Chance is not a verb but do it to me anyways

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hopefully my stupidly pretentious title got you hooked. </p>

<p>overall GPA for first 3 years of high school: tentative 97, not finalized
Rank: 15th (3 places below the top 10%)
Standardized Tests: SAT Is: CR 800, Math 800, Writing 770, haven't gotten my ACT or SAT II scores yet.
APs: Took AP Euro sophomore year, got a 5, this year I took AP Calc, Physics, and US History. Not really sure how I did on most of them although I'm pretty sure or at least hope that I got a 5 on Calc. Next year I will be taking AP French, Chem, Gov, and English (not sure which one) + I will be taking Calculus II at a nearby top ranked liberal arts college. I will have taken all the honors and AP classes I possibly could, as well as skipped a grade in Math. Pretty objectively I believe the rigorousness of my course load is second only to the current #1 in my class, although it's obviously difficult to judge. I tell you this only because I know school context is helpful for you and considered by colleges when judging course load.
Extracurriculars: 2 main ones are ballet (I'm a guy), and music, specifically composition and cello, which I expect to continue more seriously in college as well. As far as depth of involvement, I have attended a 4-week ballet summer camp in Saratoga associated with the New York City Ballet for the last 4 years and will be attending that along with a 4-week orchestral summer camp in Saratoga associated with the Philadelphia Orchestra this summer. I have almost no recorded community service hours, although I am politically active, and campaigned for Obama in Penn in 2008. I have a small but I like to think fairly good photography portfolio. I am Vice-President of my school's MUN team. I think that's about it. I hope I didn't get too self-indulgent making my record seem good. </p>

<p>My EC's are probably weak in that there aren't many of them, and community service may be a problem although to be honest I really don't know how valued that is if at all in admissions decisions. However, I like to think that at least some of my EC's are unusual and perhaps alluring to admissions officials. Obviously, my biggest weaknesses are my GPA and class rank. They really should be higher but to be perfectly honest my work ethic in my first few years of high school has been pretty poor although gradually improving. I tend to waste my time reading political blogs and making/listening to music. Unsurprisingly, I'm an absolutely horrible procrastinator, although I do always eventually do my work. Also, I like having a social life. This is not to say that I'm not academically motivated as you'll be able to tell by some of my unreasonably ambitious college ideas, I'm merely engaging in some pointless excuse-making. Really I apologize, because I think I'm rambling. In fact I'm doing this right now to avoid doing the last bit of homework I have all year. </p>

<p>All important college choices:
Columbia (top choice but reach)
maybe Stanford (extreme reach)
Oberlin
UCBerkeley (spelling?)</p>

<p>the next choices are pretty poorly researched and extremely tentative:
Pomona
Brown
Wesleyan</p>

<p>If you chance me, I'll be more than happy to chance back. Unless you do the lazy "looks like you have decent chances at most of these places chance me here: <em>link</em>." Also, I'd be delighted if anyone, seeing my EC's and academic record, has any suggestions for colleges I should look at, because I'm pretty bad at this college search thing. I hope I haven't turned anyone off by the unnecessary length and unfocused nature of this post. Of course I have. I'm pretty new here and I'm sure I'll get a few annoyed responses about something annoying or arguably pretentious/self-indulgent/self-referential I said, like this, or how my writing is overly stylized and how I should be more succinct. Those responses will probably all be true. Thanks in advance for responses!</p>

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<p>You’re a solid applicant for all of those schools. I would add one or two safties to your list though. Maybe Skidmore for an LAC, and NYU for a university? </p>

<p>Btw where do you live? That could affect your chances as well.</p>

3

<p>Anyways is not a word. All of these schools are extreme reaches, with the exception of perhaps Oberlin, not being top 10%. The ones where you would have a shot don’t meet need, is money an issue?</p>

4

<p>I live in upstate New York, near Utica if you know where that is. The only college that I know of that admits to having regional quotas for admittance is Brown, although it makes sense that all colleges would less overtly try to promote regional diversity in the same way that a lot openly work towards ethnic diversity. </p>

<p>Thanks for the advice about safety schools. Although I am somewhat interested in environmental studies, which I know Skidmore has a very strong program in, I don’t really think it would be a very good school for me: I’m looking for a change in scenery, so I’m pretty passionately opposed to staying upstate and even more opposed to going to a college that I’ve lived at for four-weeks out of each of my past 4 summers, plus this summer. It’s nothing against Skidmore, which I love, or Saratoga Springs, which I love even more, but, like a lot of people who have spent their whole pre-college life living in a mostly rural, relatively culturally inactive area, I’m really looking forward to something different in college. As for NYU, I think it might be a bit too big for me, but I also know that a lot of the more specialized schools (i.e. Tisch) are very very good, so I’ll definitely keep that in mind, and thank you for your encouraging assessment of my chances at the colleges I listed. I hope you’re right!</p>

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<p>Sorry about anyways, I knew I’d get at least a few comments about grammar, given that the post’s title is really asking for it, and seeing as the post is kind of rushed. Plus anyways is a chronic problem for me–one friend in particular gets very annoyed about it. Thanks for the honesty of your reply. I’m really not sure if money is a major concern. My mom always says it’s not, but I’m a triplet, so I expect it probably is at least a little bit of an issue.</p>

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<p>@Redroses: “Extreme reaches”? Are you kidding me? I feel that is a bit too critical with a 2370 SAT and 97% GPA.</p>

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<p>This OP is not in the top 10% asking about schools where 90-95% plus are. EXTREME. High scores never trump rank at top colleges.</p>

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<p>I’d have to disagree with Redroses; I think you have a good shot at Pomona and Wesleyan. Especially with Wesleyan, from what I’ve heard they love unique, quirky individuals with interests that maybe stray from the norm. As a male, politically-active ballet dancer who also does MUN, I think they’d love to have someone like you, no? Plus your scores and academics are great.
So yeah, I think Wesleyan is definitely NOT an extreme reach for you, not even a reach probably. I’d be optimistic.</p>

<p>Btw, I’m looking into similar schools :p</p>

<p>Chance me back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/943356-ignorance-bliss-but-please-chance-me-anyway-p.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/943356-ignorance-bliss-but-please-chance-me-anyway-p.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;