Chance! I'm Not Feeling Very Confident . . . Help? :]

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 9 - 12 GRADE</p>

<p>Weighted GPA: 4.56
Unweighted GPA: 4.00
Ranking: 5 of 770
ACT: 33 w/ writing
SAT: n/a
SAT Subject tests: 800 Math II, 760 Chem and Bio (I know that sounds not bad, but being a chem freak like me...I was disappointed. Bio was a miracle :P)
AP Tests: 5's on English Lang and Comp, Spanish Lang, Chem, and Bio so far.</p>

<p>Classes (ALL A's)</p>

<p>5 years of Language
Sciences: Bio, Honors Chem, AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics C
Math: through Calculus AB
English: All advanced EXCEPT senior year, where it was impossible to take AP Senior English, so I had to do mythology online and get my other English credit from AcDec
Band: I've taken band every year.
Spanish: I got a 5 on the AP test and I've taken Spanish I to IV. Now I'm enrolled in the first-ever Spanish Literature class as the only student. Is this significant? </p>

<p>Letters of Recommendation:
Chemistry teacher - Best letter he has ever written. AMAZING.
English - She's an AP English teacher and my AcDec coach...She writes the best letters
Counselor - Kinda iffy...he doesn't know much, but it's required...</p>

<p>PERFORMANCE
Honors Band (12, 11, 10, 9)
- First chair Alto Saxophone (12, 11, 9)
Regional Honor Band, Central Region (11)
- First second chair Alto Saxophone (11)
Marching Band (12, 11, 10)
Jazz Band (12, 11, 10, 9)
Surround Sound Symphony Orchestra, Percussion (11, 10)</p>

<p>CLUBS
Chemistry Club
- Founder/President (12)
National Honor Society (12, 11)
Guild of Mathematics (12, 11)
- Secretary (12)</p>

<p>LEADERSHIP 9 - 11 GRADE
Drum Major (12, 11)
- Head Drum Major (12)
Student Leadership Team, Marching Band (12, 11)
Link Leader <a href="12,%2011">Sophomore Orientations, Mentoring</a>
Chemistry Club, President/Founder (12)
Math Guild, Secretary/YB and Newspaper Correspondent (12)
Arizona Student Leadership Conference (12, 11)</p>

<p>ACADEMIC COMPETITION
Academic Decathlon (12) </p>

<p>WORK EXPERIENCE
Beta-Tester for DemiDec (12, 11)
- Created/edited/tested various quizzes and resource guides for Academic Decathlon Materials (12, 11) </p>

<p>AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
1st Place (Gold) - Drum Major Caption at Fiesta Bowl National Band Championship (11)
George Eastman Young Leaders Award (11)
Drum Major Award (11)
Most Outstanding Male Student (9)
Most Outstanding Spanish Language Student (9)
Varsity Letter, Marching Band (11)
Superior Rating, Solo and Ensemble (11, 10, 9)</p>

<p>COMMUNITY SERVICE
Drum Major (12, 11)
- Training new drum majors
- The job in general is a huge amount of service to the school...
District Planning Student Advisor (11)
- 2nd ever
Delivering/Picking Citrus and bringing them to Daycares/Adult Nursing Homes
Playing music at Adult Nursing Homes</p>

<hr>

<p>TOP 3 MAJORS
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry / Pharmacy</p>

<p>SCHOOLS
University of California - Berkeley
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
Stanford
Virginia Tech - Back-up
Georgia Tech - Back-up
[Where else should I apply for good Chem. Engineering programs? I've researched a lot but I feel like I should apply other places as well just in case...I think I'm setting my goals a bit high.] </p>

<p>Anyway! I'm applying EA (Through QuestBridge) to MIT and Stanford, and I'm wondering--do I have a chance at QuestBridge? My circumstances are a 50,000-ish income and the fact that my Grandmother with Alzheimer's has lived with us for 15 years, and I've taken care of her since I was in Junior High. My dad's unemployed and can't get a job because he has to stay home and watch her... I don't really want to make sob stories in my essays, but I figure it makes sense for QuestBridge to include those details. Anyway...I think that's it. Cal-Tech isn't early action because theirs is binding. Berkeley has to be regular decision.</p>

<p>How do you think I will fare? </p>

<p>Anything else, just ask! Thanks. I'll try to chance back.</p>

2

<p>Your GPA is excellent, but your extracurriculars and test scores are both lacking for MIT and CalTech. Even with QuestBridge, they would both be significant reaches.</p>

3

<p>Hmm, really? I’m going to take the ACT again. I’m taking Chem and Physics SAT Subject tests in October and hoping for higher scores, would that help?</p>

4

<p>Yes (though I don’t think it’s worth it to try and improve your 760 to an 800), but only through 2+ point jump in your ACTs would your chances substantially improve.</p>

5

<p>I really never thought colleges were that bad about picking a 35 over a 33. Or even a 32… </p>

<p>But I had a horrible testing day, so I don’t see how a 35 is impossible. </p>

<p>And are my extracurriculars not good because I don’t have like…random math and science competitions? I mean, will college admissions officers understand that a drum major spends literally twice as many hours at school as any other kid?</p>

6

<p>Yes, both (or all three) are fine scores, but for an unhooked candidate, you are going to want as high of a score as you can receive. If you look into Freshmen profiles or admissions statistics, you’ll notice that the 33 is close to being in the bottom 50% for MIT and CalTech, somewhere, where if the other portions of your application are not extraordinary (which yours aren’t), you don’t want to be. </p>

<p>And yes, that’s more or less the reason. More than most schools, MIT and CalTech are both seeking actively demonstrated interest from their students. As high as you might hold your marching band achievements, unless you are applying to a school that recruits musicians as much as they do athletes (UVA, for instance), it will just be another spot on your list of ECs.</p>

7

<p>Good to know. Thank you!</p>

8

<p>These chance threads always get one response and then die…</p>

9

<p>Not necessarily. The problem is that “I’m not feeling very confident” in the thread title leads some people to believe you are a ■■■■■. Were you around for the “Is it even worth it?” thread where someone who claimed they were valedictorian/2400/insane ECs was afraid they wouldn’t even be considered for a single Ivy? But I concur with billabongboy.</p>

10

<p>Oh, okay… I guess I’m not around too much :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

<p>But yeah, I actually have a legitimate reason not be confident. I wish they did more competition-like things here. They, in general, just suck at stuff to help prep for college.</p>

11

<p>dude, without even reading this, i’m gonna tell you that CC is not the place to go looking for a confidence booster</p>

12

<p>however, after reading i think you have a solid chance at any school you’re applying to :)</p>

13

<p>Thanks…</p>

<p>How do you guys think I’d fair at non-MIT/CalTech? I.e. places where my lack of “demonstration of love of Science” won’t matter…</p>

14

<p>I should have picked a better title!</p>

15

<p>U gonna be fine, just fine, budy</p>

16

<p>VA Tech: Safety
GA Tech: Safety
Stanford: Reach
MIT: Reach
Caltech: Reach
Berkeley: Match</p>