Chance a senior for MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Princeton, and others.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>White male, resident of Maryland, 80K income.</p>

<p>Rank: School does not rank, but in the top 5%, and from what I know, I'm #2. (Out of 500)
School is a top public school.</p>

<p>GPA: 4.00 WGPA: 4.74
APs: 4: USH 5: BC Calc, World, Micro, Macro, Eng Lang, Stats, US Gov
This year: English Lit, Spanish Lang, Physics C: M, E&M </p>

<p>SAT: 740 M 710 CR 690 W (10)
SAT 2s: USH, Physics, Math 2 October)</p>

<p>Teacher recs: 1 guaranteed to be great, dunno about the others.
Counsler rec: Standard, hardly anyone at my school gets to know their counsler.</p>

<p>ECs/Awards: (This is where it falls apart)
Science Olympiad, 2 years, won some medals in the state tourney
SHS, MHS, 2 years each, but we don't do much, though I plan to run for Pres. of
SHS and do some good work.
Pres. of a club for 2 years, we actually did stuff every week.
Chorus, 2 years, nothing notable.
Pick-Up Basketball (can't make team, dont criticize) 4 years
This is actually what my 150 word essay on the Common App will be about, overcoming physical disadvantage (not a disability) in order to become decent at a sport.
Volunteering: 150 hours, standard stuff, library, food warehouse.
Maryland Distinguished Scholar Finalist
Never heard from NM committee, I only got 209 PSAT, so I guess I got nothing.
National History Day - 1st place county level
Pending: Part-time job at library, internship at government agency in science
Currently self-studying Multivarable Calc, Diff. Equations, and then some other math maybe for the purpose of self-interest. (Not community college, I just read textbooks and then do problems)</p>

<p>Schools:
MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Princeton, UMD, GTech, CalTech, Vandy, Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins as an engineering major.</p>

2

<p>I hate to be “that guy”, but your test scores would put you at reaches at most of the schools on your list.</p>

<p>Your lack or EC’s is also really glaring. </p>

<p>However, if you apply to all these reaches you will likely get in one.</p>

<p>I would think about applying early decision somewhere you like.</p>

3

<p>I don’t care if I am “that guy that isn’t here to boost egos, and actually gives you chances”.
So…</p>

<p>MIT - Super Reach
Stanford - Super Reach
Cornell - Reach
Princeton - Super Reach
UMD - High Match
GTeach - IDK
CalTeach - Super Reach
Vanderbilt - Reach
Notre Dame - Reach
Johns Hopkins - High Reach</p>

<p>Nothing distinguishing/prestigious about your application AT ALL.</p>

<p>You better have something very unique to make you stand out, or it is highly unlikely you’ll get in anywhere.</p>

<p>How good is the internship at government agency?</p>

<p>It is unclear even what your passion is purely based upon your activities.</p>

4

<p>The internship is very good, though not the “most prestigous.” And what if I get straight 800s on my SAT 2s? How will that help me. Gosh, I didn’t think my resume was that bad. >.></p>

5

<p>You would still need to up the SAT I for any real shot as a white male from Maryland at the top schools.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>This is simply untrue as any statistician will tell you. As all of the top schools have similar criteria for admission, applying to more of them does not help.</p>

6

<p>I don’t get that. I know Maryland has an education system in at least the top quarter of the country, but it is that overrepresented? Also, aren’t many SAT Is scores at least above the 25th percentile of accepted applicants at all these schools, or are those people hooked somehow?</p>

7

<p>Over represented just means that these top colleges get a lot of high quality applicants from Maryland.</p>

<p>Most applicants who are admitted to these schools with below median standardized test scores are hooked.</p>

8

<p>40% of the class at every top school are athletes, legacies, URMs, staff kids, development and children of the rich and powerful. The vast majority of the unhooked have stats at or above the 75th percentile. A 710CR score would fly for the hooked or maybe an otherwise great candidate from South Dakota. The competition among white mid Atlantic kids is brutal, and for any real chance at HYPS, everything would be above the 75th percentile–which is 790 per section at HYP, a little lower at Stanford because of the athletes, and about 770 at a mid tier ivy. For these schools you also need stand out ECs.</p>

9

<p>MIT,: High reach
Stanford,: high reach
Cornell: reach
, Princeton,: high reach
UMD,: match
GTech,: match/in
CalTech: Uber reach (would not waste the app fee)
Vandy,: low reach/reach
Notre Dame: reach
Johns Hopkins: low/mid reach</p>

<p>Your stats are a little below average for many of the highly competitive schools you listed above. Keep that in mind as you narrow down your list. Best of luck!</p>

10

<p>He’s got the rank. Good candidate for trying the ACT to have a good shot at Cornell level schools.</p>

11

<p>Alright, 1 final question, how much will a killer (as in top 100 essays recieved) essay help me out? Thanks for all the help.</p>

12

<p>I can tell you from working in admissions years ago that there are kids whose essays you love that you are sad you won’t admit because of stats. An adcom who posts here also wrote about writing kids emails about great essays who did not get in.</p>

<p>So while essays are key at top schools, they are key once you have the stats.</p>

<p>I’ll also add that most who think they have great essays don’t.</p>

13

<p>Bump, any other opinions, or is there nothing else I can do?
Update: Practice test results 800 Math 2 780 on both USH and Physics (Still got a month to go)
Also, if thing work out, I will have formed a political group at school advocating for nuclear energy.</p>

14

<p>An excellent application will maximize your chances everywhere. How much should go into these is not understood by most.</p>