Chance a URM for top schools? What would you change about my application?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>NOTE: IF THIS IS TOO LONG FOR YOU, PLEASE SKIM. I REALLY WANT ADVICE.</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.94
Rank: 8 out of 380
2260 on SAT.
I don’t know how much of a difference this makes but I am a black female. I was born in England and moved here when I was about five. I want to be a pediatric psychiatrist and plan on majoring in psychology.</p>

<p>Next year, I plan to take AP: Calculus, French (Possibly), Biology, English Lit., Government, Economics, and Music Theory.</p>

<p>I’ve taken AP: World (3), US History (Waiting), Psychology (Waiting),
English Lang. (Waiting).
EC’s:
President of French Club
French National Honor Society
National Honor Society
Student Council

A program where upperclassmen go to underclassmen dens and take a “leadership” role there
Varsity Tennis (Quitting senior year for complicated reasons)
Played piano for twelve) years (But only taken lessons for eight of those)
Played drum lessons for four years (Only took lessons for three)
Have a part-time job at my church as a child-care worker
Shadowed a doctor (20 hours)
HOSA
Leadership Group in Church</p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
A camp where we fix houses for those in need. (Freshman and Junior Year Summer)
Bible School (Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Year Summer)
A mission group at my church (Year round; we have gone to Galveston and helped serve food to homeless, things like that)
A program for kids, in my church (for part of freshman year)
Random things for NHS
Season of Service - Random Days of Service at my Church</p>

<p>Awards/Honors:
Tennis Freshman Girls Singles District Champ (3 other 1st Places, and 2 2nd Places; Haven’t played much because I tore my ACL)
I have had perfect attendance nine years of my life (Probably irrelevant).
I’m in the G&T program.
Possibly NMS (If not, I’m pretty sure I made NAF; 219 in Texas)
French Symposium Sophomore Year: Poetry Semifinalist
French Symposium Junior Year: Poetry, Prose, and Guided Speaking Semifinalist, 3rd Place Scrapbook (Group Event), 5th Place French Movie (Group Event)
French Club Merit Award</p>

2

<p>Chances? Very good.:slight_smile: What would improve them? 4’s and 5’s on the exams. 3’s don’t cut it.</p>

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<p>My absolute favorites are: Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and Brown. But I’m applying to other alike schools as well.</p>

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<p><em>Sigh</em> There’s absolutely nothing wrong with your application, except for the fact that there will be thousands of others just like it. Your scores are good, but not excellent. Most of the applicants to HYPS will have 2200+ SATs and 3.9+ GPAs. Your EC’s are good, but not excellent. Nothing stands out.</p>

<p>However, you’re in the door in terms of academics, since your GPA and SAT falls in the middle 50%. The key to getting in is crafting your application. You don’t have killer scores/ECs to throw at them, so write some killer essays. Being black definitely helps, but the advantage gets smaller and smaller as the process gets more and more competitive.</p>

<p>In other words, apply. You deserve it, but you’re not a shoe-in. You will need to work hard on your apps, and there is no guarantee that you’ll make it. But it’s worth a try.</p>

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<p>So writing a good college app could being the thing that helps me stand-out/get-in?</p>

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<p>What are your safeties (out of curiosity)</p>

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<p>I have one safety: University of Texas in Austin. I reside in Texas, and if you are in the top 7% of your school, you have automatic admission.</p>

8

<p>Bumping this.</p>

9

<p>Trying again… :(</p>

10

<p>Spend this summer writing an amazing common app essay. Don’t write one that tells them why they want you, or why you want them. Write one that makes them fall in love with you.</p>

<p>Then, apply the ■■■ out of any top schools you want, because most of this can’t be predicted. It’s a numbers game. You have a shot at top schools, but only as much of a shot as any of the other applicants. </p>

<p>Find a safety you’re comfortable with, and a few match schools that you would happily go to, and then spam the reach schools with stellar apps.</p>

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<p>So good essays could stand me out from the crowd? Also, do you have any examples of good essays? I know I can’t exactly “follow” it, but I just want to see a good example of conveying personality.</p>