Chance Me? (Columbia, Penn, Brown, Hopkins, Vanderbilt, Rice, WashU, USC, and more)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’m a junior and I will be applying to college this upcoming fall. Please give me your honest opinion and feel free to suggest any schools that aren’t on my list.

Intended Major: Computer Science possibly

SAT I: 2400 one sitting

SAT II: 720 Chemistry, 800 (predicted) Math II, 700+ (predicted) Physics, 700+ (predicted) US History
Unweighted GPA: 98/100 4.0/4.0
Rank: top 10% (~top 1-2% but school only releases decile rank)
AP: World History 5, US History, Computer Science
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C, AP Government, AP Literature, Gym, Wind Ensemble
Honors and AP courses taken whenever available.

Major Awards: Likely National Merit Semifinalist, National Spanish Exam Bronze, Presidential Scholar Candidate

Extracurriculars:
Trombone - State Level Solo Competition (9th: 100, 10th 99, 11th 98)
All State Symphonic Band (11th)
Regional Symphonic Band (11th, 1st Chair), Orchestra (10th, 1st Chair), Jazz Ensemble (9th)
Wind Ensemble (section leader all 4 years)
Jazz Ensemble (section leader all 4 years)
Tri-M Music Honor Society
Science Olympiad (Secretary)
Local College Programming Competitions
Programming and Web Development
Key Club

Volunteer/Community service: Key Club and school stuff

School Type: Public, about 2000 students
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Hooks: none lol

Schools:
Columbia
Penn
Brown
Johns Hopkins
Vanderbilt
Rice

WashU
USC
Tufts
Virginia
UNC Chapel Hill
Michigan
NYU
Boston University
Northeastern University

2

You seem like the typical Asian applicant who applies to Ivies (plays an instrument, has 2400 SATs, good at Math), which might (unfortunately) work against you in the admissions process. I’ve seen a lot of people, especially on CC, with perfect SAT scores get rejected from Ivies—so make sure you put some safeties on your college list. I noticed that you listed UVa, UMichigan, NYU, BU, and NEU on your college list. Do you consider these safeties?

-By the way, which state do you live in? Whether you are an in-state applicant for Virginia, Michigan, and UNC Chapel Hill really matters.

-Why don’t you consider applying to MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon? To my knowledge, these schools have the best computer science programs in the United States and I don’t see any reason why you would refrain from applying. Also Texas A&M: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/computer-science-rankings

-While you have a great GPA, are very involved in extracurriculars, and have a perfect SAT, be mindful of the fact that there are probably thousands of other applicants who are as academically strong as you applying to those schools on your list. Therefore, I cannot stress it enough—make sure you distinguish yourself, and let your distinct personality and interests really shine through your Common App essays and supplementals. Also, don’t procrastinate like I did…make sure that you have someone who you can trust to proof read your writing and to make constructive critiques (even though it might annoy you). It will give you a better essay.

-Perhaps focus on your music when you’re writing your personal essay, and how it impacts your chosen course of study; from what I can tell, it plays a huge part on your life.

Here are your chances:
Columbia: mid-reach
Penn: high reach
Brown: mid-reach to high reach
Johns Hopkins: Match/low reach
Rice: Match
USC: Match
WashU: Match/low reach (word of advice, MAKE sure you show demonstrated interest by doing an interview, applying to their scholarships, it matters for them from personal experience)
UVa: match
Chapel Hill: match
Michigan: safety/match
NYU:match
BU:safety
NEU:safety

3

While you do seem like a typical Asian applicant, I think you could break away from that in your essays and recs maybe.
I’d say the Ivies are reaches as for anyone (But you are a competitive applicant I think), Hopkins rice and wash U low reaches/high matches, USC, UVa, UNC, BU NEU, NYU and Michigan all matches.
Best of luck!
Please chance me back:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1782833-chance-a-rising-senior-for-uchicago-georgetown-ivies-etc-will-chance-back.html#latest

4

@JalapenoGreens Thanks for your opinion, I’m definitely aware that the Ivies are big reaches especially as an unhooked Asian. I consider BU and NEU to be safeties and I may also apply to a SUNY school as another safety (I’m from New York).

The reason I’m not applying to MIT is because I’m looking for schools that are more “well-rounded” in terms of academics and student bodies. But I’ll definitely take a look at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon.

5

Yeah, i agree with the comments above mine. Even though you’ve done so much and are really accomplished academically, ivies are kind of a reach for everyone, sadly. But as for the others you stand a really really good chance. I think you’re a strong applicant for all of these schools. You’ll definitely get in somewhere good thats for sure! Good luck!

6

As previous posters have said, you seem like a generic Asian due to your high test scores, lack of any hook, and STEM and music focus. The Ivies in general are therefore high reaches (except Penn, which is a low reach, and Columbia, which is a mid-reach)—many applicants who look good “on paper” but don’t have some amazing talent/EC get rejected. You have a good chance at JHU, Vanderbilt, USC and Rice because those schools seem to care about objective stats a lot. WashU waitlists a lot of people at my school with high stats, but I’m not sure if that’s the case with every school. Same with Tufts. UNC Chapel Hill is hard to get into OOS, but with a 2400 you probably will. Instate you are a shoo-in. You can definitely get into UMich, NYU, Boston University, and Northeastern University, though I’m not sure if NYU, Boston, and Northeastern waitlist/reject overqualified applicants. Chance back?: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1778302-chance-an-asian-yale-duke-williams.html#latest

7

@creedbratton Your stats are better than mine, but your extras are generic and not appealing to top tier colleges. (I’m also an Asian male, class of 2015)
Columbia - high reach
Penn - mid to high reach
Brown - mid to high reach
Johns Hopkins - mid reach
Vanderbilt - mid reach
Rice - mid reach
WashU - mid reach
USC - low reach
Tufts - low reach?
Virginia (I’m going here next year, so message me if you have any questions) - should be a safety if you’re in state, if you’re OOS, then match/high match
UNC Chapel Hill - high match
Michigan - match
NYU - match
Boston University - safety
Northeastern University - safety

I’m not sure about Boston, Northeastern, Tufts, UNC Chapel Hill.

Carnegie Mellon is a great school for computer science. However, keep in mind that Carnegie Mellon’s computer science program is ridiculously difficult to get into, with acceptance rates equal to or lower than many of the top Ivies. I believe they accept only ~100 students to their school of computer science each year.

8

Just updating a few things

Intended Major: Undecided right now but possibly computer science or something else science/math related

SAT I: 2400
SAT II: 800 Math II, 750 Physics, 750 US History
Unweighted GPA: 98/100 4.0
Rank: top 10% school doesn’t rank further
AP: World History 5, US History 5, Computer Science 5
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C, AP Government, AP Literature, AP Statistics, Wind Ensemble

Major Awards: National Merit Semifinalist, National Spanish Exam Bronze, AP Scholar, Presidential Scholar Candidate

Extracurriculars:
Trombone - State Level Solo Competition (9th: 100, 10th 99, 11th 98)
All State Symphonic Band (11th)
Regional Symphonic Band (11th, 1st Chair), Orchestra (10th, 1st Chair), Jazz Ensemble (9th)
Wind Ensemble (section leader all 4 years)
Jazz Ensemble (section leader all 4 years)
Tri-M Music Honor Society
Science Olympiad (Secretary)
Local College Programming Competitions
Programming and Web Development
Key Club

School Type: medium/large public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male

Schools:
Columbia
Brown
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Rice
WashU
Tufts
USC
UNC Chapel Hill
Virginia
Michigan
NYU
Boston University
Northeastern

9

Agree with above ^ Are you doing anything interesting this summer that you could perhaps write about in an attempt to make yourself stand out even more at the Ivies?

10

Since most Ivies reject about 75% of perfect score applicants, you have to stand out in other ways. Actually, if you play the trombone well enough, it may be a mini-hook. It all depends on which schools on your list need a trombone player. Send in a music supplement with you app. Good luck!

11

Your list looks good. I think you will get into some good schools. Good luck.

12

Columbia: mid reach
Brown: reach
Penn: reach
Johns Hopkins: high match
Vanderbilt: reach
Northwestern: high match
Rice: low reach
WashU: match
Tufts: low reach
USC: low reach
UNC Chapel Hill: low match
Virginia: low reach
Michigan: low match
NYU: low match
Boston University: safety
Northeastern: safety

I’m not all too sure about these, but I think you have a good list.
Chance back? http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18647486#Comment_18647486

13

ivies - reach for all applicants
Johns Hopkins: Match
Rice: Match
USC: Match
WashU: Match
UVa: match
Chapel Hill: safety
Michigan: safety
NYU:match
BU:safety
NEU:safety
chance me back?
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18651820#Comment_18651820

14

Unhooked Asian syndrome. Why not apply as a prospective music major? This would be a bit unusual and might get some interest from the adcoms.

But if you apply as a comp sci major expect for some disappointment in

15

UMich is no safety for anyone particularly from OOS. The OOS admission rate this year is at 20% or below. For OP interested in Computer Sci or other science area, UMich LSA would be a good option and it should be a high match to match. Your SAT1 and GPA are great while SAT2 is fine. It is not uncommon to reject near perfect score applicants at UMich if you look at the chance thread there, but you should be a strong candidate. It is just the admission rate for OOS students that it is hard to make it a low match.