demographics: asian male in california, slightly competitive catholic high school (175 in class), family income is >200k.
major: business administration/management
GPA: 3.97 UW / 4.51 W
class rank: top 2%
courses: 14 APs by the end of senior year
senior course load: AP Calc BC, AP Physics, IB Business, AP Macro, AP Gov, AP Lit, Christian Leadership
SAT: not taking it (going test optional)
awards:
- National AP Scholar (hopefully will get Distinction when ap scores come out)
- Chinese I award (runner up)
- Chinese II award (runner up)
- Theology I award (runner up)
- (i’ll see what awards i get from this last school year)
ap scores:
- AP Euro: 5
- AP Bio: 4
- AP Psych: 4
- AP Calc AB: ? (not expecting a good score)
- AP Micro: ?
- APUSH: ?
- AP Lang: ?
extracurriculars (somewhat vague):
- Owning one of the biggest brands in my niche on social media [9-present]
- grew it to 200k followers on instagram
- used my platform to generate around 20k in sales
- store was paused for almost a year due to covid / supplier complication
- donated profits made during covid to covid 19 related charities (around 2k)
- Created nonprofit this summer helping people related to my niche who were severely affected by climate change and covid (related to my niche) (again being very vague about this one dont wanna be doxxed lol) [summer before senior year/present]
- around 5k in donations so far (may increase)
- Business Club Founder / President [10-present]
- sophomore year- nothing
- junior year- created business competition with 3 categories between my high school and another high school, couldn’t do ecommerce / any real business due to supplier complications and covid restrictions
- senior year- will create ecommerce stores / irl businesses as well, will donate profits to my friend’s nonprofit
- KIWINs President / Editor / Publicity / Tech Chair[11-12]
- was editor junior year and am president now
- as editor, tech chair, and publicity, i managed the KIWIN’s instagram page and publicized activities, create posters for fundraisers
- as president, i do a lot and will include some stuff: meet with division to talk about fundraisers, create fundraisers and establish and follow a strategic plan, increase impact of club’s service in community, hold meetings of upcoming events
- this club at my high school has been rough for the past few years, and im look to change the members next year from 15 to 30, and increase fundraising financial donations from $15 a year to $1000+
- Soccer Coach [10-present]
- coached middle school soccer team by leading drills, giving talks, and improving soccer skills
- couldn’t do this junior year because of covid
- planning to do it senior year
- Club / School Soccer [6 years old - present]
- Played year round in club
- JV sophomore year, didn’t play junior year bc of covid, planning to play varsity senior year
- High School Link Crew Leader [11-12]
- Serve as a guide for all freshman
- help a more specific group of 15+ new students get acclimated to high school and act as a resource throughout their first year of my high school
- High School Ambassador [11-12]
- Visit middle schools and present on and answer questions to 120+ students about my high school
- used various technologies to better engage audiences, leading to more interactive presentations
- Family Responsibilities [Half of Sophomore year (when covid hit) to the end of summer right before senior year]
- Lived with Grandma 6 out of the 7 days a week basically giving 24/7 assistance whenever she needed
- made her food, did the laundry, vacuumed, dusted, made bed for her, made sure she didn’t fall while showering, assist her when she got up, take blood pressure every day, fix and assemble cpap machine, checkup on her every hour of the day (except when i slept), etc.
- National Honor Society / California Scholarship Federation [10-present]
- helped with various school activities
- brainstormed fundraisers for the school
- Investing Club Vice President [11-maybe senior year?]
- Teach 45+ members about investing through participating in six month long investing game
- (wasn’t so involved in this one and was slightly inactive)
- Extra Small Businesses: created 4 ecommerce businesses, 3 were successful and one wasnt (collectively 5k in revenue)
lors (might be my weaker side depending on second lor):
- First lor
- AP Micro teacher- had her junior year, had good relationship, she is my club’s (Business club) advisor and we are on very good terms, did very well in this class and participated a lot
- Second lor
- AP Calc BC/Physics Teacher- i do not know them yet but i will have them senior year. hopefully i can get a good relationship with them, but we’ll see
- MAYBE Honors Algebra II teacher: had a good relationship with her, had her freshman and sophomore year, however didn’t participate much, but stayed after class a lot during her tutoring sessions and she appreciated that a lot hopefully (barely anyone went to them)
schools:
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Penn (wharton) (applying ED), UC Berkeley, USC, University of Michigan, Rice, WashU, cornell, georgetown, northeastern, ucsd, ucla, uci, lmu, pepperdine, fordham
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MAYBE Harvard Econ, Stanford Econ, (any top econ schools)
Not sure, but I suspect that applying test optional for Penn-Wharton, Harvard, Stanford, Cornell (Dyson), WashUStL, & Georgetown may lessen your chances of admission.
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I agree with publisher on relative chances applying TO.
Also, looks like you will likely be full pay at many schools (run each school’s net price calculators with your parents)…living in CA, are your parents willing to be (likely) full pay at all the non-CA public schools on your list?
What are your UC GPAs? GPA Calculator for the University of California – RogerHub
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Why wouldn’t you take the SAT or ACT? To not take at all makes zero sense - especially with your stats.
Your best odds will be the UC Schools of course - and you can try a Chicago (Econ), Denver (easy in), American (easy in) because they traditionally (before last year) have been test optional.
To never have taken a test is wrong - to have taken it and decided not to use it is very different.
Of the list you have - for those that will be test optional in the upcoming cycle and I haven’t checked each - I only see the California publics and LMU/Pepperdine/Fordham as your options.
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I studied all last summer for the SAT and tried taking it 2 times, but they were cancelled both times due to COVID. At that point, I just decided not to take it. I was barely scratching 1500 while I was taking those practice tests last year.
All of them are test optional, but will not taking the SAT negatively affect my chance at admission?
You’ll be able to take the test now. Barely scratching 1500 is 95th percentile.
Look up the acceptance rate at each school for TO vs. test submitted or asks the schools.
At Rice, for example, 80% submitted test scores although I don’t see the acceptance rate of TO vs. submitted. UGA says half submitted scores and 40% of accepted were TO.
I’d have to think - logically - having a score will help you. Yes, if it’s under the averages don’t send it in - but it’d be criminal to not take it given that you now can. You’d have to look at each school to see if it would negatively affect you - but yes, I believe it will negatively affect you. TO means you can apply sans test and they will, as they all say, evaluate you holistically. It does not mean it won’t hurt you - admissions, scholarship, or otherwise.
With test optional, schools are getting more applications so your odds go down. Anything you have to “strengthen” your application can only help you. Again, if your scores aren’t up to part at a school, then yes don’t submit. But who knows - at Fordham, maybe a 1500 gets you merit vs. no merit otherwise, for example.
So yes, you should take it - even if you don’t study - to see where you end up.
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cornell’s business school is going test blind
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Is this a temporary or permanent change in Cornell-Dyson admissions requirements ?
Just a two year (20/21 and 21/22) experiment for certain Cornell schools, others are test optional: Standardized Testing Policies | Undergraduate Admissions
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Thank you for the input, I will start studying on Monday for the SAT. With the UC’s and Cornell Dyson going test blind, and the rest of my list going test optional, where would you place my colleges in the list of reaches (low and high), targets (low and high), and safeties?
You have mostly reaches - because:
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the schools you are applying to - every top student is applying to. You are very accomplished - but everyone who applies and gets admitted to those schools is. What makes you stand out - they have too many people like you and they have to cut the list so it’s almost a lottery. For example, yo uown a business - so that’s a plum.
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Do you have cost concerns - I don’t see them listed. Yes, your family has a lot - but that doesn’t mean they want to spend it all. Since most schools on your list are not going to provide merit aid, is your family wanting or willing to spend $320K?
I see you getting into maybe Northeastern (not an easy admit), UCSD and UCI, LMU, Pepperdine, and Fordham.
You might add ASU with Barrett Honors - if money a factor.
It doesn’t mean you won’t get into a top school. i’m not an admissions officer - but if every valedictorian is applying, in addition to you. Every 4.0+ that had a 27 ACT now applies without an ACT/SAT - well you see what you’re up against - so the odds are stacked against you.
But as long as your ok with your safeties, then you go for it and hope for the best - because you know you have a great opportunity even if it’s not your dream school.
Good luck.
- you are not submitting a test score
Thank you for putting it into perspective! I will definitely be taking the SAT in August, and will start studying on Monday. I formulated my list by seeing if I can picture myself at every school that I’m applying to, and I can.
What major are you applying for at each of the UCs? UCSD and UCI might be reaches if you are applying to an impacted major.
Right now you have mostly reaches. LMU, Fordham, Pepperdine are matches. I don’t see a safety, which also has to be affordable.
Make sure you are demonstrating interest at the schools where that is part of the admissions decision.
Have you run the net price calculator on all these schools? Are the cost estimates within budget range?
My intended major for UCSD is economics and my intended major for UCI is Business Administration. I believe UCI’s Business Administration is impacted, but UCSD economics is not.
As for all the colleges on my list, money is not a huge problem. The best choice money (and logical) wise would probably be a UC though.
Actually, the best choice money wise would be a U of Arizona (and Honors College) which is very aggressive, potentially Arizona State, South Carolina and Florida Sate - Honors at all…and then some private schools where you would do very well.
Honestly, a degree in business from UCI or Arizona is interchangeable. Someone said you don’t have a safety - I’d look to U of Az. The Honors dorm is gorgeous with a dining hall downstairs and gym.mental health center next door.
Both UCI and UCSD admit into the University first and then into the major so definitely select an alternate major when applying or you could end up as Undeclared and more hoops to jump through to change into your choice major.
Your UC capped weighted GPA of 4.33 puts you into a good position but since going test blind, UC’s are even more unpredictable.
Definitely have at least 2 safeties on your list. What is your local CSU? SDSU or Cal Poly SLO could be more Match than Safety but great Business programs.