Chance me for BROWN! Class of 2016

<p>Hey CCers, I'm a half-white, half-Thai girl from Michigan whose top choice is Brown. Of course I know how ridiculously slim my chances are (as are everybody's...sigh), but I'm willing to give this whole chancing thing a shot ;) Have at it!</p>

<p>About me: As you now know, I'm half-Thai. My school is in a well-known, considered-to-be-very-good public school district (at least around here. It's no Stuyvesant or anything!). My school itself opened up the year I entered it; it's brand new and I'm part of the first graduating class.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.97something. I <em>think</em> that's my unweighted because my school doesn't keep both UW and W. Correct me if I'm wrong (my counselor TOLD me it was my UW). My school also doesn't keep class rank, but I would definitely be up there if they did.</p>

<p>ACT: 31 composite. 34 E, 29 M, 33 R, 27 S, 7 W. (cringe - I know it's low. Unlike my friends who bumped up their score by a couple points after retaking, I only took it once. Also, my essay was crap b/c I stupidly took SparkNotes' advice to actually brainstorm, which ended up wasting most of my time...smh at myself)</p>

<p>I didn't take the SAT.</p>

<p>AP Classes/Course Load:
AP English Lang 11, AP Chem, AP English Lit 12, AP Bio, AP Calc AB.<br>
AC math for all of high school and AC Art Portfolio this year.<br>
The only AP's I have NOT taken are APUSH and AP Euro. I have also NOT taken a foreign language, but I've studied 3 outside of school and explained that in my app.</p>

<p>AP Tests: 5 on AP English Lang 11.</p>

<p>ECs: Mostly music-related stuff (I'm a percussionist). I have 2 varsity letters, one from band and one from crew (totally forgot to mention it explicitly in my app, !@#$). I am NOT in NHS. Never got a job; my dad didn't want me working.</p>

<p>Throughout high school:
-Band (top band)
-Marching band
-Full orchestra (which only the best percussionists can join)
-DRUMLINE! (center snare for 3 years=leadership position)
-WINTER DRUMLINE!
-Solo & Ensemble Festival (straight 1's)</p>

<p>Part of high school:
-Pit orchestra
-Jazz band
-Private piano lessons
-Private percussion lessons
-Crew (1 full year; HUGE time commitment. Was a coxswain=leadership position)
-Private sewing lessons
-Fashion design camp in France
-Got into a selective Foreign Exchange Program w/ Japan (making me a 'Student Ambassador'=leadership position)
-Volunteer Club</p>

<p>Awards: Umm...2 varsity letters? SATD level 8 certified pianist? 1's at S&E? 4th place at winter drumline states? I have no idea if these even count.</p>

<p>My App Itself:
Applying as undecided w/ main interests in Environmental Studies and Visual Art. I also have an interest in fashion design so I wrote that I would take advantage of the 4 free classes at RISD (yes, I already know RISD gives priority to their own students) and take some of their apparel design classes.
I mentioned that Brown was my top choice. I think I had a pretty well written/creative/not typical answer for the last supplemental essay q; it was a shortened version of a full-length essay my teachers called "standout" and "outstanding"...I'm also confident that my "why brown" answer was not vague at all, I listed a LOT of specifics, inc. the RISD partnership b/c it's unique to me.
Overall I REALLY brought it, determined to show them that I REALLY wanna go to Brown! :) I also think I showed myself to be a unique applicant (I talked about fashion design and drumline, things not everyone does, and answered everything as uniquely and specifically as possible.)<br>
Okay, I'm done awkwardly bragging about myself. Feel free to shoot me down now...nicely if you don't mind ;)</p>

<p>As with a lot of people, you have a strong chance. I think a lot of your extra curriculars are really unique and I think your “why I want to go to brown” will strengthen your application as it includes specifics. Out of curiosity, what languages are you studying? That may help you significantly as I know a girl who had really good but not outstanding grades that studied 4 extra languages and got accepted to Yale and brown. Those two ivies seem to like the global oriented and world aware applicants if you know what I mean.</p>

<p>Hey austie, thanks for replying! I didn’t study any of the languages SUPER intensively, but I figured mentioning that I at least have some experience with languages was better than letting them wrongly assume I have none at all. I speak Thai (awkwardly, but haha yeah), I studied French with a local high school French teacher for 1 month (she said I was really good at picking it up. I think I surprised her), and I’ve also studied Japanese on and off, especially before/during that foreign exchange program (kind of forgot it by now, but I used to know hiragana and katakana and could actually read it). So I’m basically in the ‘beginner’ stage of the languages, but again…better than having no experience at all.</p>

<p>I love languages. Currently I’m proficient in 8 languages: Spanish French Italian German Latin mandarin Chinese Russian and polish. I think I’ll be able to take a couple of ap tests next year on those. I know languages are supposed to help the most at Stanford and Yale but also at other prestigious schools because they really want people with a global mindset.</p>

<p>You have an excellent chance! But you never know with a place like Brown! Best of luck!</p>

<p>Whoa, austie, that’s seriously cool! mad props. and thanks lexie for the feedback!</p>