Advice/Comments on my chances :)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
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<p>hello! i just recently found out about College Confidential, and i saw that some people received really helpful advice on their chances/prospects. i would really appreciate all comments, because i have been thinking about Brown for a very long time, and in every which way i think about it, Brown is the perfect school for me. plus, i am very into art and i know there’s a dual-degree program with RISD (perfectooo!!!) haha.</p>

<p>so the problem, of course, is, am i thinking realistically? please be totally honest. i’ve never heard “you will never get in,” but no one’s told me that i’m a definite. i am a rising senior.</p>

<p>my ranking is around 79/1,100 (top 7-ish %) and i think i have a larger class actually. also, i’m not sure about my exact ranking, so it’s around 79.
SAT I (took them twice): math = 690<br>
CR= 740
writing= 800
SAT II (math ones killed me, but i’ll just say that they didn’t hit 700)
US History = 760
Literature = 650
planning on taking Lit again
(total is 2230, but the scores aren’t exactly balanced…so i’m worried about that, and yes, i hate math, haha.)</p>

<p>freshman year: all honors (no AP’s available) plus art minor and band major
all A’s. took Algebra II.
sophomore year: all honors (no AP’s available) plus art I major, no band.<br>
all A’s, but B’s in Bio and Precalc.
junior year: all honors, AP English (score of 5), AP US History (score of 5)
B in AP English and B in Calculus. A’s in everything else. took
Portfolio Prep in art.
for my senior year: all AP’s, but i’m not taking physics (have already taken bio and chem). taking Psychology instead. AP studio art and Wind Ensemble major. but i’m still doing Calc I AP. since i took Calc honors last year, i’m not allowed to take Calc II as it is available as an AP class only.</p>

<p>by the end of next year, i will have taken 5 years of French, all Honors and one AP (the only one available).</p>

<p>a huge problem for me is the awards area. i hope this doesn’t sound like too much of an excuse, but with over 1,100 kids in my class, it’s kind of hard to, you know…get any awards…
i have only received little ones, like attendance, etc. i did receive an award in sophomore year from art, but not bc of an accomplishment. in freshman year i got the presidential award thingy that just meant i got straight A’s.</p>

<p>T_T</p>

<p>but my EC:
reading olympics
volunteering at a local art museum
(freshman year i was still in a middle school, so there are a couple differences there, like volunteer corps, enact club, Pit Band for 2 years, Wind Ensemble for 2 years, and dance outside of school)
my county’s community orchestra for a couple years
art studio classes
TA at summer school and a little kid’s camp at the art museum
this summer attended GYLC (global young leaders conference in DC and manhattan)
Goodwill Ambassadors
next year i will be in Class Cabinet
have been in National Honors Society
did Key Club for one year
part of quartet at church
have done choir at church
(i don’t know if it counts, but i got waitlisted for Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts…it was a long, dark wait…haha. :wink:
art club at school for 2 years
…and i think that’s it?..</p>

<p>i am planning on submitting a portfolio, and it’s not weak. although, i don’t have too many subjective pieces. </p>

<p>for my essay, i’m planning on writing about my struggle with identity (i’m asian, second generation, meaning that my parents were immigrants). you could say, what the heck is there to struggle with? well…i’m writing about it because i think my case is a bit different. i’ve only recently come to definitive terms with “who i think i am,” breaking stereotypes and all that jazz…i’ve been told that i have a strong writing ability…not the best, but very strong. </p>

<p>my desire to pursue a career in the arts is very, very strong, but i can’t give up the opportunity to work in a university setting. i have many interests; english, lit, history, politics, international relations, language, culture etc. nonono math. haha. i would love to try chinese…God help me, ;)</p>

<p>i am very confident should i need to schedule an interview…i’m not outgoing, but i can handle myself pretty well in that type of a situation.</p>

<p>so, i think i’ve written what i could. yes, i know that i haven’t won any crazy competition or several, and i have absolutely no shot of moving up 79 spaces to become valedictorian, but i’ve always given it my all.</p>

<p>thanks for your time!!! i know it was long. much appreciated.</p>

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<p>oh...i forgot one teeeeeeny thing. french honors society...</p>

3

<p>You've got a decent chance. I mean there are some things that really stick out about you, but then again most of the other applicants have something unique about themselves as well. Just make sure you write a really passionate and creative essay. The identity thing that you're planning sounds good, but quite honestly a bit too over-done. I'm a second-gen asain as well, and i've also dealt with the same thing, but so have so many other kids and most of them will end up writing about it. I don't want to discourage you, by all means if you think you can write about it creatively and effectively, go ahead. But it just seems like that sort of topic is common, so writing about something else may be better. Remember Brown isn't all about scores and grades, they really want to see a unique person with a lot of passion.</p>

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<p>I really agree with what sak09 had to say.</p>

<p>I am also a 2n-generation Asian also and there's this big gap I feel between my parents and I.</p>

<p>I can't tell them everything or anything pretty much school-related because they wouldn't understand. </p>

<p>They can't speak English well enough and I can't translate the English into Chinese so well either.</p>

<p>I feel like I am all alone even though my parents fully support me in everything and I have two older siblings.</p>

<p>But I am the first to ever go beyond the requirements and surpass my potential.</p>

<p>The identity thing is quite common; think of something else if you can.</p>

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<p>ooh...i have hope! haha. thanks so much.</p>

<p>regarding the essay issue, i really appreciate what u had to say. actually, i am well aware that there are a bajillion second gen. asian kids, but i think i'm considering it as an essay topic bc none of the other kids i know have had quite the inner struggle, and not the "outside" (parents, family, etc.) conflicts. it does sound cliche, haha. i'll think about other topics, thanks. ah! time is slipping...
many thanks again. to pineapplelollie: i don't know what it's like to have communication issues with parents...but kudos kudos kudos for being strong.</p>