Can I get into an Ivy League school?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I want to know my chances of getting into an Ivy League school. For a while, I wanted to go to M&T but my ECs don’t really match up and I didn’t get into the M&TSI program for this year. I was wondering which schools I could potentially get into…

so stats:
School - very competitive in my country, and is known in our country for sending off many students to Ivy League. Many APs offered at our school, and we are relatively school (around 200 people per grade)
Rank: N/A
GPA (unweighted): 3.88 at end of sophomore year, but I think I can get a 4.0 or 3.97 junior year, bringing it up to 3.92
– I had a 4.0 GPA freshman year, but didn’t do so well last year, with one B+ and two or so A-s.
SAT: 1550, but may take it again (should I take ACT instead? Is it better to get a 35 then have a 1550 on the SAT?)
AP: Human Geo (5), Biology (4)
SAT II: Math 2 (800), Biology M (800), and am planning to take Chem in June, and Physics in October
Junior classes: AP Micro, AP Macro, AP Chem, Precalc Honors, Physics Honors, AP Lang, AP Chinese, Orchestra & self-study AP Environmental Science
Senior classes (predicted): AP Stats, AP Psychology (might switch for AP World), AP Calc BC, AP Physics C, Religion, Art, Orchestra, Regular English

Awards:
Math modelling competition finalist, school awards in excellence in violin and mathematics, head of school commendation (all a- or a) from 9th grade

ECs:

  • Founder of MIT Launch Club, Math Club
  • Leader of service club where I teach local kids english
  • Secretary of UNICEF, and will be applying for president or vice president for next year
  • Member of math tutoring club
  • Research at a local university in nanotechnology
  • Chemistry olympiad (lab…currently waiting for results but I anticipate good results)

For recs and my essay, I’m not too worried, but Im most worried about my ECs and the little dip I had sophomore year.

And just misc FYI, I’m an Asian female who has exposure to several cultures and can draw from these experiences, and have done well on past summer applications on topics such as this (I made the first round of TASP applications - written).

Thank you so much, and I appreciate all comments and suggestions!

2

You have great stats, but the Ivy League is a reach for everyone. Considering these schools have single-digit admit rates, your odds are not very good. In other words: by all means apply… but also apply to schools that are a match and (above all!) safeties.

Finally – the Ivies are a small consortium of very different schools. Don’t apply to a school just because it’s an Ivy without first making sure the school’s academics, size, location and “vibe” are a good fit. Admissions committees can smell a “prestige hound” a mile away…

3

It doesn’t matter how polished your grades and scores are. Your chances are lousy. After you reach a certain point, all of the applications look identical. Everyone has a 4.0. Everyone has a high SAT. Everyone can right great essays. It’s impossible to stand out, so the whole process becomes a lottery. The one thing they all have in common is that they’re only a college offering a bachelors degree.

4

As the previous posts have stated, you’re definitely on a good path, but there are thousands of applicants like you. I recommend you simply focus on your school and your passions right now. Don’t hang around on College Confidential too much. Especially the “chances” forum; it’s scary out here lol.

Nobody here is really qualified to give you an estimate of your chances. It’s hard what will go into admissions, so take every response here with a grain of salt. Please don’t worry about, or be excited about, what people here have to say (not to discredit anyone).