Congratulations!
I think you have a very good shot OP. Your academic record is strong and you have a somewhat unique spike. I would not get too hung up about FIDE vs. Chess.com. It is your accomplishments that matter and if you can prove that you are very good then I don’t think there will be too much to worry about. In fact, chess.com is hosting the biggest prize$$ tournaments now.
I would say that your profile might be a better fit you Princeton and Yale that looks for bonafide spikey kids.
Hello, I have both! As for chess.com, I run into cheaters as well but they often get banned after 10 or so games they play.It seems like the latest trend is to use lower rated engines which results in non human like blunders. I’m currently rated between 2600-2700 on chess.com but I mostly match against 2300-2400s to play against due to the scarcity of players rated above
Thank you! I have an IM title as well. I actually wrote my Harvard supplement on my chess journey and how one’s personality is revealed through chess.
Thank you very much! I would have loved to apply to Princeton but I felt my GPA was too low. Additionally, I’ve heard that Harvard looks for talent and passion thus was the reason I applied 
Indications from Harvard’s Common Data Set are unusual in this respect. While it marks talent/ability in only the third highest category under basis for selection, as “considered,” it doesn’t mark any individual applicant attribute as “very important” or “important.”
Yes, this is true. It’s very unusual!
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As an aspect to your list that you simply may find interesting, two of your potential choices appear in this Boston Globe interview in the format of the Proust Questionnaire: Charlie Baker takes the Proust Questionnaire - The Boston Globe.
Thank you! I will check this out
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This is really interesting! Thank you! Hamilton has been one of my top choices on my list.
Something else to consider when evaluating “selectivity” - Social Mobility:
2022 Liberal Arts Colleges Ranking | Washington Monthly
|1|Harvey Mudd College (CA)
|2|Pomona College (CA)
|3|Wesleyan University (CT)
|4|Washington and Lee University (VA)
|5|Berea College (KY)
|6|Williams College (MA)
|7|Swarthmore College ¶
|8|Claremont McKenna College (CA)
|9|Lafayette College ¶
|10|Amherst College (MA)
|11|Bryn Mawr College ¶
|12|Haverford College ¶
|13|Smith College (MA)
|14|Middlebury College (VT)
|15|Grinnell College (IA)
|16|Macalester College (MN)
|17|Bowdoin College (ME)
|18|Carleton College (MN)|
|19|College of Saint Benedict (MN)
|20|Wellesley College (MA)|
|21|Franklin and Marshall College ¶
|22|Vassar College (NY)
|23|Beloit College (WI)
|24|Hamilton College (NY)
Thank you!
If you would care to say, how have your results been so far, @Ailerii?
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Currently, I did not receive any acceptances. I was rejected by Carleton, CC, and URichmond (due to F.A). I was waitlisted at Grinnell and Denison. This was a humbling experience for me. My old school friend has gotten into Hamilton ED2 so I’d adore an acceptance from Hamilton.
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These schools could use a good English lit major — wishing you luck with the rest of your decisions.
Thank you!
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Anything positive to report, @Ailerii?
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Unfortunately, I did not get into any of the schools I applied to. I might take a gap year, go to Wabash which I was admitted without applying, or go to a Korean University.
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I would focus on the positive which is you have a good option in Wabash that is affordable for you. Earlier you seemed to indicate being comfortable attending Wabash. Has something changed with your thinking on this? I wouldn’t take a gap year expecting different results as this rarely happens. I know this process has been challenging and didn’t play out how you imagined.
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Yes this is true. I’m still very glad that I have an option to go to the states affordably. I appreciate the thoughtful care that Wabash College has demonstrated toward its students, and I believe that attending this institution could be a great option for me. As I pursue my aspirations of becoming a lawyer, I acknowledge that the choice of college may not be of utmost importance, as long as I remain diligent in maintaining good grades, achieving a high LSAT score, and building positive relationships with my professors.
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Will Wabash grant you a deferral?
(If you attend a university, you’ll be an international transfer and that usually means no financial aid whatsoever, so deferring would likely yield the best results for you and if Wabash accept a deferral then you’re not worse off).
I would focus on applying ED to either Bowdoin or Amherst, highlighting IM title and important victories in your EC list.
Continue playing chess.
As captain of the rugby team, is there a college that might recruit you?
Contact these ==>
Though I think you would have a better shot at being recruited for chess, it’s worth a shot. (You wouldn’t be “recruited” per se but it may add a nudge in your direction).
If you re-apply, you can’t apply to the colleges you already applied to but fortunately that leaves quite a few - you should prioritize “need blind/meet need” colleges (you still have Bowdoin, Amherst, MIT, Princeton, and Yale) + 2-3 universities where your 1590 would grant you automatic full tuition (if you can score 1600 I know UAlabama would be a sure thing) + 2-3 that have known competitive chess teams that’ll want to recruit you.
In any case you’re an AMAZING applicant. You will go far. 
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