Chance for Wash St Louis, Dartmouth, UPenn, Brown, Scholarship!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Dear fellow CC members! :)</p>

<p>I was wondering about my chances of getting into these colleges and would sincerely appreciate any input from you.
FYI, financial aid is very vital because my family’s income bracket with 4 members (including me) is about 36k. I am aiming to go to medical graduate school therefore decent colleges willing to provide the most scholarship will be more than enough...Planning to major in Biology and minor in German.</p>

<p>In order of importance:
Brown
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn, U Penn)
Dartmouth
Princeton
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU)</p>

<p>*Gender: * Male
*Grade: **2nd semester of Junior year
**Race: **Asian
**School: **Public in Dallas, TX (rated Silver Medal by US News)
**GPA: **3.7 UW (After 1st semester of Junior)
**Rank: **65/595 (After 1st semester of Junior)
**PSAT: **191 (did not study at all...which i highly regret)
**SAT I: **2320
**SAT II: **Not yet taken. Taking Korean + Biology + Math II around winter. Expecting near perfect score on Korean and Biology, High on Math II.
**AP: * Not yet scored. Taken Physics + Calculus AB.</p>

<p>COURSES<a href="Averages%20are%20mostly%20high%20A+%20to%20couple%20A-;%20one%20or%20two%20B">/u</a>
Freshmen Year:
Pre-AP English I
Pre-AP Geometry
Pre-AP World Geography
Pre-AP Spanish II
Pre-AP Biology</p>

<p>Sophmore Year:
AP Computer Science
AP World History
Pre-AP English II
Pre-AP Algebra II
Pre-AP Spanish III
Pre-AP Chemistry</p>

<p>Junior Year:
AP English III
AP Physics B
AP Calculus AB
AP US History
AP National Academic Decathlon
Biology Teacher Lab Aide
Junior Early Release Free Period</p>

<p>Senior Year:
Planning to take 5 AP Courses
AP Environmental Science
AP Calculus BC
AP European History
AP Art History
AP National Academic Decathlon
AP Early Release + Senior Early Release Free Period</p>

<p>ACTIVITIES
2 years – National Academic Decathlon
3 years – National Honor Society
8 years+ – Violin Experience
2 years – Small business selling/building/fixing computers through eBay
4 years+ – Church Orchestra Violinist
3 years+ – Church Youth Leader
3 Years - Health Occupational Students of America
Participated in National MathCounts
Participated in Welcom Home Troops in National Honor Society
Participated in Relay for Life Fundraiser
Shirt design nominated for National Academic Decathlon</p>

<p>WORK EXPERIENCE
5 years - Work/Volunteer 3400+ hours at vegetarian restaurant (yes, every single Saturday since 8th grade)
(They were at my parents restaurant. Because of financial recession, they had to remove the single employee who was left and only my dad and mom were working on the restaurant. Soon enough, need of help arose and I've been working whole Saturday during weekends (about 13-15 hours) and received about $20 a day. I’ve been a waiter, cook, host, cashier, dish washer, cleaner, etc. everyday = pretty much anything you do working at restaurant.)
5 years - Manager of the restaurant
1+ Year - Graphic Designer at telecomunications/consulting company</p>

<p>RECOMMENDATIONS
Expecting great recommendations from Calculus, Biology, National Academic Decathlon teachers (not sure how many are exactly required)</p>

<p>BITS AND PIECES
I came to US around 5 years ago and moved one or two schools.
First Generation College
First Generation American
First Generation Immigrant
Tri-lingual = English, Korean, Japanese</p>

<p>Thank you so much for any advices and comments! </p>

2

<p>Your unweighted GPA and rank might be a tad low for some of the schools on your list, but I think some other factors (SAT, first generation, work/volunteer experience) will definitely be in your favor. Make sure your essays are great, and I think you’ll have a fair shot. </p>

<p>Also, what exactly is “AP National Academic Decathlon” and “AP Early Release + Senior Early Release Free Period”? I know what both of these individually are, but why are they AP, lol?</p>

3

<p>Your GPA is slightly low for reach schools such as Princeton. Your course rigor is EXCELLENT though. The fact that you are not Caucasian also gives you an advantage, as well as your great SAT score. PSAT scores don’t count for anything, so don’t worry. Your rank is great, and your school is big enough to be recognized.
I live near Dartmouth and have talked personally to their admissions officers multiple times.
While I’m NOT, by any means, any type of expert, I’m going to say:
Match: U Penn
Low Reach:Washington
Mid Reach: Brown, Dartmouth
Top Reach: Princeton</p>

<p>Good luck, from one rising senior to another!
p.s. You have much better chances than I do, but I do have a chances thread up as well if you would like to take a look.</p>

4

<p>Actually, being Asian decreases your chances as they are well-represented at top-tier schools. This may be a bit of exaggeration, but you’re kind of expected to have SATs in the 2300s if you are Asian. Stereotypical, I know.</p>

5

<p>Once again, the poster before me was wrong in saying your rank is “great.” It is not bad by any means, but generally schools of the caliber you are looking at want their students to be in at least the top 10%. Try to improve upon you class rank before applying and your chances will increase significantly imo.</p>

6

<p>Except for WashU. none of the schools you mentioned give merit aid and you are not an over-the-top applicant for any of them.</p>

<p>Suggestion: Shoot for a school that will give you merit aid with your stats.</p>

<p>University of Rochester
Tulane
etc.</p>

7

<p>thank you so much for the chances and comments!</p>

<p>To Vince
-AP National Academic Decathlon" and “AP Early Release + Senior Early Release Free Period”?
-The AcDec was listed in the course catalog since they carried GPA equal to AP…but not technically an AP class that one is able to take exam on. Also, AP early release in my school is that a student can have off period when he/she has Distinguished Achievement Program, parental approval, 3 AP classes per semester for senior year, etc.</p>

<p>To CornellHopeful

  • i was bit afraid of the ethnicity requirements as expected. The standards for the asians these days have heigthen so much. Therefore improving the class rank and reaching atleast top 10% will help? Thank you for input. However, I was wondering about applying ED around October but since higher rank needs a semester in senior year…what do you think?</p>

<p>To Soze

  • I was thinking more about the need based financial aid rather than the merit aid, given that the family income is much lower than the usually lowest 60k class.</p>

<p>Please chance me more and I would sincerely appreciate your help!
I’m thinking of applying ED to any of the colleges but favorably to Brown, Dartmouth, WashU…what do you think?
But all in all, I will ED to any of the listed choices that provides highest chance.
(Also, just a thought: I will be graduating as age of 17…because I upped a grade when I first immigrated here.)</p>

8

<p>If I were you, I would still apply ED to Brown. Your chances with ED are going to be better than your chances RD with a slightly higher class rank IMO. Make sure that your class rank improves for the RD round to give yourself a greater chance at your other schools. From what I’ve heard/read, some top-tier schools prefer students with high SATs/low class rank over students with lower SATs/high class rank. I’m not exactly sure which schools those are, but its possible one of the schools you have listed fits into that category.</p>

9

<p>When you apply ED, colleges will see your rank as of end of junior year. If you have a chance of becomming top 10%, I would not apply ED to any of these schools. Chances of them accepting an Asian candidate not in the top 10% are remote. All of these school accept precious few outside of the top 10% and almost all will have a true hook.</p>

<p>Hopefully you also love some schools that will be more likely given your rank.</p>

10

<p>there are high chances that I will be in top 10% as the rank is only after the 1st semester of the junior year (which means that 2nd semester has not been counted for yet).</p>

<p>Could anyone please chance me more also regarding the ED chances?
Thanks!!!</p>

11

<p>Since you’re not in the top 10%, it’ll be extremely difficult for you to get into the Ivies, even if you apply ED.</p>

12

<p>Let’s make this clear. None of these schools are matches for anyone, period. </p>

<p>Are you an international or U.S. citizen? If I remember right, all of those schools except Princeton are need-aware for FA needing internationals.</p>

<p>Nothing really stands out, but there is something that is rather unique on your side that you could use to your advantage (believe me, I’ve seen several people get in that way) as long as you don’t portray it as an excuse.</p>

13

<p>Rank is overrated on CC. My dad’s an admissions officer, and honestly, with Ivies, it’s all about standing out (and having the stats–which you do already). When I read your description about working at the restaurant, I was immediately interested in you and your story. The fact that you’re first generation American, first generation College, and first generation immigrant AND a strong academic applicant makes you extremely interesting on paper. Don’t listen to people who say that your rank discounts you in the running.</p>

14

<p>When schools accept fewer than 5% who are not top 10% and have over 45% that are val or sal, can you and your admissions officer dad explain how rank is not important? Geez! Which ivy does he work for and why are you not attending it?</p>

15

<p>Dear geekorathletic

  • my citizenship is still in korea and not US yet. However, i have been a US resident for about 6 years now. Ah thank you for the encouragement!</p>

<p>Dear Redroses

  • What i think ED2Please meant was that although rank can be an important factor in the admission process seeing how it represents a student out of whole in the school but other factors that makes one unique could play as significant effect…</p>

<p>I have just received the news from our school district saying that our school will no longer have rank system:</p>

<p>"School officials in <em>other highschools nearby</em> (removed the names) already abandoned the practice, which some felt put students in high-achieving districts at a disadvantage when they apply to college.</p>

<p>In <em>other highschools nearby</em>, there are so many A students that the difference between making the top 10 percent or falling outside it can rest on a fraction of a percentage point.</p>

<p>School officials say they hope colleges will be forced to take a broader look at student applications, if they can’t rely on class rank."</p>

<p>Would that be a good news or bad news for me???</p>

16

<p>Suush, when a school accepts fewer than 5% who are not in the top 10% of their class, chances of being one of them if you are not a recruited athlete, URM or legacy are slim to none. International on top of that? You need to choose colleges where you have a better chance.</p>

17

<p>Thanks for the reply redroses i understand. So far looking at the chances of others, it seems that from the list, only possible colleges are WashU and UPenn. I found out that my parents have E2 Visa also. And our school have removed the ranking system.</p>

<p>Therefore, would it be smart to apply ED to UPenn? (as they are need blind, have great endowments, and is one of the colleges that provide most financial need based aid to international students)</p>

<p>Please chance some more if possible…it would be great if you could!</p>

18

<p>Penn is not need blind for internationals and does not offer them great aid. If I were to choose one school here for ED, I would try WashU.</p>

19

<p>Dude, Penn is notorious for being stingy with FA. Same with WashU. Both schools are very difficult for Internationals to get into. </p>

<p>If I were you, I would do some serious college research, especially because of your FA status. International + FA need puts you into uber competitive pool where some of the best are rejected. Applying ED is especially discouraged in this pool because colleges almost always reject students in that pool applying ED except the best of the best (think about it, it’s obvious why). I wouldn’t apply ED to anywhere. </p>

<p>That said, you seem to have a lot of misguided info. Try doing some deep researching on your own.</p>

20

<p>If financial aid is a concern, and you said that it certainly is for your family, DO NOT APPLY ED ANYWHERE! You need to be able to compare financial aid offers (assuming you will even qualify for any financial aid).</p>

<p>Although you may well have the stats and resume for top schools, you really need to lower your sights and start looking at schools you can afford – i.e., in-state public schools and perhaps some private schools that do offer merit aid to internationals – since you will not qualify for Federal aid programs as a non-citizen. Go ahead and apply to one or two reaches if you like but you need to have some financial safeties as well.</p>