Chance a Canadian

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am from Canada, so go easy on me.
I have had no access to AP's, and there are much less competitions, national academic awards and stuff like that. I'm looking to study physics, and am applying to Harvard, MIT, Columbia, and UPenn (as well as lots of Canadian schools, but I'm not very worried about them).
Anyways:</p>

<p>SAT I:
Reading-760
Math-760
Writing-780</p>

<p>SAT II:
Literature-750
Physics-750
MathII-770</p>

<p>Senior Year Marks:
Philosophy 100, Advanced Function 98, Physics 97, Calculus and Vectors 97, Biology 93, Chemistry 94, Religious Studies 96, English 91</p>

<p>School:
I go to a Jewish high school that has, as my guidance counselor likes to say, a "rigorous double curriculum program". We basically take 7 general studies courses and 4 Jewish studies courses every year. However, three of the Jewish studies courses are amalgamated into a single credit, and I also have a spare, so below only 8 classes are listed. It's a tough school: it's hard to get good marks. Though they do pad them in senior year. My school doesn't report rank, so try to base your chancing on GPA alone (which I guess would be a 4.0, considering my school doesn't weight).</p>

<p>EC's:
-played piano for last decade, only accompanist for school musical for last two years, volunteered at local retirement home playing music last four years, played music with band in school talent show last three years, played in live show once
-studied shotokan Karate for last decade, first degree black belt, still take weekly lessons
-interfaith dialogue program (I'm Jewish) in junior year through school
-JCY Model UN sophomore, Yeshiva University Model UN senior year
-competing in Shalhevet Freier Physics Safe Competition last year and this year (run by the Weizmann Institute in Israel)
-Kids Help Phone Student Ambassador Leader: makes presentations at local schools to raise awareness, raises funds for the charity, trains future student ambassadors at conferences
-Head of the school chess club this year (member last two years)
-I play community houseleague hockey and basketball
-I write for a weekly Bible newsletter at school (I don't write every week, but they publish weekly)</p>

<p>Awards and Stuff:
-last year I had the top marks in my school for the University of Waterloo's Avogadro Contest (chemistry), U of W's Fermat Contest (math), and the Sun Life Financial Mathematics Open Competition
-Honor Roll for grades 9 and 10, Scholastic Award for grade 11 (higher honor roll)</p>

<p>Summers:
-last summer I participated in the WCIT Leadership Training Program at Camp Wenonah. Wenonah is run by the president of the Canadian Camping Association (and a member of the board of the World Camping Federation). It's a pretty intense program that teaches public speaking, child psychology, and lots of cool leadership skills and styles
-two summers ago I was in the POLARIS Leadership Training Program, also at Wenonah. We get officially certified in swimming, canoeing, and sailing, and also learn kayaking, archery, and some other stuff. The whole group (split into parts) goes on a week-long canoe trip. I wrote my CommonApp essay about that (but not in the cliched "outward bound" way, but with a cool philosophical take based on Eastern mysticism)</p>

<p>Sorry for the weird syntax: I wrote this very quickly.</p>

<p>What do you think my chances are? Roughly?</p>

2

<p>well your achievements are impressive but there really is no certainty with these schools. so this is vague but i think you have a better shot than most people to get in. sorry i couldnt be more helpful. if you can get something published by a high level publication it would significantly increase your chances other than that, it looks like you’ve done everything they ask for</p>

3

<p>also i like your screen name haha</p>

4

<p>He’s one of my favorite characters, next to Hurley and Jin. :slight_smile:
Also, I see what you’re saying about having “better” chances. Because I’m Canadian, they might not expect so much from me. Maybe. I don’t really know.</p>

5

<p>well not even because you’re Canadian, technically theyre not supposed to factor that into any admissions decisions. you just have good grades man, lol better than a lot of americans i would say. without doing any research, i would say you have the best chance at UPenn just because it is statistically less competitive than the others you mentioned. like i said before, i think your stats are there, its just that since these schools receive such a huge number of applicants, they look beyond grades for distinguishing factors.</p>

<p>and my favorite character was charlie, i was pretty bummed when he died…of course i’m a little behind in the show (still on season 5) so please, no spoilers! haha</p>

6

<p>They expect as much from Canadians as anyone. They will look at all of your grades from 9-12. you have good scores. If your grades/rank are equally good, you’ll be in the running.</p>

7

<p>I’m canadian too and I want to apply to Columbia too and your grades and scores are a million times better thn mine. I think they do look at academics a lot and you’ve got that covered. So you’re good to go.</p>

8

<p>Are you a mountie? That would definitely help your chances. O Canadaaa</p>