Chance and suggest (Tech schools - MIT, Stan, ext)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Goal: Get a sense of my chances so far and specific recommendations on my situation</p>

<p>Basics
• Schools: MIT, Stanford, Georgia Tech, University of Chicago, University of Florida (my state)
• Grade: Rising Junior
• Unweighted GPA: 3.95
• Weighted GPA: 4.85
• Rank: 1/285
• High school: It was in the top 100 schools in the US last year (Washington post), now 200’s
• SAT: 1840 – Took it with no preparation or experience with the SAT before. I feel confident I can improve to at least a 2100. Assume a 2100+.
• Born in Colombia, I’m now a US citizen</p>

<p>Curriculum
• 3 AP classes, all 5s
• Pre-IB classes 9th and 10th grade, equivalent to honors
• IB classes for my 11th and 12th grade years
• 5 Duel Enrollment Classes, 3 in business, 1 in statistics, 1 in History </p>

<p>Extra Curriculars
• Technology Student Association - Vice President (Current), Secretary (10th grade), member since 9th grade. Competitions
• Computer Science Club -President (10th grade and current), founded in 10th grade. Competitions
• Electrical Engineering Club - President (10th grade and current), founded in 10th grade. Circuitry experiments
• Academic Team - Treasurer (Current). Competitions
• Math Team - just a member, we compete all year long
• I work on Web development projects
• Others (Not vital): Science Honor Society, Political Science(Secretary), Mu Alpha Theta</p>

<p>Awards
• 3 top 10 awards in Florida TSA State competitions in Web Master, Engineering design, and Architectural Renovation
• 7th place in Florida Gulf Coast University STEM competition – Engineering division
• 3rd place Precalculus Math Team competition at Cape Coral High School</p>

<p>Questions:
• Should I focus on Extracurricular/ Awards and my web development projects or put my efforts into staying as number 1 (Which I unintentionally got by taking Business classes at my local college). I really enjoy my extracurricular activities and my web dev. Projects, but I can’t possibly be competitive in both the competitions and in staying as number 1 in my school?
• Should I consider UF, FSU, or University of Miami as safety schools?
• How realistic are my chances for MIT, Stanford, ext?</p>

2

<p>Too early to chance. Try to improve your SAT scores and then post back. Otherwise, you will get only disappointed feedback.</p>

3

<p>“Born in Colombia”</p>

<p>With SAT 2200+ or ACT 34+
you have very good chances at any college in the country except Cal Tech</p>

4

<p>@Billscho, thanks. Like I said, I didn’t prepare for that test at all and I had no previous experience. I’d moved the day before, so you can imagine how tired I was. I feel very good about getting at least a 2200 with preparation and practice. Other than that, what do you think?</p>

<p>@20more, I wasn’t planning on applying to calTech, they seem too academic. If being Hispanic is the only reason why you say I could get into any college, then please access your response without consideration of my race.</p>

5

<p>Your “Race” will help you whether you like it or not.</p>

<p>If you do not check “the race box” and if you get 2300+: MIT, Stanford, Chicago: Reach to High Reach</p>

6

<p>It’s a stretch to be “confident” in a 2100+ with raw score of 1840. Prep can only do so much. Also when you say CalTech is “too academic” you might want to reassess what MIT, UChicago, and some of your other schools are like…</p>

7

<p>@20more, Thank you for accessing my situation without race. I’m not really counting on my race, affirmative action may not even exist by the time I apply. I guess what you mentioned my “Chance” is applies for most people unless your an IMO participant or you’ve made ground breaking research, and even then anything can happen.</p>

8

<p>I brought up a 1600 to a 2180, I’m pretty sure he can do it. It is not an IQ test^</p>

9

<p>or you can fly!!!</p>

<p>Without any hook “top 10 colleges” are reach schools for everybody.</p>

10

<p>@irishsson4. I’ve been getting familiar with the test the last couple weeks and in the last 2 practice tests from the blue book I got a 2060 and a 2090. Like George Lopez would say, I got this! (;. As for Cal Tech compared to the others, from what I’ve read they focus more on pure academics than the whole picture. Then again, that is just my impression. Obviously, all top universities care a lot about SAT scores and grades, but they also look more closely at extracurricular activities and other factors. A great example of this is how MIT and others go so far as to have interviews while CalTech doesn’t.</p>

11

<p>Interviews do not matter very much at all!</p>

12

<p>@20more, HaHa! Being superman would certainly help. Would you consider starting a web app with decent numbers/revenue would be a hook? I’m halfway of finishing one of my web projects which I plan to publish and try to make a revenue stream from.</p>

<p>@withtheflow. Great job on your jump! I concur with what you said, my biggest potential is in critical reading and writing, and just by reading about some of the patterns, learning some of the common grammar rules tested, and memorizing words from “Hit” lists I’ve been able to improve greatly in the blue book’s practice test. The questions get more predictable along the way.</p>

13

<p>Hook: “Race” or 6-8 Tight End or 7-2 Center or IMO Gold Medal…</p>

<p>“Would you consider starting a web app with decent numbers/revenue would be a hook?”
No!</p>

14

<p>It is a very bad idea to take a test without preparation no matter what the excuse was. You should treat each test as your only attempt. Why do you want to waste the money? It also gives a bad impression to the admission office. Not only you loose one chance already, when you do get a big improvement in the second attempt, your score may be suspended for investigation. Anyway, you should try your best to prepare for it over the Summer. You are going to take PSAT October. Then you may take SAT again in Winter or early Spring when you are ready. You don’t want to waste your time in retaking the test again. Leave April to study for AP and then focus on subject test afterward and take them in June.</p>

15

<p>This is one of the most baseless chances I have ever done, but here it goes. Assuming you are gonna get 2100 in your next try, your chances are:</p>

<p>MIT/Stanford/Caltech/Uchicago - High Reach/Reach
Georgia tech - Low Match/match
University of Florida - Low match</p>

<p>ASSUIMING YOU GET 2100+</p>

<p>Now please, get the scores, then ask for a chancing.</p>

16

<p>@billcsho Your right I should have prepared more. I took it only because I needed an SAT score for a summer camp. I really didn’t think about college, at the time it was just a requirement for a summer program. I won’t be sending those scores to the admissions office, I know I can improve on every subject so I don’t need these scores. I do regret spending 50 dollars and 4 hours on this test, but then again I think it might not have been a total loss. I got a head start on taking the exam, meaning I’ll be taking it the second time by the time all my friends are taking their first attempt. I now know what areas I need to improve on and I have a sense of how to approach the test next time. For college board, they can investigate all they want, they’ll have to accept it when they come to a conclusion that I simply improved. I’m forced to take the SAT again in October (my school makes us, although they pay for it), so my attempt after that one will be in next June. Back to my original response, what do you think about the rest of my profile. Everyone here seems to focus on my ethnicity or SAT score.</p>