<p>I'm a rising senior and as the title states, I really want to attend either stanford or Cal. I was just wondering what realistic chances I have in getting into either of these schools.
Here are my stats:</p>
<p>Black
Child of a marine ( does this help at all? )
I've moved around quite a bit(by the end of senior year I will have attended 3 high schools )
I'm a foster child
1990 SAT
M: 600 CR: 660 W: 730
4.0 unweighted
APWH: 5
APUSH:?
AP Lit: ?
During my senior year I will take 3 other AP classes</p>
<p>I'm a good writer, and not to be cocky but I think that my essays will be exceptional.
JV volleyball 2 years
Varsity volleyball 1 year
BSU a lot of involvement (Vice President sophomore year and I plan on becoming an officer again)
Track ( junior year)
Tutoring someone in Spanish 1( paid job)
Basketball stats person ( paid job)
Summer program GetSet
Orchestra ( viola and violin)
Battle of the classes (freshman year) (which was pretty much like a sport in terms of time involvement)
Volunteer work
-Bras for the cause (cancer walk)
-with my school's marching band
- at an elementary school
-and I plan on volunteering during the summer and stuff)</p>
<p>Ohh and
SAT 2:
World History: 650
Bio: 660
Us History: 690</p>
<p>I think you may have a chance at caltech, but to be honest I don’t think you have any chance at stanford.</p>
<p>being black will help you, but try to raise your M and CR to 700s, also try to build your ECs, and what about SAT II?</p>
<p>You’re scores are pretty low, but nothing is impossible.</p>
<p>I see. I’m going to apply EA to stanford to raise my chances slightly. And in regards to my scores, I know that my sat 2s or horrible but I’ve only taken the regular SAT once with a week of preparation with a PSAT prep book and th SAT website so I’m pretty sure I can raise my CR to a 700 but with math who knows:( and how many EC’s is a person suppossed to have ?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well, you know what they say about snowflakes - they’re all unique, too.</p>
<p>Your SAT scores, while low, can be raised by retaking the exam, provided that you get a chance. There is no particular number of ECs you are supposed to have, but in general, an admissions committee looks favorably on a demonstrated commitment towards a cause or a common thread in your activities, which I cannot discern here. (You should definitely elaborate on the common thread in your ECs, if there is one, on any extra space given on the Common App). Since you have a rather difficult situation - moving around multiple times in high school is never easy - I think that you may receive some consideration that takes that fact into account, but try not to present yourself while anticipating such a perception. </p>
<p>In short, you should:
- Raise your SAT scores.
- Look for a coherent narrative behind your school activities.
- Make sure your essay is as good as you say it will be. :)</p>
<p>As for your chances at Stanford and Caltech, I think they could be boosted, but right now, they’re not spectacularly high. 
Best of luck, though!</p>
<p>I meant Cal as in UC berkeley lol. But anywho I put the most effort into BSU, vball, and Orchestra. Should I write an essay about my EC’s or…</p>
<p>hey Cal gives no preference based on race so that won’t give you a boost and i am not sure about being from a military family though. there sat 25% and 75% for this year’s admitted class are
Reading: 620-740
Math: 660-770
Writing: 650-750</p>
<p>so you can see that you NEED to raise your math significantly and the reading could definitely use a bump as well. Did you take the hardest classes available to you? i know that will be hard to tell because you moved so much, but if at anypoint in the application you can state how you took the hardest available to you that will definitely help your chances at Cal. Also, you only get like 5 ECs to put on the app so you will want to narrow down to the most important ones. Good Luck</p>
<p>Heya. African-American going to UC Berkeley here.</p>
<p>Your scores seem fine. I’ve seen 17xx’s to 23xx’s. Mine was 18xx. My SAT II’s were also lower than yours by a pinch.</p>
<p>I believe I got in on my uniqueness and purpose. This was shown through my essays and my ECs.</p>
<p>ECs:
- Founding group of a youth healthcare club at Scripps (T-shirt designer, co-leader of school chapter)
- Founding class’s advertisements designer (first Prom, first Senior Project exhibition, etc.)
- One of two anchors on school’s announcements show
- Founding group of my school’s LARP club (Live Action Roleplaying)
- Created animations (traditional)/parodies to help teach Biology</p>
<p>Those are just some of my ECs. A lot of it is due to be being part of the inaugural class, but still, it’s a little different that a list of, say, just sports or AP scholar, National Merit Woohah, etc.</p>
<p>My essays were about how I wanted to create art for the sake of education, specifically helping people understand the different sciences. I also tied that subject and the concept of “students as wheels of swiss cheese” in my optional UC essay.</p>
<p>Show yourself in your writing, but be FUN. Don’t stick your nose up in the air. Have fun with it! It’s the easiest way to seem different.</p>
<p>Hope that helps. :D</p>
<p>Foster care = adversity, which always helps, admissions anyway.</p>
<p>How did things turn out? Where did you get in? Where did you go?</p>