Chance a Junior! (and help cut down my ridiculous college list)

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Alright, so basically, i'm a junior and i really need advice about how to become competitive for my top college picks. and i have quite a few of them. So thank you, in advance, for taking the time to read this. Please chance me for my top picks and perhaps, help me narrow the list....or maybe even suggest a few more lol</p>

<ol>
<li>Princeton! (possible SCEA)</li>
<li>Caltech (possible EA)</li>
<li>Yale (possible SCEA)</li>
<li>Harvard (possible SCEA)</li>
<li>Cornell (MAYBE ED if it's worth it....probably not though.)</li>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>UPenn</li>
<li>UChicago</li>
<li>Northwestern</li>
<li>UMich (EA if allowed)</li>
<li>UIUC (will apply priority if allowed, just to be safe)</li>
</ol>

<p>And yes, i know my SATs suck.....they're from freshman year, when i didn't know what i was taking until i looked it up on collegeboard after i took it. That's definitly going to be step one on my road to the Ivies. </p>

<p>I'm a 15 year old Indian male from Illinois (skipped a grade). I go to a completely new school that opened my freshman year. Unlike many of my peers, I try to create opportunities that aren't availible in a regular public high school experience....it gets kinda hard, though, when you can't find a teacher or adult to sponsor an idea. </p>

<p>I can speak English, Telugu, a tiny bit of Hindi, and i'm getting closer to becoming fluent in Chinese. </p>

<p>The majors that i'm most intrested in are Astrophysics (where possible), Physics, and Mathematics. Also, if the college offers it, i'd like to minor in Chinese or East Asian Studies.</p>

<p>SAT I: 2000 combined, 620 CR, 660 W, 720 M. (Note: this SAT was from freshman year; my scores have likely skyrocketed since then. Numerous practice tests have told me i'm in the 2200-2300 range now, and i have started some SAT coaching programs as well. and of course, i'm consistently averaging an 800 in math now ;) )</p>

<p>SAT II: Haven't taken yet, but I will take Math II and either Physics or Chemistry. </p>

<p>ACT: 32 Composite, 31 English, 35 Math, 31 Reading, 32 Science, 30 English w/ Writing (got a 9 on writing). </p>

<p>GPA: 4.5 (w), 3.79 (uw). However, i've heard that Princeton, Berkeley, and UMich don't consider freshman year GPA.....if that's the case, 4.64 (w), 3.93 (uw)</p>

<p>Additional School Stuff: Only B i've ever gotten in a SCIENCE class was freshman biology. hopefully, that doesn't hurt my app too much. I've also been forging a new science curriculum for myself....there has been no precedent to anyone ever taking AP Physics and Chem in Junior year, but because i go to a new school i've been trying to set precedents and take the toughest science courseload i can. </p>

<p>Class Rank: My school does not provide class rank anymore, but I'm in at least the top 5% of a 650+ student body. </p>

<p>APs: Freshie year: Computer Science, 4. Human Geography, 5. </p>

<p>Sophomore year: European History, 5. </p>

<p>Junior year: Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Chemistry, Language and Composition, US History, Calculus BC. </p>

<p>Senior Year: US Government and Politics, Comparitive Government and Politics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Literature and Composition, Biology, and probably Art History (self taught)and Psych (self taught). Also, will be taking Calculus III in conjunction with the University of Illinois....although it's not an AP, it's worth mentioning :P</p>

<p>Volunteering: Volunteered with an FEA tutoring station at my school, along with feed my starving children.....probably 40 hours or less in total. I'll probably find a way to bring that up, though. </p>

<p>ECs: </p>

<p>Math Team - Leader for 2, most probably 3 years (by end of senior year). Achievements include 2nd place at regionals freshman year, making state freshman year, leading 2 teams to 3rd at confrence sophomore year, and MANY more to come junior year. </p>

<p>Science Olympiad - Leader for 1, most probably 2 years. Main event is Astronomy, I also partake in technical problem solving and protein modeling (and whatever else my coach tells me to do). Being a new program, we have yet to achieve anything except for the 2011 Spirit award.....with me at the helm next year, hopefully that will improve. </p>

<p>Scholastic/Quiz bowl - Varsity player for 2, probably 3 years. Started off as a reserve jv player, worked my way up with tremendous studying and the like. I have attended a couple of camps for the purpose of increasing my ability at quizbowl, I have definitly improved a lot. Achievements include 2011 Turnabout Tournament All-Tournament (Answered the most tossups), won 2011 Confrence Tournament, 2011 Regionals Tournament, came 3rd at 2011 Masonic Regionals (earning us $200).</p>

<p>Tennis - JV player for 1, probably 3 years. Made the team freshman year, didn't make it sophomore year. I pretty much view tennis as a fun sport, and i'm definitly not extremely serious about it. I have gone to a lot of clinics and coaches to improve my skills, though. I possess 1 JV letter. </p>

<p>Religious Group - I am Hindu, and have helped form a group from the ground up. Since then, we've had 3 public concerts, with attendance ranging from 50-400 people. We have performed at the Chicago Telugu Association, in front of famous actors from India. At that same performance, we earned a cameo on an international television channel (TV9 in India)that was broadcasting the CTA performances. </p>

<p>Chinese - By far, my biggest EC. i'm coming closer and closer to being able to speak the language fluently. My speech and tones are both superb; my writing, while sloppy, is pretty good as well. My teacher recognized my talents early and sent me to a Chinese speech competition in freshman year....which i pulled a gold medal in, without much effort. I promptly did the same in sophomore year, and my gold medal run probably won't end. Next year, if i excel with the speech competition, I will probably earn an all-expense paid scholarship to Taiwan to study. I have also done lots of translating for Chinese ambassadors from Beijing that visited our school. I helped them learn about the American education system and culture, and in the process, i got to know about theirs.</p>

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<p>How/why did you start learning chinese? I find it strange for an Indian guy. You’re only a junior, and it’s tough to say much without having final gpa/SAT scores. But if you are in track, your academic record should be midrange so it’s not really competitive, but won’t keep you out. ECs are hard to judge because a lot can happen before college apps. So far, they are pretty weak, but that could just be because you have not given enough time to delve into your interests. Just work on those things. Regardless, as of now, schools like HYPS, Caltech, Brown, and Penn look very tough. Even u chic. At this point, U Mich and UI are the only safeties/matches. You NEED more low reaches and matches.</p>

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<p>what would make my ECs more appealing, do you think? i’m pretty focused on my current ECs and i’m trying to achieve in THOSE rather than be a jack of all trades. of course, being a new school, achievement on a high level is considerably harder, but a scholarship to Taiwan next year would DEFINITLY help my case, at least i think. </p>

<p>my final GPA will probably be from 3.81-3.86 uw, and much higher weighted. stupid freshman year grades screwed me over. and you’re definitly right about SAT scores. </p>

<p>what low reaches and matches would you recommend? i really like UMich and UIUC, the latter is in state, but the former is a better overall college.</p>

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<p>also, my school offers Chinese as a language. being a risk taker, i decided to try it. it has been one of the most positive experiences i could ever have with a language, and has opened up many international opportunities for me, such as the scholarship to Taiwan, or translating for delegates from Beijing.</p>

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<p>lol… how is taking a language suddenly a risky endeavor? And I’m going to be honest, I don’t see how you tried to be unique in high school. Honestly, you did what the typical Indian does. Math/Science clubs and tennis. The religion activity might help, but that’s hard to say because I’m not too sure how colleges look at religious activities as extracurriculars.</p>

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<p>i would think the myriad of achievements i have in Chinese would help…am i wrong?</p>

<p>and when you’re in 8th grade, and everyone else is taking spanish or french, and all of a sudden they say “hey, we have chinese, too!” and nobody takes it…it seemed like a big risk at the time XD</p>

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<p>OH, i forgot to put down another one of my ECs/hobbies. </p>

<p>Poetry: I’m a huge creative writer. i’ve written quite a bit of poetry in general. people tell me it’s good. i’d say it’s okay, i don’t know if i’ll use it on my arts supplement or not, but i may. no big awards or publications yet, though i may get a small book published later.</p>

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<p>^^Sorry, it depends on the school. My school offers a bunch of languages, so it’s not a big deal. As for getting involved with it, that’s unique I guess but I don’t see the risk. I’m not saying it’s not cool or anything, but I’d avoid classifying it as a risk.</p>

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<p>okay, it’s not a risk. but does it help at all that i will earn an international scholarship and have translated for delegates?</p>

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<p>Yes, it will.</p>

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<p>thanks for your input. i’m trying NOT to be a “typical indian applicant” but it gets kinda hard when you’re really into science ancd stuff…any suggestions regarding my college list, or what i should do next year to help my case?</p>

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<p>Hey!
kay…so here’s my take on ur chancing.
Take a look at your list. Majority of them are ivy. This is a problem. GO for any ivy, but its seems to be your the type thats just shooting for ivy because its ivy. dont do that…research more one each of the colleges…and look at what they are offering you. h
u got the gpa down…and u sound confident on your sat skills.
Your extracurriculars are excellent in some places: olympiad, jv, and the scholastic
the problem? its excellent…but its screaming AWESOME!!!
you need to concentrate more on doing activities that are related with the majors you wanna take in college. This helps you really shine. majority of students try getting in contact with a professor at a nearby college to work on a research project. this shows dedication and commitment. the colleges want to know WHY ur applying and HOW their school is going to help YOU THE MOST. in otherwors, "why should we pick you out a pool of thousands of ppl that are all olympiad winners, valedictorians, isef finalists, etc etc. believe me…there are a lot of kids that have the above + president spots :slight_smile:
advice—dont put emphasis on volunteering…they know that ppl do this…unless you did something really exceptional then go ahead and stress on it. otherwise just state it in a sentence and let it go.
same thing goes for the religious group. Im sorry…but honestly a lot of indians do stuff like that. kuchipudi and kathak dancers go to tana events and perform live…and recieve twice as much medals in a month then the average kid. take it from an indian who knows :smiley: …mention it…dont stress on it.
the chinese thing would help if you know how to play it correctly. get what im meaning?
if ur a junior…get ALL 5 on ALL ap exams this yr and senior. dont aim for 4 if ur aiming for ivy…forget it…most dont even offer partial credit.
You honestly are the typical applicant that apply. take my advice…look for a professor.
oh yeah…poetry…:slight_smile: i like that cuz i love writing poetry…try entering some national contests…they pay off in the long run…trust me…i should know! :o
haha sorry if im being too serious or too harsh :slight_smile:
anyways good luck with applying!</p>

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<p>haha mistake…meant its NOT screaming AWESOME</p>

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<p>thanks for your extremely well thought out opinion, PaniRap!</p>

<p>I honestly like most of the ivy league schools because they are so fantastic with the sciences, especially astrophysics. I mean, come on, MIT doesn’t even have an established astronomy department, but many of the ivies i’m considering have amazing astro programs - or at least, awesome physics programs. </p>

<p>hahah, you got me on the CTA stuff :wink: i mean, of course classical dancers are a lot more talented than i am, but wouldn’t most adcoms jump at the sight of “performed on international television?” not saying that we’re the greatest group in the world, just trying to play it as the biggest hook it can become. </p>

<p>i definitly know that i’m going to play chinese correctly. i know i’m going to write an essay on it and how it even plays in with science and math…i’m already brainstorming essay topics. too early? naaahhhh :P</p>

<p>Which national poetry contests should i enter, do you think? which ones are the best ones? i’m not naturally a competitive writer, i do it for enjoyment. that being said, i think my poems surely stand a CHANCE at competitions. </p>

<p>Also, could you give me more info about researching with professors? i honestly don’t know what sort of email i should send out, or to who, or anything of the sort. I posted a thread about research in high school before, but everyone seems to think that it’s a waste of time. i certainly don’t think so; i just am at a loss of what to do. </p>

<p>woohoo! 100th post!
anyways, thank you so much!</p>

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<p>Try to apply to research internships. You can make connections and get more research later on.</p>

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<p>To get an internship the key thing is connections, that’s how you can get a really unique And cool application. Knowing people is key to get into any school. You sound like a competitive applicant but it seems like your list is ivy focused only, there are great non ivy schools you should apply to, like duke or cal schools. PaniRap gives you huge good points, and if you are interested in astrophysics try to see if you can find a prof near you who can help you or seek NASA internships, which even though they are very hard to get, really set you apart. Definitely try to meet people in astrophysics and astronomy and seek their advice for things to do. Good luck from a fellow Indian :)</p>

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<p>It’s hard to tell since you don’t. Have your final gpa or sat. But if you say you can your sat in the 2200-2300 range that will really help. Also, I think that the multiple languages helps as well as well as your EC’s. But in your junior year, do as much as you can but stay focused on your studies and get that good SAT you say you can get and you have a good chance. Best of luck!!</p>

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<p>I was pretty interested until I got to your ECs. Other than your Chinese skill, which is really cool, all of your listed schools will be getting thousands of you as applicants. Try and stand out. Yes, it’s good to have activities geared towards your passion, but it also looks awesome when you demonstrate passion for something else. An Indian male who has proficiency and passion in theatre is as good as being black (seriously, I have admissions officers from top schools calling my house). Take your junior year to explore a bit.</p>

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<p>but that’s just the thing, the only things i like other than math and science that stand out are Chinese and poetry. and i MAY join a Youth and Government group but i don’t think that will help me too much…</p>

<p>@undercover: as much as i’d love to participate in a NASA internship, i think it’s too late for that this year… :frowning: also, NASA’s regular internship program, SHARP, was suspended due to lack of funding, which sucks.</p>

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<p>No problemo :stuck_out_tongue:
yep, no worries…you have to try and play it out to get your name out there. im just trying to give you a heads up so you dont totally crash and burn ou there :slight_smile: jk jk…you definatly stand a chance!
well…its good that ur not an ivy name brander then. thats a definite first though…astrophysics hmmm…i like it…i like it :slight_smile:
if you love poetry ( and you better! -_-) then there is a search engine created just for you that’ll get you to 1000 dollars in cash prizes if you win the contest. to get it to…go to the url and type the following in the url: [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.google.com%5DGoogle%5B/url”&gt;http://www.google.com]Google[/url</a>]. then type in “national peotry contests, or (insert state name) poetry contests for teenagers.”
its very hard but i think you have the skill to do it :stuck_out_tongue:
do what i do, post your poems on teen ink.com. dont worry, these guys actually dont cheat your work off of you. its a website for teenagers who like writing. its like this website…ppl post poems…and you get feedback when you ask for it. its pretty awesome…that way ull improve your writing abilities. btw my poems are posted on there as well underneath PaniRap :slight_smile: itll help. satisfaction guarenteed~ well…almost. so dont worry, about ur poems being okay or not good enough. you have to suck it up, and be like, " yeah i like poetry so im gonna entry wheather you like it or not!" so then when you win something y’ll be like, “yep…knew it…what now~!”
*sigh, person…its a normal email. you just have to get rid of slang and act all professional and make it seem you know like what your talking about. just say hi, introduce yourself (dont give out too much info), state what ur interested in, ask if they can help you and then finish off by giving a sincere heartfelt thanks to them for talking time off their busy lives to read the email (no seriously). thats all there’s to it. itll take time for them to get back to you. oh yeah…get their emails by getting on nearby university websites.
again its all about googling nearby colleges…universities…and find professors names and their contact info. since your a first timer itll take a lot of effort at first but then ull get lucky!
it wont be a waste of time. do the email thing first. hmm…chicage…dang i keep forgetting this one university name there…well its been a while.
anyways good luck :)</p>