Chance Asian Male at HYPSM

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Yes you read correctly, i'm an asian male asking you to chance me at the whole hypsm thing. Could it be any worse? I did ask my mother if she ever fooled around with an Eskimo or Native American, but alas the answer was no (maybe I should get a sex change?). I'm a rising senior, going into engineering, may apply early to Stanford or MIT. I come from a competitive public high school in a relatively easy state with about 500 kids in my class. Please do your best to chance me! I want the cold, hard, truth. I've tried to make everything concise and put only the important stuff.</p>

<p>ACADEMICS:
Very rigorous high school course load, most rigorous possible in my class.
GPA Unweighted: 4.0
Rank: 1
SAT Reasoning Test: 2230: 730M, 730CR, 770W
PSAT: 225
SAT Subject Test Math IIC: 780
SAT Subject Test Chemistry: 750
SAT Subject Test Spanish: 700
AP Calculus BC: 5
AP Computer Science A: 5
AP United States History: 5
AP Psychology: 5<br>
AP Spanish Language: 5
AP English Language:4<br>
AP Chemistry: 4
AP Statistics: 4
I will be getting the National AP Scholar Award</p>

<p>COLLEGE COURSES:
-I have taken a total of 6 college courses at my state university throughout high school. Some were taken during the summer, others during the semester. These include two computer science courses, calculus 3, linear algebra, and calculus-based physics: Mechanics, and Electricity and Magnetism. Some of these classes are 200 and 300 level. I will be sending a university transcript of all these classes. I earned A or A+ in every single one.</p>

<p>RESEARCH:
I have been working at the state university as a member of a research team in one of the best labs in the nation for semiconductor/quantum mechanics research. My projects have been legitimate.
Sophomore Year:
-Won 7 sponsor awards, 1st place and grand prize at the state fair, qualifying me to compete at ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair)
- International Grand Award of 4th place in division at ISEF
Junior Year:
-Won 5 sponsor awards, 1st place and grand prize at the state fair, qualifying me to compete at ISEF again
- International Grand Award of 4th place in division at ISEF
-Currently working towards a publication in prestigious journal, may not be ready in time though</p>

<p>PIANO:
I have played piano rigorously since I was 4, and have competed in some local competitions (not too prestigious though) and placed 1st and runner-up. Also have a decent list of performances at recital halls. Will submit a music portfolio supplement with CD. The CD is a very high quality performance (i'm serious about piano).</p>

<p>LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY SERVICE:
For senior year, President of NHS and two other well known community service clubs. Have held vice president positions up till now in the two other clubs.</p>

2

<p>I hate to be mean, but you seem like a typical applicant. Many like you have been accepted, and many have been rejected. It’s really your essays that will set you apart. Good luck! :)</p>

3

<p>What do you mean by an easy state? Great rank, but your scores are below the overall median (not Asian median which is much higher), meaning if you are Asian from a well represented state, it will be very tough. Not impossibe if you can really differentiate yourself, but the vast majority will not get in with these stats.</p>

<p>If you want ivy consider applying to Cornell ED.</p>

4

<p>Almost no EC’s and an average score for those universities? It all depends on your essay. When you write it, use the word rigorous slightly less.</p>

5

<p>dazzle me…make yur application jump off the page…how will you stand out from thousands of applicants just like you</p>

6

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<p>Please don’t apply to Cornell ED if your first choice is MIT or Stanford! I do think you have a good chance at these schools (or good enough that you should apply EA to one of them). Also, make sure to submit your research to Siemens this fall :). You may also want to retake the SAT another time.</p>

7

<p>You have a shot. I really hate to be mean, but you do come across as that typical Asian candidate with high scores and an outstanding rank, but who participates in activities like Piano and science fairs. It’s not a bad thing, please understand that! It’s just that Ivies get soo many Asian applicants who are like that that very few of them get accepted.</p>

<p>You need, above all else, to showcase your passion. You’re going to have to have amazing essays that really show a side of you that portrays curiosity, learning for learning’s sake and not for the grade, and makes you come across as a unique and interesting applicant. If you can successfully do that, with the criteria listed, you have a <em>decent</em> shot at HYPSM, but of course you’ll need to apply to some good matches and at least one safety.</p>

<p>Best of luck! :)</p>

8

<p>What state are you from?</p>

<p>If NJ, NY, or CA, you have a good shot, but by that I mean maybe 15-20% (but I’m making that up to demonstrate how hard it is to get in)</p>

<p>If somewhere crazy like ND, SD or Montana, then a much better shot (no, i’m not going to give you a made up number :wink: )</p>

<p>Maybe you will get in 1 out 5, who knows? Love thy safety!</p>

<p>Would you give me a shot? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/953807-chance-2-3-between-junior-senior.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/953807-chance-2-3-between-junior-senior.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

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<p>Actually, I was thinking that his scores are slightly low and the ECs are his strengths.</p>

10

<p>How much thought have you given to your list of colleges? The fact that you called it</p>

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<p>makes it sound like it’s almost an after thought. You’re interested in engineering, what about CalTech or Harvey Mudd? There are scads of schools with really good engineering programs. I don’t even think Harvard, Yale or Princeton offer engineering degrees.</p>

11

<p>^LOL, I was under the impression that he was sort of making fun of the phrase, as in he’s making fun of the fact that he’s another Asian male with an interest in math and science looking at highly selective schools :P</p>

<p>Both MIT and Stanford, where he may apply EA, have just as good, if not better, engineering departments.</p>

12

<p>Thanks everyone for the advice! </p>

<p>By “easy” state I mean Arizona, because we are the worst state in academics and we have a much easier pool (not many Asians either). What I mean by easy is that with these stats if I lived in California or New York, I would have no shot, but compared to the others in my state I am feel that it’s not impossible, due to our pool dynamics.</p>

<p>Yes I have looked at departments. In terms of reach schools I’m interested in MIT, Stanford, Princeton. Then there are many more schools I will apply to but I feel that those are not as unpredictable/difficult to achieve as these.</p>

<p>I know I do fit the typical Asian profile but what else could I do? Save a village in a third world country?</p>

<p>I feel my test scores are low, but I focused a lot on research as it has been my passion. I’m hoping the international awards will be a testament to this as a legitimate extra curricular. One poster said I don’t have any ECs, well even if you argue research is not an EC, then I still have piano and community service. I just don’t see how the ECs are weak when that’s what I spent at least 50% of my time doing. There are many Asians at my school who have tremendous test scores but do nothing else whatsoever. I feel that is weak ECs.</p>

<p>Thanks so much for all the advice though! Keep it coming :P</p>

13

<p>While you probably do put in a lot of time and effort into piano and volunteering, which is well respected, those activites don’t present you as a well rounded individual.</p>

14

<p>then what does? seriously? if not instruments, sports, community service, or research, what activities does make an individual all-rounded?</p>

15

<p>All you have listed is that you play piano and did some research. I didn’t see any sports or community service.</p>

16

<p>No offense, you seem like the asian kids at my school who just do school and that’s it.</p>

17

<p>Perhaps you should try applying to Caltech (EA/RD) since they love applicants who do research. There are many ISEF and Intel winners who have chosen Caltech since it is one of the best places in the world to carry out cutting-edge research. Do consider applying there as well!</p>

18

<p>“While you probably do put in a lot of time and effort into piano and volunteering”
"I didn’t see any sports or community service. "</p>

<p>You’re aware that volunteering is community service?</p>

<p>I disagree with some of these people. Your chances at your reach schools are perhaps not the absolute best, but you stand a reasonable chance. There are many other excellent engineering schools however, which are perhaps not as much of a crapshoot to get into as the three schools you listed.</p>

19

<p>My mistake, I intended to put “…effort into piano and research”. My mistake, however, doesn’t make up for the lack of volunteering itself.</p>

20

<p>Analgin, I wrote that I was president of 3 community service clubs… this means I do a lot of volunteering… or I wouldn’t be so involved… I have tons of hours, i’m sorry I thought that was implied and didn’t need to be spelled out.</p>

<p>I actually think that your idea of all rounded is wrong. You’re thinking of someone who does sports, instruments, research, and volunteering and more. There are people who do this, but they tend to be mediocre in all areas. If one wants to excel greatly in these areas, 3 hours of an instrument or sport per day is better than that time split between both. In my opinion, its better to do a couple diverse things extremely well, than be a jack of all trades and master of none. </p>

<p>And I didn’t do “some research” I did ALOT. At the peak, I was doing 6 or 7 hours a day. If I get the publication in a prestigious journal, that is no easy feat from doing “some research”</p>