<p>*Sorry, the title was incomplete, and I just mindlessly submitted without reviewing. There really is more than just liberal arts colleges here, so I lied. I hope this doesn't offend you. In fact, three (Grinnell, Pomona, Swarthmore) isn't even a bunch. I also should have emphasized that this is mostly about my chances for merit-based aid.</p>
<p>This is an updated version of a prior chance thread, but I really want to know about my chances for merit aid! Chances for admission would be nice, too, but I already have a good sense of that. (Only two of the colleges I'm applying to actually offer real merit aid - Chicago and Grinnell.)</p>
<p>Indian male from MI, 16 yrs. old. Middle class family, both parents got a bachelor's degree
Somewhat competitive high school that offers 14 AP classes, of which I took 7
GPA: very slightly less than 4.0 unweighted, ~4.3 weighted (school does not weight heavily)
Class rank: 1 of around 500, but all students with 4.0 or above weighted are 1
ACT: 36 (36M/36R/36S/34W/8E)
SAT: 2280 (750CR, 760 M, 770 W, 8E)
SATII: 800 Math II, 800 Bio E, 800 U.S. History (sent only to Harvard and Chicago)
APs: Biology (5), U.S. Government (5), U.S. History (5), Chemistry (5), Statistics (5), Physics C: Mechanics (5), Physics C: E and M (5), Spanish (5), both English (5s), Calc AB (5), still to take World and Calc BC
Applying for need-based aid: Yes - family income around $80,000
Course load: Probably more difficult than that of 99.5% of school
Recommendations: Good, probably. One of the teachers is an amazing recommendation-writer; the other, I don’t know.
Essays: I think they’re pretty good, but they’re a little offbeat.
Prospective major: Biology</p>
<p>ECs:
-Played viola for 7 years, first chair in upper school orchestra, in a quartet consisting of the four best players from the school that accepts paid gigs, also played in pit orchestra for a musical. No lessons. Also, no supplementary materials.
-Science Olympiad member (9-12), captain (11-12), won 10 medals at regional level, 2 at state
-Model UN member (9-12), president (12), won best delegate twice at a major conference and numerous minor awards; also hosted own conference
-Quiz Bowl (9-12); team was consistently in top 2 of inter-county region; 58th team at NAQT national championships, 28th best individual nationally
-Go Club (11-12); we play the game Go here
-Research at a local university under a postdoc in leaf functional traits/neutral theory for one summer; nothing much came of it
-NHS member
-Attending religious classes/events at the local Jain temple
-~120 of community service total
-No school athletics, no job</p>
<p>Honors:
Intel STS Semifinalist
National AP Scholar
National Merit Semifinalist
Best Debater in Debate Class (haha, not really a major honor)
Won an essay contest for the Jain Society of Greater Detroit
Accepted to the Clark Scholars Program at Texas Tech, a very selective free summer program (which was an amazing experience, and you – yes you – should apply), where I did research in crocodilian phylogenetics. This research will likely be published in a larger paper with me as a primary co-author, but I don’t know when. I sent the abstract as a supplementary material for science to Pomona.</p>
<p>Colleges:
University of Michigan, Wayne State, Michigan State – already accepted
Harvard (parental pressure!)
Pomona
Swarthmore
Chicago
Grinnell</p>
<p>If I’m missing any major section, please tell me and I’d be happy to provide it!
Thank you for chancing! I will chance back upon request.</p>