As a Junior looking at Ivies/Top 20s, What Can I do to Better My Chances?!?!?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Pakistani Male (born in US)
Income: ~150k

SAT I: 2310 (770 M/760 CR/780 W) one sitting

SAT II:

World History (680)
Biology E (770)
US History (760)
Math II (800)

GPA (out of 4.0): 3.92/4.54 (Grades have upward trend)

Rank: 10% of 430 students

AP (place score in parenthesis):

World History (5)
English Language and Composition (5)
US History (5)
Calculus AB (5)
Biology (5)

Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

AP Scholar with Distinction
National Merit Commended

Minor Awards (Local/School etc.):

Honor Roll
Scholar Athlete
Runner-Up General Knowledge Contest
several other various ones…

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

8th:

Youth Symphony Orchestra

9th:

Youth Symphony Orchestra
Debate Club JV
Club Baseball
Writing Novel (self-published Junior Year)

10th:

Youth Symphony Orchestra
Debate Club JV
Marching Band
JV Baseball
School Weightlifting
Writing Novel

11th:

Youth Symphony Orchestra (Section Leader)
Marching Band (Section Leader)
Debate Club Varsity
Varsity Baseball
School Weightlifting
Science Olympiad
Moody’s Mega Math Challenge
PUBLISHED Novel!!!
Feminist Club (Secretary)
NHS

12th (Predicted):

Youth Symphony Orchestra (Section Leader)
Marching Band (Section Leader)
Debate Club Varsity
Varsity Baseball
Science Olympiad (Captain)
Feminist Club (Secretary)
NHS (Webmaster)

Job/Work Experience:

About a month working in fast food restaurant

Volunteer/Community service:

Various hours logged for NHS
Helping elderly neighbor with housework and chores
Volunteering in temple
see below
~ 80 hours in all

Summer Activities:

9th:

Baseball on competitive team
Traveled to Pakistan to help improve education for children living in impoverished areas

10th:

Baseball on competitive team

11th:

Traveled to Pakistan again to continue to help improve education for children living in impoverished areas
Columbia Summer Program

Teacher Recommendations: 9/10, teachers I am planning to ask love me and I can only ameliorate these relationships
Counselor Rec: 7/10, he doesn’t really know me and vice versa

Other

Intended Major: Economics

Hooks: speak 4 languages (Spanish, Hindi, Panjabi, English)

2

UR CHANCES ARE REALLY GOOD FOR BROWN,DARTMOUTH,PRINCETON AS UR PROFILE SUITS THEM APPLY EARLY DECISION TO YALE AND I AM SURE YOU WILL GET SELECTED

3

It really depends on whether or not you’re an international applicant… if you are then you NEED something to stand out. Otherwise, you’ve done pretty awesome. Writing a novel in 10th and publishing in 11th? That’s awesome! Feminist Club as a guy? whaaat?

Your test scores are awesome but everything else is good to okay. Your test scores aren’t going to get much better and I doubt adcoms are debating between a 2310 and a 2400. In terms of what to work on, I’d recommend ECs/Volunteering although it’s almost too late for that.

Overall, If you’re an international applicant I’d say a reach/high reach for both. If you’re not, low reach.

Good luck!

4

@go4harvard‌ I’m not sure if you’re serious or not… :slight_smile:
@reddr0p‌ I am not an international applicant. That being said, what would you recommend I do to improve the app?

5

Also, Novel is self published

6

I AM DAMN SERIOUS APPLY ED TO YALE AND U WILL SURELY GET ACCEPTED

7

bump

8

Wow, ECs and stats look great. Your only serious downfall is your GPA, but if you have shown a significant upward trend, you’ll be okay. Ivies are always reaches for everyone, but you look like a great prospective candidate. Good luck your senior year.

9

bump
@dixiemitsy‌ any advice?

10

bump

11

I’m confused. If you’re a junior, how do you know you are National Merit Commended? Is that your estimate based on the historical cutoff? And are those five 5’s on AP exams from sophomore year?

12

@9penn9‌
Well, it depends… What is the rigor of your school??(The Value of Your GPA)

My GPA is probably similar to you and I got a 2330 on the SAT…

13

But hey you have a HIGH chance of being admitted into at least 1 nevertheless…

14

@lifeishard‌ My school is definitely competitive, and I have taken the most rigorous classes offered
@Corinthian‌ The National Merit Commended cutoff has always been around 200-201, and my psat score was much higher than that. State semifinalist cutoffs may be what you are thinking of, and that I will most likely not qualify for. The AP Exam scores are predicted; that being said, I doubt my application will be affected much whether I get a 4 instead of a 5

15

bump
those commenting, please try to keep in mind i’m looking for advice, not as much chances. Please help a fellow CC’er

16

@9penn9‌
Well then yea my school is really hard too… Your scores speak for your GPA…

17

@lifeishard‌ Pardon me, I’m a little confused. What do you mean?
Also, any advice?

18

@9penn9‌
Your scores validate that your school is hard and your GPA is probably equal to a 4.0 at at easier less competitive school…

19

bump

20

Looks great. I would think in terms of outside validation on a national or international scale, if possible.

Can you target competing in and hopefully placing at the NFL competition this spring (and next)? Can you work through your temple to bring back concepts that you learned in the summer Columbia program to Pakistan, and be the catalyst to model a similar program through your temple leadership, here in your hometown- get some buy-in from the leadership and you could advise and implement (something bigger than a youth could do, that can be sustained)? Can you promote your novel through marketing to get a large number of Amazon sales in a single week, then approach a publisher to distribute it more widely using those statistics?

Could you organize a school-wide (or larger) assembly/conversation on Gender differences and how it affects people? Maybe do some joint activity with the LBGT club on campus (if there is one).

Showing an initiative and community involvement, as well as validating your skills in debate, and organizing/influencing to see a sizable project to conclusion could help.

As I said, looks great as is; but you could leverage your activities into the next level to look even better.

Good luck.