1st post

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>I'm a junior and I am SO Paranoid about getting into college and having the right "credentials", eventhough it's only the 2nd quarter. Below I'm going to list my top 9 colleges and credentials. After reading, please offer your honest opinion on whether or not I could attend these universities. </p>

<p>Desired Universities(no particular order):
MIT
University of Maryland--College Park(My home state)
Stanford University
Villa Nova
Cal Poly
Caltech
Hampden-Sydney
Vanderbilt
Drexel
Credentials: </p>

<p>GPAs by Year*:
Freshman Year GPA: 4.0 (Unweighted), 4.2(Weighted)
Sophomore Year GPA: 3.14(Unweighted), 3.62(Weighted)
*(Projected) Junior Year GPA: 4.0(Unweighted), 4.71(Weighted)</p>

<p>I've been taking college classes at my local community college since freshman year:
Adv Algebra/Trig: A
Precalc: B
Calc I: B
Communications: A+
Physics I: C
Calculus II-first time: D*(see bottom)
CalculusII-Second time: A
Differential Equations: B</p>

<p>Skills:
Bilangual: English/Spanish
Deep Programming Knowledge: Java, C++, C, Python, HTML, Assembly, RobotC, Javascript
A+ Certification</p>

<p>Extracurriculars/Sports:
Wrestling(Each year of High School)
MESA-2 years
VEX Robotics-2 years
FIRST Robotics-1 year
Google Code-In 2013 participant(I don't know if i've won, yet)
Math Team-1 year</p>

<p>AP Classes:
10th: AP US History--3 on Exam
11th: AP Computer Science, AP Language and Composition, AP World History, PLTW: Civil Engineering/Architecture</p>

<p>SAT-based on PSAT and Kaplan Diagnostic: somewhere between 2000 and 2300</p>

<p>*D in Calc II explained: In the first quarter of my Junior Year(current year), my father died suddenly. I wasn't at my college classes for 3 weeks and I did poorly on the first two tests of my class. I also only recieved a 3.9(Weighted) in High school. I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm just asking you to please take this into account. </p>

<p>Thank You for Reading :)</p>

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<p>MIT = high reach but apply anyway “just to see”
University of Maryland–College Park(My home state) - safety

  • apply to St Mary’s College of MD (the State’s Honors College)
    Stanford University = high reach</p>

<p>Villanova = safety (but lousy financial aid so if you need a lot of FA, not a real safety: a safety is a school you’re sure you’ll get into, like, and can afford).
Cal Poly = only if you don’t need any FA since there’s no FA
Caltech = high reach but your preparation matches what they want
Hampden-Sydney = safety; if you like H-S, apply to Wabash also, perhaps also Washington and Lee (match) or Birmingham-Southern (safety), plus UAlabama’s Honors College and Presidential Scholarship.</p>

<p>Vanderbilt = reach - apply also to Emory and Emory’s Oxford, where your odds are better.</p>

<p>Drexel = safety but lousy financial aid. If you like Drexel’s co-op system, look into UCincinatti’s honors and co-op program along with the Cincinatus program, as well as Northeastern. You’re competitive for both and FA at Northeastern is better than Drexel’s.</p>

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<p>Thank You for your opinion.
Also, could you explain why you described some of these as “high reach” instead of merely reach.</p>

<p>Thank You again! :)</p>

4

<p>High reach = a school where you need a national or international award of some kind and where admit rates are below 20%. Also called “wild cards” or “reaches for everyone”. I put them as “high reach” because you <em>might</em> have a chance but of course with such low rates of admission, the odds are low, yet your advanced math/science classes mean you’ll at least make the first cut. First and Vex will help, especially if it’s more than “participated in”. Being selected for GoogleCode would help you a lot, too.</p>

5

<p>You are so helpful, especially since this is literally my 1st time ever using College Confidential.
Also, thank you for having some faith in my credentials and saying i’ll “make the first cut”.</p>

<p>Final question(hopefully): Do you think these colleges will care about my dad’s death, influencing school/college?</p>

<p>Btw: My godfather attended MIT, and I forgot to list this internship i got for SEAP, at the Navy, as well as being in the National Society of High school scholars. </p>

<p>Thx again!</p>