Can I get into the Ivies?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi, I'm a sophomore in high school and I'd really appreciate if someone could give me an honest answer as to whether I'm capable of being accepted by the most selective colleges in the country. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>School:
-I go to the #4 public school in New Jersey
-Ranked around 3rd or 4th in my class
-3.94 GPA (one A minus in freshman year)
-Planning to finish AP US 1, AP US 2, AP chemistry, AP bio, AP physics (calculus based), AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP English lit, AP English lang, AP music theory, AP spanish and AP french throughout high school
-SAT score of 2380 (i can take it again if needed)
-Will probably make NHS next year
-Concertmistress (soloist in the front) of school orchestra</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- Model United Nations (officer)
- Mock Trial (competititions, etc)
- Interact Community Service (5k runs, etc)
- Chamber Orchestra
- Regional and All State Orchestra (will probably make it next year too)
- Future Business Leaders of America</p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
- Princeton University Hospital
- Local library
- 5k runs, senior centers through Interact club</p>

<p>Miscellaneous:
-Indian classical music since the age of 4
-Travel to India every winter break to give full-length concerts
-Won over 25 competitions in Indian music
-Devote around 8 hours a week to this art form
-Performed a benefit concert and raised $10,000 for charity</p>

<p>-Fluent in 4 languages (English, Tamil, French, Spanish)
-Lived abroad in London, England for 4 years (possible essay topic?)</p>

<p>-Scripps National Spelling Bee '09</p>

<p>-Beginning research for Intel science competition: my topic of choice is neuroscience and I have a mentor at Rusk Institute (NYU)
-May apply for Columbia University Science Honors program</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

2

<p>You poor child. Yes, it sounds like you have a shot.</p>

3

<p>2380 and ur thinking of taking it again ??? … Hilarious … chill ull get thru</p>

4

<p>Your music and music-related volunteer work is the most compelling part of your application. Make sure that you don’t spend less time on those as your schedule fills up with harder classes and honors societies.</p>

5

<p>Thank you, everyone. I’m not as neurotic as I seem in the post, promise :slight_smile: does anyone else have opinions?</p>

6

<p>■■■■■.</p>

<p>You’ve been in High school for a year and 3 months and you’ve taken the SAT?
“India every winter break”</p>

<p>You’ve had 2 winter breaks.</p>

<p>Anything you’ve done before high school is over negligible significance to your application.</p>

7

<p>I’m not a ■■■■■, you can shut up. It’s common to take the SATs before junior year, you evidently aren’t aware of that. And by every winter break, I do mean before high school as well. But then again, I don’t care what you have to say since you’re only here to spew hate.</p>

8

<p>shyams,
New posters with very high stats, especially younger ones (like sophomores) are sometimes seen as braggarts or ■■■■■■. I am NOT saying that is true for you— just trying to explain the post above. Absolutely do not retake the SAT unless it was for the Duke TIP program and you took is a few years ago. That won’t count. SAT scores are good for only 5 years.</p>

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<p>jym626 I took them last year, and thanks for the explanation. i don’t see why high stats= ■■■■■■, though- there are people on this site with far higher stats than mine. thanks though :)</p>

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<p>There are plenty of folks with high stats around here, thats for sure, but again new poster, young poster, lots of ECs, planned APs, with very high SAT taken very early and questions the need to retake is often a red flag. You are doing fine. Just remember that the chances of getting into the tippy top schools are around 1:10, and there are lots of very competitive candidates. Hang in there!</p>

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<p>How are you #3/4 in your class if you got a 2380? You should be val</p>

12

<p>OP is a good test-taker, for sure. Not necessarily correlates with GPA or class rank. There could be other great test takers and students</p>

13

<p>me and grades…we’re not best friends. hahah and jym626 you’re right. aryus- sorry i have high stats, you might wanna try working on your own.</p>

14

<p>This isn’t real… (and for future reference, next time you’re creating fake stats, at least say what your rank is out of… You could be 3 out of 5 and we never would have known.)</p>

<p>nice try</p>

15

<p>guys, seriously. if you want to message me privately, i can verify that it’s real. my rank is 3 or 4 out of 450. i’m not sure why the stats are surprising, there are better candidates even in my own school district. please stop being disrespectful.</p>

16

<p>What are AP US 1 and AP US 2? Are those separate courses at your school?</p>

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<p>Since when is this how class rank works?</p>

18

<p>yeahh, my school’s a bit weird. really US1 doesn’t count as an AP because it’s a two-year course that leads to the APUSH exam.</p>

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<p>@glassesarechic: there are many people I know who have stellar grades yet don’t do so hot on the SATs, but i can see how the quoted user is surprised. i’m not doing as well as i should in school.</p>

20

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<p>That was not my point. Assuming this kid has ambitions (which he does by the mere fact of his posting a chance thread as a sophmore) and assuming he’s smart (which he is from his 2380), I would expect valedictorian status. That’s all.</p>