Chance for CoE OR/BME

<p>So, I thought to do a quick post on here to discern if I should open the books on my RD apps right now.</p>

<p>I am Early Decision to Operations Research with a planned Biomedical Eng minor and Pre-Medicine track.</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<ul>
<li>SAT I (breakdown): CR: 770, Math: 800, Writing: 710 (2nd try)</li>
<li>ACT: 35 (straight 36s, 33 writing)</li>
<li>SAT II: Math II: 800, Chem: 750, Bio: 770</li>
<li>Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8ish? 4.52 weighted, school does not offer AP or many honors courses until Junior year. Has taken hardest curriculum available at school, with a strong bias towards math/science)</li>
<li>Rank: Not reported, top 5% (probably ~~3%)</li>
<li>AP: Chem: 5, English Lang and Comp: 5, Stats: 5; currently enrolled in Government, Calculus BC, US History, Biology, Physics C, English Lit and Comp</li>
<li>IB: N/A</li>
<li>Major Awards: Nothing extraordinary, NHS, Spanish HS, State Scholar's Program finalist, AP Scholar</li>
</ul>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<ul>
<li>Extracurriculars: Music (Piano, Violin since around age 7, First violin in Youth Symphony 9, 10), Varsity Chess (3 years/letters, co-captain), Varsity Golf (2 years to be 3 letters), Student representative to local Board of Education, Student Government representative (3 years), AMC 10 and AMC 12 entrant (3 years)</li>
<li>Job/Work Experience: 2 second-semester jobs working as an event coordinator for the state's leading music teachers' organization</li>
<li>Volunteer/Community service: Volunteer in school event planning, coordination. Participates in every event as a coordinator.</li>
<li>Summer Activities: Musical studies, extensive travel (upwards of 19 countries across the globe, no "holiday" destinations [read: Caribbean], was told to declare in resume)</li>
<li>Essays: CommonApp essay explains initiative and drive for OR and BME interests with a clear outline of future plans. Cornell Supp references specific research conducted within the university in connection to my interest and ideas in engineering. I thought I did a good job, and several others confirmed.</li>
<li>Teacher Recommendation: Waived right, should have been decent at the very least. Carefully chose two teachers whom I know very well and have performed excellently in and showed determination. Both claim to start from scratch with each new recommendation. (Government/History and Calculus/Statistics)</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: Waived, but should have been decent at the very least. I am one of two students with my GC who remains in close contact with him.</li>
<li>Additional Rec: N/A</li>
<li>Interview: N/A</li>
</ul>

<p>Other</p>

<ul>
<li>Country (if international applicant): Not international, but declared dual citizenship (Australia)</li>
<li>School Type: Public High School, one of best in state.</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Chinese (undeclared)</li>
<li>Gender: Male</li>
<li>Income Bracket: Over $250k</li>
<li>Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None, unless 1st generation American college is one.</li>
</ul>

<p>Feel free to chance me for my other schools too.</p>

<p>EA
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Bioengineering or Chem/Biomolecular Eng)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Undeclared, not required)</p>

<p>RD
Duke University (Biomedical Eng)
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton, Operations Research)
Johns Hopkins University (Biomedical Eng and Pre-Medicine)
Yale University (Economics or Business)
Princeton University (Chem Eng)</p>

<p>Forgot to put NMS Commended.</p>

<p>Have you considered adding a safety? Your stats are solid (especially your ACT, wow!), but with all the schools you selected, you can never be completely sure. I would definitely open up the books on RD, not because your app is lackluster, but because nothing is guaranteed with the Ivies and other top schools.
That being said, if everything /was/ black and white, Cornell looks like a match, potentially a low reach.
Best of luck! :)</p>

<p>I have safeties already that I didn’t bother to post because I know I’m going to be in already. I’m just looking to chance those.</p>