A Voice In The Massive Wind (Chances EA)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>So, I posted once before, last April. Like everyone else, I'm nervous. I have the feeling that the reviews now are going to be more diiscerning this time around. Since I've basically turned in my application, and these 2 weeks remaining aren't going any faster, I'll post my stats and ask for my chances for Harvard (EA).</p>

<p>African-American/Black, Florida.</p>

<p>Stats:
1550 SAT I (800 Math/750 Verbal) </p>

<p>SAT IIs:
800 Math IIC
800 Chemistry
800 Writing.</p>

<p>GPA: ~3.5 UW. (A marring spot on the application, I know. =/)</p>

<p>Activities, non-annotated:
Attendee of PROMYS 2004 (11)
Piano lessons (7 - 10)
Mathematics Independent Learning (12)
Independent study Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations
Tutorship under Mr. Arup Guha, teacher at University of Central Florida
Academic Team Member (10, 11, 12)
Science Olympiad (10, 11, 12)
Beta Chi member (9, 10, 11, 12)
Mu Alpha Theta team member (9, 10, 11, 12)
Triad Member – (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics clubs)
Mock Trial member (10)
Science Bowl (10, 11, 12)</p>

<p>Honors:
National Merit Semifinalist
National Achievement Semifinalist
Academic Team (5th place state, 1st place county)
Science Bowl (2nd place county)
Mu Alpha Theta (a bunch of trophies and stuff)
"Perfect" FCAT Score (10)
Principal's Honor Roll (11, 12)
AIME qualifier (11)
National Chemistry Olympiad Qualifier (11)
Top 150 of National Chemistry Olympiad participants (2nd school, 1st district)
AP Scholar
AP National Scholar
National Honor Society
Venture’s Scholar
Minority Physician’s Mentor Program (12)
Some Science & Math School scholarship.</p>

<p>Math and chemistry are my intended majors, I'm fairly sure, with the possibility of economics possibly shaping in the future. My GPA is best explained by my lack of knowledge of what it took to get into an elite college freshman and sophomore year, and my relative disinterest in my English and French classes earlier in my scholastic career. =/ </p>

<p>I do alot of math stuff though. Sometimes I find it frustrating that its one of the harder things to prove and show worth in, especially when one has to labor for independent study in the subject, due to lack of resources around me. I used math in an essay of mine, and my love of the guitar for another. I've had fairly positive response for the guitar one, not quite so sure about the math one. Recs? I refuse to speculate on those. They're pretty good, I imagine, with maybe some qualifiers.</p>

<p>Feel free to fire ferociously.</p>

<ul>
<li>Xander
(I am fellow classmate of towerpumpkin's! He's so awesome. ^^)</li>
</ul>

2

<p>I'm glad you think that of me, even if its not true.</p>

3

<p>You are truly awesome. You really didn't have to post this because you are in the 3900 club. I say you have a better shot than most. The things you are involved with are amazing. If i were an adcom , you'd be one of my first picks.</p>

4

<p>does the 3900 club warrant acceptance? While the answer is no to that particular question, I say with 80% confidence that you can go to any school on earth.</p>

5

<p>I'd be surprised if you weren't accepted to a number of excellent schools, Harvard included.</p>

6

<p>yeah, me too. congratulations on doing well in school haha, except for ur disinterest in the humanities earlier on</p>

7

<p>You're a shoo-in. Statistically, it has been shown that very, very, very few African Americans have SAT I scores above a 1500. It has been said on this site that only 2000 African American students a year get SAT I's over 1300, so you can imagine how the numbers drop off as you move to the 1400 and 1500 mark.</p>

<p>The SAT II scores just show your added ability. It doesn't really matter if you haven't used all of it in high school - which you admit, because you weren't aware of the highly selective admissions process early on. You therefore have a rising grade trend, always a good thing.</p>

<p>Not to mention, relatively few African American students want to go into fields such as Math and Chemistry. This makes you a certain standout. You are truly one of those applicants who will get a unanimous vote in the committee. Your admission to any institution in the US should never be in question, simply because of your statistics.</p>

<p>Your extracurriculars are commendable as well, however. PROMYS is really impressive I have a friend who went there, and she told me it's incredibly difficult, but really engaging. Chem Olympiad, National Merit Semifinalist, AP NATIONAL SCHOLAR, and all of the stuff on similar lines is extremely impressive. These are national level extracurricular and academic achievements. Your achievements are amazing in any context.</p>

<p>Joey</p>

8

<p>What about the fact that we have two other applicants from our school that applied to Harvard EA? They both have better grades/class rank, though no where near as many accomplishments. Still, one is a truly disadvantaged URM who has overcome many, many obstacles in his life to get as far as he has...</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
What about the fact that we have two other applicants from our school that applied to Harvard EA? They both have better grades/class rank, though no where near as many accomplishments. Still, one is a truly disadvantaged URM who has overcome many, many obstacles in his life to get as far as he has...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Anyone else would have to worry about those sort of things, but as a minority, this applicant does not. And is he really disadvantaged? Because that would make him even more of a shoo-in at any school.</p>

<p>Joey</p>

10

<p>No, not this person. Our classmate, who I think has a slightly better chance than the OP. I'm just worried that Harvard would only take one from our school, leaving no spot for the OP.</p>

11

<p>And this is from 12/14, and the decision is deferral. I feel bad for trying in the first place. In all probability, I'm going to my safety. I've had enough of schools', especially Harvard's mind games; even now, I can't figure it out.</p>

12

<p>don't feel bad
it's so tough this year. ugh.</p>

13

<p>Are you kidding!?!
You were deferred?
If you were deferred, what chances do the rest of us have? :(</p>

<p>If I were sitting on an admissions committee, I would have admitted you in a heartbeat.</p>

<p>However, don't feel too bad. Though you were deferred from Harvard, you still have excellent chances at some of the best schools in the nation - don't sink to your safety already.</p>

14

<p>I know this thread is crazy old, but does anyone know where kingerdos ended up?</p>

15

<p>The mods ought to pin this one for everybody that thinks they have a great chance at HYPSM.</p>

16

<p>There are some schools that send 30 students a year to Harvard. Don't worry about the fact that other outstanding students are applying from your school. If you must worry, worry about how you look compared to the 19,000+ other applicants that Harvard will be comparing you to.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity: Are you bi-racial or are your parents immigrants? I ask because the majority of black students who score high on the SAT are bi-racial or have parents who come from Africa or the Caribbean.</p>

17

<p>WOW deferred?????? I'm not going to college.</p>

18

<p>ditto YoungClub. I wanna start a KingErdosII Club praising his greatness and starting a petition to get him where he belongs!! In all seriousness, when I see cases like this, I think the admissions people are truley playing crazy mind games with us. Not that it matters--KingEdrdosII will end up successful no matter where he goes.</p>

19

<p>This thread's a little flattering, and a whole lot amusing. I'm going to Duke (I think), for all of your information, and it feels largely good. If anything, I may get to dictate alot of what I want to do, and do it at the pace I feel comfortable at doing it (fast), while not having to sucuumb the constant pressure of the grind one feels at say, Harvard, or MIT. Overall, I can't say I'm not a little bitter over the entire admissions process, but introspectively, I think that I did have certain faults, and there might perhaps have been a method to the apparent "madness" that you all see. Who knows? I'll just have to take advantage of the oppurtinity presented to me, I guess. And I've met quite a bunch of cool math majors at Duke already, (even one at the camp I'm at!)</p>

<p>Hrm...if any one wants to speak to me candidly, you can e-mail me about chances or whatnot, but not too much. I don't want to become a go-to guru, but I'll just tell you about my experiences in a sort of formulaic layer. I do this not out of an intrinsic, altruistic good-will, but more out of the reminiscing that I wish I had someone with a peculiar and strange situation like mine to talk to. If you're guaranteed, with RSI under your belt, I don't want emails; neither do I want emails when you're clearly out of the ballpark. My discretion, I guess. Anyway, one can always learn a lesson from a particular event; my weaknesses were obvious, and perhaps fatal...don't let them happen to you! =)</p>

20

<p>I might email you later, but what do you think were your obvious faults? Only thing I can see is your low GPA and maybe lack of leadership. What kind of school did you go to?</p>

<p>I wouldnt be too bitter though. Duke is a sick place that I'd be so happy to go to!</p>