Can I get into my reaches?

Applying to College
1

<p>Background: I am a white, female in the upper-middle class. Both my parents attended college. I go to a competitive private school with 100 students per class and 100% college acceptance rate. </p>

<p>GPA: 4.08 weighted (out of 4.3 but we're only allowed to take 1 honors class freshman year so this brings it down); Junior year GPA: 4.18/4.3;
<em>Note: my school does not rank</em></p>

<p>Testing:
SAT:
New – 2220: 720 math, 740 verbal, 760 writing
SATIIs:
Math IIC – 690
US History – 800
Biology M – 750
Spanish - 770</p>

<p>APs:
Calc AB: 5
Biology: 5
Euro: 4
English Lang: 5
Spanish Lang: 4
US History: 5
Chem: 4</p>

<p>Planning on taking: Spanish Lit; Calc BC; Physics</p>

<p>Classes:
AP Spanish Lit
AP Calc BC
Honors Great Books (history)
Honors Physics
Honors English
Advanced Photo</p>

<p>NOTE: My school only offers AP classes in foreign language and math, in all other subjects, the highest class is honors, but you can take the AP from an honors class, so they are basically AP classes. I have taken all possible AP classes.</p>

<p>Honors:
National Merit Semifinalist
CSF all four years
Deans List
American Gastroenterological Grant Recipient
All CIF Academic Scholar
County/State science fair winner</p>

<p>ECs:
-Intern at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition Gene-Nutrient Interaction Core; currently working on my own project with a grant from the American Gastroenterological Association on pancreatic cancer; I will be getting a suplemental recommendation from my advisor
-Girl Scouts since 1st Grade - currently working on Gold Award to be received in December
-JV Basketball 9-11
-JV cross county 11-12
-Hebrew School 4 hours/week since 4th grade
-National Charity League since 7th grade
-Student tutor for eight grade science
-Student Senate Food Commissioner; have held multiple other positions
-Key Club: 9-12 grade
-Newspaper: 10-12 grade
-Folio (Student Publication): 10-12 grade</p>

<p>I would like to go to medical school eventually.</p>

<p>The schools I'm interested in:
Reaches:
-Yale
-UPenn
-Duke
-Stanford
-Columbia
-UCLA
-UC Berekely
-Brown
Matches:
-UMichigan
-Northwestern
-Tufts
Safety:
-UCSB</p>

<p>I realize that my list is pretty top heavy, but I'm most interested in my chances for those schools in particular.</p>

<p>Thanks, challahbckyungn</p>

2

<p>You certainly have as good a shot as anyone at these schools, but you also realize that the schools on your reach list are not a guarantee for anyone. It is not unheard of for stellar candidates to get completely shut out of all the top schools they apply to. I would say you are a likely admit to Michigan and Northwestern, but Tufts doesn't like to be thought of as a safety, so you will have to show a lot of interest in them and convince them you really want to go there. Make sure you spend as much time on your applications for your match as safety schools as you do for your reach. You also might want to pare down the reach list to 4 or 5 where you most want to attend and make sure you present them with very well thought out applications. You will have a difficult time presenting high quality applications to a dozen schools.</p>

3

<p>I'd put Michigan into the safety category (sorry, Alexandre). Berk and UCLA become matches (~50% chance) -- but, they both read essays! SB is a gimme.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the advice!</p>