Can a loser like me get into these top schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm not the most qualified applicant to top schools, but I'm shooting for the stars.</p>

<p>Would chances would I have at:
1. Duke
2. Vanderbilt
3. Georgetown
4. Cornell
5. Northeastern
6. UNC-CH
7. Wake Forest
8. Princeton</p>

<p>These are my stats:</p>

<p>White Male from Minnesota
Decent Public school near St. Paul
Upper Class Income.. expenses are no problem
9th/10th/11th GPA: 3.31
10th/11th GPA: 3.72 (9th grade was not good... but my upward trend is massive.)
Weighted GPA 10th/11th: 3.82
ACT: 29
SAT: 2000
Class Rank: Top 30% (9th grade was bad, otherwise I'd be top 15%.)
I'm quite a writer, since I do it all the time, so I think my essays will be top-of-the-line.</p>

<p>Honors Courses:
- HONORS US History
- HONORS 10th Grade English
- HONORS Advanced Algebra
- AP English Lit.
- HONORS Chemistry (I'm taking the AP Test)
- College Level Anatomy
- AP English Comp.
- AP Psychology
- HONORS Calculus
- AP Spanish Language
- HONORS Economics (maybe micro/macro AP Test)
- HONORS Physics (AP Test)</p>

<ul>
<li>Recs will be really good, since I have great rapports with all my teachers.</li>
</ul>

<p>Extra Curricular Activities:</p>

<p>Varsity Cross Country (6 years)
- Captain
- Hosted several team events</p>

<p>Varsity Track ( 4 years)
- Captain 2 years</p>

<p>-PT Job at Department Store since June '08</p>

<p>Intro. Med. Residential Program @ U-Wisconsin this summer... in August.
- This was competetive to get into.</p>

<p>Environmental Club (2 years so far)
- minor volunteering
- possible president next year?</p>

<p>School Band (5 years)
- Pep Band
- Section leader
- Orchestra Ensemble
- Jazz Ensemble- 2 years</p>

<p>Piano (13 years)
-Participated in various recitals/ competitions.. no awards.</p>

<p>Guitar ( 3 years)
- Been teaching myself</p>

<p>MSWE Leadership Team (Model Students With Enthuisiasm)
-Red Ribbon Week President (Organized an anti-drug and alcohol themed week of activities for the school.)
- Active in community volunteering through this program.
- Elected on to the Executive Board</p>

<p>WEB (Where Everybody Belongs)
- Group Leader.. volunteered to assist underclassmen with adapting to a new school
- Did twice as much volunteering than anyone else</p>

<p>Junior Leadership Team Advisory (meets daily as an advisory)</p>

<p>Senior Leadership Team Advisory (sequls JLT)</p>

<p>Peer Tutors (Roughly 3-4 hours weekly)</p>

<p>Student Senate (Elected for Junior Year)
- Hoping to work up to President or Vice by senior Year</p>

<p>Fall Musical (will be 3 years)
- Medium sized roles, likely a lead role junior or senior year</p>

<p>Winter One-Act Play Competition (2 years)
- Small roles. This just gives me something to do in the winter.</p>

<p>Student Ambassadors (Freshman Year)</p>

<p>I write novels in my spare time. My longest was 210 pages. I want to get something published soon.</p>

<p>I am a dedicated rower.. I row 4-6 times a week in the summer, and 3-4 times in the school year.</p>

<p>So, what do you think? What are my chances for those schools?</p>

2

<p>You need to take 3 SAT II's if you want any chance of getting into Princeton or G-town.
Duke, Vanderbilt, Cornell, and Northeastern are reaches.
I don't know about the other schools</p>

3

<p>yeah...those are big reaches with even with your SAT''s only. To make up for your GPA, I suggest you boost up your standardized tests up to 32+ or 2100+</p>

4

<p>lmao...northwestern is NOT a reach ;)</p>

5

<p>Post #4 may have confused Northwestern University near Chicago with Boston's Northeastern University. NU=Northwestern Univ. in Evanston would be a definite reach, while Boston's Northeastern would not be a reach.
P.S. It is a bit easier to offer chances advice/opinions if the SAT scores are broken out by section, and if the intended major course of study is specified.</p>

6

<p>You seem like you're on a good upward trajectory, congratulations.</p>

<p>If I were you I would focus on solid school that aren't top 30. Your stats are top 10%-15%, but those schools generally require top 5% (and Princeton top 1% as an acadmic qualifier, and then still reject 80% of those based on EC and leadership). Your stats match to schools ranked about 40-60. A great essay and great recs can move that up 5-10 spots, but that's about it.</p>

<p>Wake ane NE are reach/match (30-40%). The rest are under 10% chance each.</p>

7

<p>I'd think are all reaches with the exception of Northeastern which is probably a low match and Wake Forest which I'd say is a match/low reach.</p>

<p>For the rest, you definitely need to boost up your test scores to compensate for any lack in GPA.</p>