Am I Qualified for any of the following schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey guys,

Recently got rejected ED from Cornell, really had my hopes up too :frowning:
I was told I had a good chance by my guidance counselor, but I want to know if I have a chance, or if these colleges will see right through me, because I feel like I’m spread way too thin.

I’m applying to Boston, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Harvard, Northeastern, Princeton, Stanford, Stevens, TCNJ, Ohio State, Yale, and MIT. (Already got into Rutgers, rejected from Cornell)

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2090 (610 CR, 800 M, 680 W, 9 Essay) (<-- might not submit, idk yet)

ACT (breakdown): 32 (31 Eng, 33 Math, 28 Reading, 36 Science)

SAT II: 790 Math II, 750 Chem, 650 Chem (taken sophomore year), 570 Biology (taken freshman year) (DEFINITELY not submitting bio 570 or chem 650 unless i have to)

Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.80

Weighted GPA (weighted 4.0): 4.39

Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1st quintile

AP (place score in parenthesis): Chem: 4 // Physics 1: 3 // English Lang: 3

IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A

Senior Year Course Load: Gym, Marching Band, Financial Lit (requirement), The Rest AP: Physics 2, Bio, English Lit, BC Calc, Java, Spanish

Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.) Pennsylvania Regional Science Fair: 3rd Place Behavioral Science Category Winner, Public Health Award. National Honors Society, Spanish National Honors Society, Science National Honors Society, Tri-M Music National Honors Society, 3rd Place Chemistry Olympics (I was told that NHS’s count), Owner of Several Clones (DNA Sequences) in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2nd degree black belt

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Tae Kwon Do Instructor (2010-present), 2nd degree black belt (10 years of experience), Co-President of school-run Alateen-like club at school, community blood drive organizer/liaison/volunteer, Math/Science Tutor, Music Instructor, School Choir Section Leader, County Choir (2 years), Science League, Math League, Research in Molecular Genetics Club, Marching Band/Jazz Band/Concert Band Section Leader and Captain, Varsity Lettered in Football (Quit after sophomore year to preserve health)

Job/Work Experience: N/A

Volunteer/Community service: Music Tutor/assistant at old middle school during summer, tutor, tae kwon do volunteer About 250 hours total

Summer Activities: Biomolecular research program at nearby University, Blood Bank Volunteer/donor/liaison/organizer, Junior Police Academy Volunteer during 8th and 9th grade, Tae Kwon Do Instructor

Essays: Common App: 9/10 Cornell Supplement: 8.5/10

Teacher Recommendation: 10/10- Chem teacher/mentor 10/10- H Alg 2 teacher

Counselor Rec: Prolly 9/10, doesn’t know me too well but really knows how to write

Additional Rec: N/A

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Chemistry (or chemistry equivalents at colleges that don’t offer it up front)
State (if domestic applicant): PA
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: < $25,000. Significantly less than $25K

2

Also, I applied to Cornell for physics. I truly do want to major in physics, but I now realize that my profile is not at all suited for physics. That being said, the plan is now to apply as chemistry major and see if I can switch over after I’m admitted somewhere, because I’m fine with either

3

Boston U ? Match
Brown reach
Carnegie Mellon unsure based on major
Columbia reach
Harvard reach
Northeastern match
Princeton reach
Stanford reach
Stevens unfamiliar
TCNJ unfamiliar
Ohio State safety
Yale reach
MIT reach

Most of your schools seem to be high reaches/out of reach based on your SAT. Getting rejected from Cornell was a bad sign and you might wanna review you common app with fresh eyes.

4

Yale, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Columbia, and Harvard are not going to happen for you.

5

@intparent worth a shot at least, lol

6

I also wrote my common app essay on abandonment and concurrently giving back, as my father abandoned our family to pursue a life of alcoholism. after several rounds of depression I decided to give back by starting an alateen organization at my school, so that dedication and gentle spirit would help my cause… but probably too little too late overall. I’ll be at the right place no matter what happens though

7

I think you should not give up hope, press on, but your list is too top heavy. Maybe just 2or3 at most of hypsm. Your AP scores are not good news, hope you didn’t include them. For the schools that aren’t reaches, are those going to work out financially? Other words you are missing out on some great schools that may take you and meet full need, namely LACs.

I don’t think most any school will care if you pick physics or chem as they are both usually in the liberal arts area, the college of arts and letters, not in other school of engineering, say. Exception I can think of you didn’t apply to anyway (Berkeley has a separate college of chemistry.)

8

You won’t get much (if any) financial aid from all of those OOS state schools.

9

Your stats don’t fit the top heavy schools.

I don’t think most of your list is going to happen. Sorry.

10

Try retaking the ACT’s in January if you can and improve your Reading score. Only send you Math and higher Chem score (and not your AP scores). I would suggest removing MIT, Stanford, and Yale from your list and adding a few high ranked LAC schools like Wesleyan and Middlebury. Schools like that are looking for both males and science majors. LAC do not have graduate programs but the top LAC have excellent reputations and will help your resume more than a weak university.

11

Apply to Bates College but don’t send the SAT, send your ACT. Arrange a Skype interview or meet with an alumnus in NJ, or both. This will be very important in terms of acceptance.

Bates has one of the best chemistry departments in the country. You also have a gender advantage at Bates.

12

Why is Penn State not on your list? You stand a good chance of getting a decent amount of FA.

If your SAT scores were a bit higher then your chances will improve at all of these schools. Why not retake?

13

oh what BS, people who are saying that the ivies won’t work for you are only looking at your scores, have you seen your ec’s? send the act, don’t send sat or any sat2s, except for the 750 one. after that with your ecs, i think you’re as competitive of an applicant as any in the RD round. good luck!

14

@sgopal2 added Penn State and Maryland today, actually.

I really think I just needed to see my app with fresh eyes, so thanks to all for the advice/suggestions/notes!

and @wanderlustgal thank you for the encouragement! The problem with this process is that being qualified no longer means admitted, but hey that’s life :slight_smile:

15

@Homsar yeah pretty much, but you have as good as of a shot as any

16

@wanderlustgal I’m afraid you’re the one who doesn’t know what you are talking about. The RD rate was something like 3.2% at Harvard last year. OP’s ECs are nothing special (no state, national or international recognition), test scores are subpar, not even in top decile in grades ( you really need to be close to the top 1-3% of you grade for MIT, Harvard, etc). OP was rejected, not even deferred, to Cornell where ED is arguably much easier than RD to the top schools on his list. I have no idea why you are trying to give OP false hope. They should put together a good list of match and safety schools and maybe a couple of reaches. Having a top heavy list of elite schools is not realistic.

17

i agree with @Falcon1 . EC’s dont mean anything unless you have competitive grades and test scores. It’s ok, mine arent the best either.

Im like you: I realized i needed to step up junior and senior year.
Now, just focus hard on your supplements. I would do matches, then safeties, then reaches. No point in spending lots of time on schools you prolly wont get into. Sorry to be harsh, but I’m not like your counselor, who tells people they have a good shot. Rather, take the criticism and prove us wrong.

Remember, names dont mean much. Once youre in college, focus there.

18

@Falcon1 chillout man. there’s a world outside of CC where not every applicant is perfect, and newsflash: people from there do get accepted, FYI

19

Nope… not with these stats they don’t. And Penn State gives lousy aid to in-state students, and this poster appears to be from NJ. Why would anyone think PSU is affordable for the OP?

20

@wanderlustgal And in that world Peter Pan never grows old…