Chance a rising senior for Ivies?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>It's coming - the dreaded college app season. The stress. The anxiety. The wait.</p>

<p>Before I get into all the stats and such, I'll talk about what I want to study. I'm interested in scientific research as well as business, and medicine has been an increasingly interesting career to me as well. So I'd like to have the option for good research opportunities as an undergrad, while having the option to go into premed later if I want. Business and history are cool too, but more of a minor focus compared to science, which I plan to major in - probably chemistry or biology.</p>

<p>**Schools: **Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Dartmouth, Columbia, UChicago, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Duke, UVA, potentially Yale, definitely my state school</p>

<p>Objective Stuff
- SAT: 2360 (800R, 800W, 760M, 1st sitting)
- ACT w/writing: 36 (1st sitting)
- Subject Tests: Math II 800, Chemistry 790, probably another one soon
- GPA: 3.9/4.0 UW, 4.7/5.0 W
- Rank: school does not rank
- Courseload: Took a lot of AP/IB classes, probably the most rigorous courseload that our school offers, but only a few of the tests so far so I won't talk about those...I will have had a lot more IBs than AP test scores.
- Others: IB Diploma Candidate.</p>

<p>Major Awards
- Intel ISEF Finalist & Fourth Place Winner
- National Spanish Exam Gold Medal</p>

<p>Minor Awards
- Regional/state FBLA awards
- Regional/state National History Day awards
- Regional/state science fair awards
- School departmental awards</p>

<p>School Extracurriculars
- FBLA/Business Club (President 2 years, Secretary 2 years)
- Video news broadcast (President 2 years)
- Spanish Club (PR Manager, 3 years)
- National Honor Society (3 years)
- Freshman Orientation LINK Leader (2 years)</p>

<p>Non-School Extracurriculars
- Scientific research intern at local university (1 year, as junior)
- Paid medical research intern at hospital, which is nationally recognized, as part of a program that primarily accepted undergrads and med students (this summer)
- Principal flutist in local youth orchestra (Principal 2 years, member 5 years and all throughout high school)
- Congressman's youth advisory board (3 years)</p>

<p>Volunteering
- Approx. 300 hours (local hospital mostly, some random things too)</p>

<p>Other Stuff
- School type: public, 500 per class
- Ethnicity: Asian American
- Gender: Female
- Income: ~130k</p>

<p>Thanks so much! Really, all your advice/comments/etc. are appreciated. I tried not to include any of my opinions in the first part of this post so that you'd be as objective as possible when chancing me. So here's my opinion-loaded question for the very end; if you don't want to answer and just chance, that's fine too!</p>

<p>I'm especially unsure of where to apply EA; I love Harvard, period, but don't know if it'd really be a good school to apply early to because part of me wants to apply early to a school where I'll have a better chance at, so I'll have an acceptance under my belt before April. But Harvard was absolutely lovely and the financial aid is great, and I really would 100% accept if I get in, so it's a big dilemma. What do you think - apply EA to Harvard or not? If not, then what other schools do you think would be good alternatives? (I've got a few in mind but want to hear your opinions first).</p>

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<p>If you love Harvard a lot apply EA, worst that could happen is you get rejected or deferred then you just apply regular to the other schools.
Overall very good chances for all those schools assuming you have good recs and essay
Columbia’s science and liberal arts program is excellent.</p>

3

<p>I’d like to reiterate what bandgeek said. You have wonderful chances! (Congrats on the Intel by the way. I know saw quite a few of this year’s finalists… maybe one too many during Harvard Visitas. :P)</p>

<p>If I were you, I’d apply to Harvard EA (though, I’m biased, so maybe take my advice with a grain of salt). As you probably know, EA applications generally have higher acceptance rates, so it’s easier for you to get in. (Now, this is generally. Since this is the first year that Harvard is bringing back the EA option, no one really knows.) But if you really do like Harvard, then it’ll be beneficial for you to take the chance. You’ll get a shot at better admissions chances, and a “second chance” to get in if deferred. If accepted… well, prepare to celebrate, eh? :)</p>

4

<p>You’ve got some good accomplishments under your belt and are qualified for most of your top choices. As a science-oriented Asian American applying to such schools, the odds will be against you. On the one hand I wouldn’t be surprised if you got into a schools like HYPSM, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if you were not accepted to several. It’s mainly because as an Asian doing science, you’re not really diversifying the student body and your main highlight is Intel which is amazing, but won’t push you over the edge considering lack of development in other areas. For the other schools you should be fine though. Work on those essays!</p>

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<p>were you a fourth place winner at ISEF or some regional fair? theres a difference there.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input, everyone! yuechen, congrats on Harvard. :)</p>

<p>@dblazer, I understand what you’re saying, but wouldn’t my other extracurriculars help to distinguish me a little bit? I wasn’t purely involved in science in high school - on the contrary, apart from research, I didn’t really do any science clubs in high school, preferring business and other clubs. Would you explain what you mean precisely by “lack of development in other areas”? I really don’t mean to sound defensive; I’d just like to know better what you’re saying. :)</p>

<p>@andrewsun1994, 4th at ISEF.</p>

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<p>@batfan, I think what dblazer tried to say is that you have a harder time getting into the top schools no matter what your application looks like. That’s just the way that the game works (being an Asian male, I understand your frustration). However, I can assure you that there are plenty of Asians who get into Harvard each year. As I said, I met plenty of Intel finalists who did in fact get accepted also. Your scores are astounding, your activities are astounding, you have good volunteering, big awards… point is, there is no reason why Harvard wouldn’t accept you. However, they still turn down applicants like you each year because of lack of space and trying to increase diversity, etc etc. If the admissions officer likes you, you get in. It’s (generally) the way it works.</p>

<p>Never, never lose hope! (As an aside, I’d never in life imagine being accepted, but I was. My awards were definitely not as impressive as yours.)</p>

<p>:)</p>

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<p>YES? You have AMAZING scores.</p>

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<p>All I’m trying to say is that people with your stats get accepted, but many more get rejected. Intel is great, but other than Intel, I’d have to say that there is not as much. Everything comes down to how you present yourself. You must present yourself as someone genuine and not someone who would do activities just for college. So HYP are not out of your league by any means, just don’t be surprised if you’re not accepted as many high-caliber students aren’t.</p>

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<p>Placing at Intel ISEF is one of the very few extracurricular activities that can override everything else to get you in to a school. When you were at ISEF, did you notice that virtually all of the graduating seniors in the semis/finals were going to HYPMS or some similarly selective school, like Penn Wharton or Brown PLME? Science (research) pays.</p>

<p>Harvard
Princeton
Stanford
Yale</p>

<p>You will probably get in to at least one of the above schools, with particular emphasis on Yale - they are heavily recruiting science students at present, so you would have quasi-URM status there.</p>

<p>MIT - Better then even odds - 60-70%? MIT (understandably) likes science kids.</p>

<p>Dartmouth - Probably in.
Columbia - Decent shot, perhaps 30-40%? I am unfamilliar with Colubmia’s institutional needs with regard to science students.
UChicago - Probably in, though bad essays could kill you here (Uchicago loves their essays).
Johns Hopkins - In.
Rice - In.
Duke - Probably In.
UVA - In.</p>

<p>You are one of the very few people I have come across on this website’s chances board that will in all likelihood go to a top 5 school. To the others - the college admissions process has some degree of randomness, but is overwhelmingly predictable given the right credentials - the only truly unpredictable admissions decisions are for those those students with no major, well-recognized awards, but solid grades, test scores and ECs. People with things like these can usually expect a top-level admit.</p>

<p>BTW: Curious, what state are you from?</p>

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<p>I think intel sts semi>= siemens semi > isef grand award? But thats still quite impressive. Looking through past threads, people like you either get in everywhere or rejected everywhere, for some reason. Its like the unity of the apps. You’ve really done everything you can right now to go to a good college, doing research, getting officer position, high gpa, high SAT, playing an instrument…all the stuff that people say you need to “look good for college.” Well, good luck!</p>

12

<p>Asian: Not Good
Female STEM (4th place at ISEF): Really Good</p>

<p>You should definitely apply to Yale.
I think Yale and Columbia sent likely letters to STEM people last year.</p>

<p>I think you are in at UVA and your state school but, there is no such thing as “you are in” at other colleges on your list.</p>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>

13

<p>Whoa… that intel thing will be a great hook besides your solid gpa and sat…
your ecs are great too.</p>

<p>Honestly, just apply to where you think you will do best and love the school…
Good luck !</p>

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<p>Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Dartmouth, Columbia, UChicago, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Duke, UVA, potentially Yale, definitely my state school</p>

<p>I think you’ve got a great shot at the Ivies and some of the top schools. You have what I would call a very solid resume, especially Intel ISEF finalist. I am also an Asian female in science, so this resume seems similar to mine. IB program with AP classes hopefully helps (i’m in the same shoes) and your SAT IIs look just as good as the SAT I. </p>

<p>The focus in extracurriculars is decent and pretty much matches up with your career plans. </p>

<p>I wish you luck this fall (I’ll need it, too!). </p>

<p>Please chance me back!</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1183149-suggestions-insightful-comments-about-chances-please-ill-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1183149-suggestions-insightful-comments-about-chances-please-ill-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Actually, it would have been advantageous if you joined and gained leadership in science-related clubs because it shows more coherence.</p>

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<p>Wow you should definitely be admitted to one of the top 5 schools, In fact I would be surprised if you happen not to be admitted to at least two schools out of HPYSM.</p>