<p>Hi everyone, I'm a class of 2014 and went through everything you're about to go through last year. I just thought I'd share a little bit about my experience.</p>
<p>Alrighty, so I went to a public Ontario high school, had a 96+ average, 2200+ SAT, 800 Math II, 770 physics, was student body co-president, got invited to some national math events for high school students (we're talking top 100 in the country), and took a very difficult course at my local university. I also had imho a nice essay about my response to a very serious sports injury. My references were rather nice as well. At this point last year I was feeling pretty sure of my ability to get in, though mind you I am/was hookless.</p>
<p>I only got into one school. </p>
<p>I got rejected to princeton and stanford, waitlisted to Harvard and Wharton but ultimately rejected. I had gotten early acceptance into every single Canadian program I applied to including the likes of Ivey and Queen's commerce. But here's the kicker, I was a lucky one! Two of my friends also applied with even better grades and 2300+ SATs, the one had also been invited to much more national math events than I had, and they were by no means only nerds they were also involved with ECs. Neither of them got in anywhere. </p>
<p>My point is not to discourage all of you, but only to recommend you don't plan on getting in anywhere. Plan on going to that great Canadian program because to be honest getting into top US schools is a lottery with the odds firmly stacked against you. My two friends who got rejected are the two smartest people my age I know, and I know people from the US going to top schools. If you do get in view it as a very pleasant surprise. I wish I had. I'm going off to Duke in a couple weeks (scary!) and am extremely pumped, but I just remember this time last year when my heart was set on Stanford and it hit me like a ton of bricks to get rejected (ED). I wish you all the best of luck, if you have any questions I"d be happy to answer of them. </p>
<p>Mind you none of this applies if you're a recruited athlete, but that's a whole other discussion.</p>
<p>The Duke atmosphere just really appealed to me, it and Stanford have a very different vibe than for instance the ivys and other top schools. I am hoping to get into finance someday, feels a while off still</p>
<p>I’ve been telling ppl on these forums for a long time that Ivies are too unpredibtable. People “smarter” than you will get in. People not as smart as you will also get in. You simply might not get in. Too many factors. That’s why you should look beyond the Ivies and look at other top schools like Northwestern, U. Chicago, Emory, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Rice etc.</p>
<p>well said alam. The thing is schools like Chicago and Duke are often viewed and ranked higher than the non HYP ivies, with a number of the other schools you listed being equal. Though I would also say that any top 20 school in the states is rather unpredictable. And I just feel the need to say it’s damn hard as a non hook Canadian to get into any top US schools, it’s not impossible, we’re proof of that, but it’s hard. Btw major congrats on emory! Hope you enjoy ATL!</p>
<p>To ViggyRam: Luckily I guess I don’t qualify for aid</p>
<p>To Nosike: I’m leaving for Duke a week friday so if you have any questions feel free to ask, I checked out your stats in another thread, with a good SAT you should have a good shot</p>
<p>Duke is an amazing school as well! Congrats! A good, honest message…I have been pretty optimistic…but I think I should prepare myself for rejections X.X.</p>
<p>o_o It’s closer than you think. At night sometimes I’ll start freaking out about all the stuff I need to do this year to have a good soph summer that’ll lead to a good junior summer and so on, but then I remind myself that I can’t do anything until the school year starts.</p>
<p>But yeah, I feel 'ya. I applied to six Ivies in 09 and got into Penn and waitlisted at Columbia.</p>
<p>Also to the above poster, I think a takeaway is that chance threads are pretty useless. No one knows your actual chances, ESPECIALLY other high schoolers. You’re competitive, but that’s about it. There are only 8 Canadians in the Wharton Class of 2013 for what it’s worth.</p>
<p>I feel old. I applied to Yale early, got deferred then rejected. Some stats…uhhhh let me think.</p>
<p>A concise version:</p>
<p>I’m from NS. Only applied to need-blind schools (upper middle class but no chance of affording $50k a year)
34 on the ACT. 760 Math II, 710 Physics, 670 French.
Predicted 43 IB score when I applied and top ranked (school didn’t rank - officially top 1%). (Math, Physics and Chem HL)
Student Council President + a bunch of other student government stuff
Debate Club (captain + a lot of national awards)
Went to TASP (look it up in the Summer Programs forum)</p>
<p>I mean, there was a lot more to the application haha. I knew I was competitive when I applied.</p>
<p>And I largely agree that chance threads are useless, none of us know what makes someone be rejected/accepted. I mean there’s someone on this forum who go into Yale and rejected from Queen’s commerce, I wouldn’t have thought that’d be possible. Lazer was a TASPer and didn’t get in everywhere. It’s a crapshoot, I know I’m repetitive but it’s true.</p>
<p>I got rejected from Queen’s commerce hahahaha but the official reason was because they didn’t receive all the required documents.</p>
<p>I love Penn. I can’t wait to go back next month. I almost didn’t apply for a bunch of reasons, but I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. I’d probably say that no matter where I ended up though. I don’t know, I have very few complaints. Penn is just…awesome. I hope that doesn’t make you feel bad or anything. You seem like you have the right attitude though, anyway. Duke is an amazing school with a great social scene. </p>
<p>Actually, that brings more advice. Don’t get fixated on one school. Some people (and you’ll see it on CC) get into every school they applied to except like Harvard and they have a chip on their shoulder for it. like seriously? ***. All of these schools are incredible.</p>
<p>that’s great! Very glad to hear it, I visited Penn after I got waitlisted, and I honestly felt much more at place at Duke. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have gone if I had got in, Wharton is just that awesome ;). That’s another good lesson for the 2015s, visit if at all possible! You won’t know how the school fits you unless you visit. But I do get what you mean thinking so far down the line. Duke has a semester program in NYC where you take all finance courses and most ppl end up with summer internships in ibanking etc. I’m already worrying about making marks in my courses to get into it. Speaking of which, how’d you spend your summer Lazer?</p>
<p>This summer was kind of a waste. My parents wanted me to come home since it’s the last summer that doesn’t really matter, but a lot of places only hire local students or from co-op or I was too late or they don’t want someone for the summer or blah blah. </p>
<p>Right now I’m doing research (data monkey) for a finance professor.</p>