I am from a low-income family, and I currently have a 3.55 GPA (hopefully a 3.6 by the end of junior year), along with a 26 ACT (I plan to retake it). I will also be taking the SAT. My PSAT score is 1200, and so far I have only taken one AP class, but I plan to take four or five APs during my senior year. My extracurriculars include publishing four articles on AI in medicine, co-owning a clothing brand (though it hasn’t launched yet), and founding an outreach/awareness account for sickle cell disease. I also plan to become a CNA either during the summer of junior year or after senior year. In addition, I have shadowed healthcare professionals in a clinic, participated in math team competitions at school, and been involved in NAHS. I will also be participating in my school’s gallery night (and hopefully winning an award), and I am part of the Black Student Union, where I plan to pursue a leadership role in my senior year. For context, I transferred from a Canadian school to a large feeder American high school, so I did not complete my freshman year in the U.S. (though I am American). I was not very focused when I first arrived, and my GPA reflects that. I really want to attend UIUC specifically, as well as UW–Madison (I’m in-state) and Howard University, and I am interested in majoring in kinesiology, computer science (AI), or psychology. However, I feel like my grades are holding me back, and I worry that I might be aiming too high. I’ve considered applying as undecided, but I’m concerned that doing so might make my extracurriculars feel less relevant, since they are a major strength of my application (Class of 2027). Is there anything else I should be doing? Are my planned steps for senior year strong enough, and should I apply as undecided or stick with a specific major?
u/IndependenceTall1341
I am from a low-income family, and I currently have a 3.55 GPA (hopefully a 3.6 by the end of junior year), along with a 26 ACT (I plan to retake it). I will also be taking the SAT. My PSAT score is 1200, and so far I have only taken one AP class, but I plan to take four or five APs during my senior year. My extracurriculars include publishing four articles on AI in medicine, co-owning a clothing brand (though it hasn’t launched yet), and founding an outreach/awareness account for sickle cell disease. I also plan to become a CNA either during the summer of junior year or after senior year. In addition, I have shadowed healthcare professionals in a clinic, participated in math team competitions at school, and been involved in NAHS. I will also be participating in my school’s gallery night (and hopefully winning an award), and I am part of the Black Student Union, where I plan to pursue a leadership role in my senior year. For context, I transferred from a Canadian school to a large feeder American high school, so I did not complete my freshman year in the U.S. (though I am American). I was not very focused when I first arrived, and my GPA reflects that. I really want to attend UIUC specifically, as well as UW–Madison (I’m in-state) and Howard University, and I am interested in majoring in kinesiology, computer science (AI), or psychology. However, I feel like my grades are holding me back, and I worry that I might be aiming too high. I’ve considered applying as undecided, but I’m concerned that doing so might make my extracurriculars feel less relevant, since they are a major strength of my application (Class of 2027). Is there anything else I should be doing? Are my planned steps for senior year strong enough, and should I apply as undecided or stick with a specific major?