<p>Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Brown
Stanford
MIT
Rice
Duke
Caltech
etc.</p>
<p>I'm an Asian American.
I have a 4.0 GPA.
Am #6/794
Have taken 9 AP courses (17 total including senior year)
Have all 5s on my tests taken except a 4 for Spanish
Haven't taken the SAT yet (score around 2200?) (trying to raise my score this summer, lol)
Have done debate for 3 years (quit junior year)-qualified for state my sophomore year
Am VP of English Honor Society & Future Medical Leaders</p>
<p>and assuming that my essay shows all of my strengths and pleasing personal qualities...</p>
<p>You need a major hook, more ECs, and a beast SAT/ACT. It’s really hard to say without an actual SAT/ACT score. Don’t assume you will get a super high score on your first try. Are you only taking it once your senior year?</p>
<p>Your GPA and rank is great, however you don’t seem to have much else that would stand out. Tons of people have a UW 4.0 GPA and a high rank, which means it’s only the ‘entry point’ for admission. What really determines if you get accepted is what makes you unique (basically having impressive ECs and accomplishments). Joining more clubs and getting volunteer hours really won’t make much difference for the schools you listed. </p>
<p>I would recommend getting a couple more leadership positions or even better would be to find some sort of activity or award to shoot for that makes you stand out (maybe the research position?). It’ll be more difficult for you to be accepted since you are Asian, and the competition will be fierce. You’ll definitely need to 2200+ the SAT, preferably ~2300. Also don’t forget about your SAT II/Subject Tests. Several schools require 2, and the rest ‘prefer’ to see 2. Try and take atleast 2 of them and shoot for 750+.</p>
<p>The essays are also crucial, so make sure to make them very creative and revealing of who you are as a person. And of course get two excellent letters of recommendation from your teachers. Try to get a few match/safety schools just in case things take a turn for the worse. But I think you’ll probably be fine and get into a few of the schools you listed. Good luck!</p>
<p>Sure you can create a major hook. Just cure cancer this summer and you’re set.
Lol sorry, couldn’t resist.</p>
<p>More competitive schools value ECs more than the less competitive ones in general. There’s a reason 2400 4.0s get rejected. Don’t spend too much time on solely academics. Do something you love in your free time.</p>
<p>generally “major hooks” are things that can’t be done in a quick amount of time and they are not exactly simple, that’s why they are “major hooks.” After all, if everyone could do it in such a short amount of time, would they be worth much?</p>
<p>That said, “major hooks” are not requirements to get into colleges. Your research with a professor is an exceptional EC—no doubt one that would help you with your college admissions process. But with such short amount of time left, and if you still desire you pump up EC’s, REALLY do something you like. Generally we are more motivated by the things we love and accomplish more that way. And if you don’t get into the school you want, at least you will have tried to follow your passion to that school anyway; the last push of college admissions won’t be the college-driven panic that so many seniors experience anyways.</p>
<p>You have a very good GPA and class rank, but I think IVY Leagues are pretty high reaches for you (just like for most people). What would make you stand out from the rest are leadership qualities, long term commitments, and truly outstanding ECs, which I might be a little late for, but you never know. I don’t know much, but IVY League admissions are incredibly unpredictable (a 4.0 UW GPA with 2400 SAT and good ECs often gets rejected), so make sure you spend a lot of time on your essay and get meaningful letters of recommendation from people who know you well, can write well, and can bring to light your best qualities. good luck Will you chance me if I make one of these threads?</p>
<p>I actually have taken the SAT 2 Chem & Math II test and got a 780 & 760 respectively on 'em.</p>
<p>Also have 100+ hours of volunteer work at places, mostly from hospital work.</p>
<p>For the research position, I am doing it to enter into the Siemens Competition.</p>
<p>I guess it’s too late for major EC’s and awards/recognitions/etc.</p>
<p>Do you think I can take what I’ve done in debate (awards in local competitions) and try to make them “look” accomplishing/outstanding?
(This prolly the stupidest question to ask, but it won’t hurt: do awards like “Most Spirited of the Debate Team” count as an actual award?")</p>
<p>Since I’m pretty much set on the EC’s, would working hard & trying to make a change in what I’m already in (like EHS or Future Medical Leaders) help?</p>
<p>For a person like me who doesn’t have a “major hook,” do you think an interview would benefit me?</p>
<p>Sorry, last question: I am actually also in the North Texas Youth Leadership Council, Math Honor Society, National Honor Society, National Spanish HS, Science National HS, Math Mentoring Club, etc. I joined a ton of clubs. I didn’t realize til now that it doesn’t help to be shallowly involved in a club. So there’s no use mentioning them, right?</p>
<p>GPA, rank and scores in general are great. You need a 2200+ SAT by the way.
Unfortunately, it’s true that you don’t have a real hook, or something that makes you stand out and you’re Asian, so the competition is tougher. Anyway you have pretty good volunteer activity and you’re a member of a ton of clubs and VP of one, so maybe you can cover this lack.
I suggest you to try in all the universities you mentioned, you have a shot, but keep in mind that you’re quite an average candidate, especially in the Asian pool. Be sure to stand out through your essays and being yourself as much as you can. </p>
<p>HYPS and MIT are high reach (and they are for everyone), the others quite less. Probably you’ll end up in one of them with your scores and GPA, but pick up at least one safety where you’d like to go.
Good luck! </p>
Will you chance me if I make one of these threads?</p>
</p>