Chance me 2019!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Emory University
1

<p>What are my chances at Emory for ED or RD? (I am a junior in the Southeast)</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 unweighted
-5/5 APs offered will be taken by end of senior year, might do a science self-study (no scores yet on any)
SAT: 2280 composite superscore
-800 math
-800 writing
-680 reading (taking again in March, it's really a coin toss whether I'll get above 700. I've done 700-800 on practice tests for a while, but I got a 670 last time I took it :/...)
-subject tests
---math 1: taking in may/june
---math 2: taking in may/June
---biology m: 730</p>

<p>ECs:
-piano: 13 yrs lessons. I'm doing a grant funded, monthly nursing home music project junior and senior year. I am a devoted member of the chapel band at my school as well (9,10,11,...). I participated/will participate in music rally sophomore and junior years. Sophomore year I got third in district (99/100 on performance) and honorable mention at state. Junior year I don't know yet. i also participated in a local duet concert junior year and will do so again senior year.
-varsity swim team since 6th grade. I've made state times since 9th grade. I am also the anchor of our relay. I made top 24 of my region and all district junior year. I am on some all state swim league team too, something like that, I'm not all too sure.
-student government: I've held a leadership position all three years so far, and each is bigger than the year before. Hopefully the trend will continue to next year!
-speech team: all 3 years so far. I placed at local tournaments every year so far (6 places) and made all state speech team freshman and sophomore year (junior year hopefully). I am president of speech this year.
-guitar: 5 yrs lessons. played in chapel band.
-drama club: secretary/acting president sophomore year. Also in school productions freshman and sophomore year. Got district rally all star cast freshman year.
-quiz bowl: (dropped sophomore year because of issues with tournaments, no one could go to any, they were all so far out and inconvenient; we don't even have a quiz bowl team anymore; my counselor said she'd explain in her recommendation) co-captain freshman year. 2nd at state-qualifying tournament.
-service: piano grant thing mentioned earlier (20 hours projected by December 2014) and chapel band (100 hours projected by Dec 2014). Also, 40 hours (projected to Dec 2014) weekly middle school math tutoring (11,12)
-other: local leadership program, two academic summer programs </p>

<p>Other academics:
-academic rally: went and placed in french/math/math three years. When I went I placed at both district and state.
-placed 2nd at local math tournament sophomore year (it's in January, so it should be this month)
-Will be NM Semifinalist (233, with a 75 CR. could this make up for my 680?)
-other awards about academics specific to my school</p>

<p>My recs should be solid. My speech coach/English teacher and physics teacher will do the teacher ones. My counselor knows me really well too. I feel like they will add to my app.</p>

<p>I am visiting Emory sometime in the next couple months as well.</p>

2

<p>Do you want to go to Emory or somewhere else? Honestly (as in, are we actually chancing you for Emory, or higher stat. places? be honest. Like what would be some tentative academic interests if you came to Emory?). If you’re seriously interested in Emory and are truly considering ED, you’re good and don’t need retake the SAT (the verbal score is nicely near the median admitted GPA and the math and everything else above 75%) and also if you end up getting NM, Emory would be really interested in you because the number of NM Scholars has dropped since the class of 2011 or 2012.<br>
In addition, since you’re good at math, have you considered the math olympiads (maybe trying for IMO or national versions). How good are you?</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the reply @bernie12. I am very interested in emory. Emory, northwestern, and rice are my top three reaches. I would porbably major in Neuro/Behavioral Bio (love this topic!) and get involved in music. I like the size, urban/suburban location, and diversity. I’ve read through course offerings and such as well. I will try to get a greater feel for Emory when I visit. I feel like one of these three may turn out to be my favorite. Rice has a cog sci major, and NU has a Neuro one, but I like NBB at Emory the best. Rice doesn’t have a music minor, emory does. Honestly, my only concern with Emory is the political environment. Is it that liberal? Are students very active or more apolitical? I’ve read other threads, but I’m just not sure. Even though I love diversity, I am moderately conservative/republican, and don’t want it to feel Berkeley-esque. </p>

<p>Also, I’m not much into sports, and I know that’s not too big at emory.</p>

4

<p>I’ve also never heard of math Olympiads, but I’ll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion @bernie12</p>

5

<p>Emory is not Berkeley"esque", however, guess what. Hardly no top 20 is conservative (maybe there are moderate ones like ND and Vanderbilt). Emory is liberal (as in kind of like a “democrat” liberalism which is basically centrist/moderate. It’s not like many LACs where many/most students truly lean left), but perhaps tied with Rice and less liberal than Northwestern. In addition, I wouldn’t identify with a political leaning now because it could change. It’s too early. I realized that I was more in the middle on many issues than one side of the other (I eventually used “facts”, not emotions or upbringing). You’ll get over Emory’s political environment. I mean, honestly, even if you were conservative, I don’t see how anyone could upset over common sense organizations that are North Korean liberation interest groups, groups that advocate for better treatment of dining workers under Sudexo, or people that believe in other issues of justice or civil rights. If you aren’t willing to witness or “tolerate” people standing up for those sorts of issues, you will basically have to search outside of selective institutions. Overall, Emory is relatively apolitical (demonstration wise) though the students generally lean left. In addition, it is very diverse, so if you feel the slightest bit threatened or uncomfortable with ethnic and religious diversity (I’ve actually heard some from a “certain” demographic say this about Emory when they were considering top 20s. They would probably end up falling in the “UCLA girl” camp if they came) and the diversity of opinions and conversations it could bring, you are really screwed at all three of these schools and especially at Emory (which has a higher international population than like every other top 20). </p>

<p>Given all this, If you want a top 20 and its academic programs, I would basically just concern myself with the quality and offerings of the academic programs. Also, if you have a talent for math, please don’t throw it away by just doing NBB. Continue to take math or CS courses (maybe you can end up with the undergraduate computational neuroscience fellowship by junior year? Continued interest and success in math and getting involved with neuroscience research early on will make you competitive). Use that talent, it’ll make you enjoy the major more (instead of just taking large courses only about content that are filled with pre-healths). There are methods (you must take this for honors anyway) classes, a physical biology course, a project lab (actually, I think there are technically 2. There is a “hands on” behavioral neuro course), a comp. neuro course, and courses like that that are offered every now and then that you should take advantage of since you have higher than normal talent in math and science. A person like you should not sit around memorizing content about the brain or behavioral science. Take it to the next level.</p>

<p>You should also consider applying for Emory Scholars (just try at least). </p>

<p>As for the international math olympiad (which students normally find out about and do much earlier): [International</a> Mathematical Olympiad](<a href=“http://www.imo-official.org/]International”>http://www.imo-official.org/)</p>

<p>I’m sure it happens at local levels too as a qualifying round (very challenging though).</p>

<p>Here is the spring 2014 course descriptions for NBB. The course offerings haven’t been this diverse and robust in a quite a while (the non-core courses aren’t all clinically or “fill my head with facts” oriented. There is a mixture of those and research based courses). I think they’re “enhancing” stuff so you’d be going to Emory at the right time if you are admitted and decided to matriculate: <a href=“http://www.nbb.emory.edu/documents/NBBCourseDescriptionsSpring2014.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nbb.emory.edu/documents/NBBCourseDescriptionsSpring2014.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The NBB program at Emory was always a bit more robust and interdisciplinary than most comparable undergrad. prgrams at other schools, but if this keeps up, it’s even better.</p>

6

<p>AMC -> AIME -> USAMO -> IMO</p>

<p>Most strong math students will make it to the AIME. It is a pretty cool accomplishment. (I think MIT now asks for AMC and AIME scores?)</p>

<p>USAMO qualifying is a major achievement. By itself, it’s pretty much a guaranteed acceptance into college - except maybe the top 5. Or at least it was when I was trying to qualify for it.</p>

<p>If you qualify for IMO, Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Princeton’s math departments will be recruiting you, I’m sure.</p>

7

<p>IMO medalist=math 55 at Harvard, let’s go (literally, most of them end up at Harvard and end up taking that course)! That course is ridiculous, but it reminds me of my freshman orgo. days at Emory (the only freshman STEM class I know of that generates that kind of community and is known for much higher than normal rigor).</p>

8

<p>Except Math 55 is way harder :P.</p>

9

<p>Thank you for your honesty @bernie12. I think you are right. I am definitely an open-minded person, so my views could evolve more than I think/thought. And I LOVE diversity! I love interacting with people of really different backgrounds, its something I don’t get to do very easily at my very homogenous school. That’s largely what I love about Emory! I’m definitely not threatened by diversity. I guess I’m a bit of an anomaly (at least where I’m from!) in that regard, my leaning right combined with my desire for diversity. And to be honest, as long as there is mutual respect/tolerance between individuals, I am satisfied. My best friend is pretty liberal, and she’s one of my favorite people! I asked this specific question because of my cousins’ experiences actually, which spurred my anxiety as my college search began. My politically moderate cousin went to a particularly liberal LAC and said she felt like she was out of place, as her classmates were not tolerant/respectful of her, even though they preached tolerance themselves! On the contrary, her older brother, who pretty much held the same views, went to a school probably just as liberal but felt completely accepted. Political leanings did not play a factor in his friendships, which is really what I want. I just want to know what I’m getting into. </p>

<p>I have actually been considering a math major/minor as well. I do love word problems! And I’ve never taken a course in Neuro, I’ve just done a lot of reading, and I find it fascinating. I’m trying not to stress too much about my major right now, I’m just glad I have some academic topics that I want to explore.</p>

<p>Thanks for the links and info. I will read up on those. </p>

<p>And thanks @aluminum_boat</p>

10

<p>It is way harder for sure! lol. Chem 222-Z with Soria compares more favorably with something between chem 30 (material taught at this level or slightly higher) and chem 206 (several of the problems in bonus point p-sets and exams would be the caliber if not the same problems from their graduate course) at Harvard, but it’s certainly way less abstract and more doable than math 55 if you have the background and willpower. It’s just the Emory equivalent of a very challenging freshman course (as in, it’s a course where, the way he teaches, you can’t expect most freshmen, even if above average in chemistry, to grasp it at that level. He basically asks you to think more like a graduate student about organic chemistry very early on. Weinschenk is more suitable for less imaginative minds because he’ll “guide” your thinking and usually won’t test or cover the most controversial or provocative, or even modern concepts in the field. If compared to the maths at Harvard it would be like 55 vs. 25 or something like that). However, Harvard has many of those because they heavily tier the freshman math and science courses whereas Emory does not. Like with physics, you have 2 options, and at Harvard, 3-4, same with math, biology, and even chemistry has more flexibility (not everyone has to take lifesci 1a or the intro psci course). Emory (and most selective schools not in the HYPMSCt tier) tries to force even talented students to take classes far below them. It’s even worse if you’re pre-health (then the whole risk factor comes into play, where, even if you have the option to use your talent for higher level options, you shouldn’t because of a possible GPA penalty. I think one difference is Harvard gives students more time to “drop down” to the other course). </p>

<p>The very top schools are just better at making the talent actually “use” the talent at an appropriate level at the get go and from thereafter. The other schools with high stat. student bodies don’t really do this. It’s like they assume that “we’re already good enough which is why they chose us and the students seem to like it this way, so our academic environment is just as good as (insert really top school)…” If you’re talented then developing your talent even further toward similar levels at the other schools takes some serious effort. You pretty have to exploit the hell out of dept. academic and EC offerings. If you know any junior chem. majors who took Soria for freshman orgo. ask for their pathway for example. They basically had to jump straight into 300/400 level or grad. courses if they were to continue to be challenged, whereas at the tippy tops, a student of their caliber would be the norm and wouldn’t have to go through such motions like begging to skip have chem 301 waived so they can take chem 302 and things like that.</p>

11

<p>Also, please note that when I say “caliber”, I don’t just mean incoming stats (to so would be to suggest that anyone outside of the group I mention has lower stats and is thus of lower caliber). There are many average caliber students with great incoming stats. Things like passion, determination, and willing to advance their intellect (the lower caliber student will easily choose to completely sacrifice this element to ensure the grades. So I guess willing to take a risk is relevant as well) or skill set further all play a role in my book. It’s not enough to be “smart” and “well accomplished” when you walk in the gate. A lot of it is attitude. A world class hoop jumper is often not that great. Dolphins can do that. Too many Dolphins with 2100+ and perfect grades SATs at most of these places lol. They should do like HYPYSMChCt and light the hoops on fire.</p>

12

<p>

</p>

<p>I feel you, broseph.
<a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku7rPXoLRvI[/url]”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku7rPXoLRvI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>Wow, that’s classic. The pre-meds at those schools could use that tiger as inspiration lol. Unfortunately many of them just burn…</p>

14

<p>You will be fine. You have a very strong resume. Good luck!</p>

15

<p>With scores like that, you have a ticket anywhere. Emory scholars is the way to shoot for you!</p>

16

<p>Thanks sourkraut, and I will definitely apply for emory scholars. Do you think they view it as a form of demonstrated interest like a campus visit?</p>

17

<p>If you get scholars, it’s a no brainer. You should come here and pick up a double major in math and NBB. Start at Math 211 and work your way up. Use scholars to take the best math professors and base your classes on which professors are teaching when. Take NBB and a couple Chem courses too. </p>

<p>If I could do Emory over, I’d have done NBB and Math. And gone for the partial scholarship from being a Scholar semifinalist. </p>

<p>As for your Scholar chances, I see you getting an interview. Whether you get it depends on how you articulate yourself then. In my opinion, I think you need to stress the piano playing you do. Not what you do as much as show a genuine interest in why you do it. </p>

<p>If you’re from Mississippi and apply RD, you have a better shot Imo. But that’s a guess. </p>

<p>I don’t think it’s demonstrated interest. I think demonstrated interest, while good in theory, isn’t good in application. Everyone fakes it.</p>

<p>The only demonstrated interest for a school of this caliber is ED</p>

18

<p>Thanks for the advice. I’ve definitely been thinking about the “why” with piano as well.</p>

<p>After all this talk, I can’t wait to visit in April! I’m looking forward to checking out Wonderful Wednesday :)</p>