 8-10 AP classes and the rest honors. I am ranked 20 something in the class of 580. (My class is extremely competitive!) I am an in-state resident! I am a part of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. (I took four years in Spanish by my sophomore year.) I have been in a Church youth group for five years. I've done some community service in the past. (feeding the homeless and car wash for CHKD) I used to help my family's old business during the summers and weekends back when they were still in business! And I think that is about it! I have yet to take the SATs! But I score an 1800 on the PSAT. I plan to do MUCH better on the real SAT. (I'm a junior, by the way!) I am a mixed child, if that means anything! I am 25% Japanese! Also, Native American, Caucasian, and Czechoslovakian. What are my chances? THANK YOU SO MUCH! GOD BLESS :)

• Answer:

  I've worked on an admission board for college, so here's what I can tell you. TOP GPA, high test scores, lots of extracurricular activities, and strong academic course load (AP Classes) set you up as a strong candidate to make it into the admission pool. However, you need to do something that sets you apart from every other applicant that has similar credentials. Example: We once had to pick between three students. Two of them had similar records to yours (except near perfect SAT scores), the third however had average test scores, a good but entirely high gpa, and solid extracurricular activity. However we chose the third student, because unlike other candidates, he had gone to a college during his junior year in the summer, and worked with a professor on a research project. This research project was on a field our university is highly recognized for. Not only that, but he was able to demonstrate to the college professor his aptitude, and apart from getting a recommendation from a college professor (something few students have), he also got secondary publication titles to the research project. (meaning he was able to have a publication before he even graduated high school. I might note that most people dont publish until they reach their senior year in college or enter graduate school. This is just one example, but try and find a way to set yourself apart from the typical applicant crowd.