Chance me for Caltech, please?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, I'm currently a junior in virginia. I'm a white male, but my grandfather was from South Africa, so technically, I'm African-American, but I don't know if that counts...</p>

<p>SAT:
Math: 800
CR: 750
Writing: 760
Total: 2310</p>

<p>Grades:</p>

<p>GPA: UW/W
Rank: Class not ranked</p>

<p>My school does not offer AP or IB classes, and we are on a trimester system where each class lasts for 2 trimesters, which is the equivalent to a full year at a normal high school. Only a couple of honors classes are available, and these are classes beyond the equivalent of AP level. So, normally students take 15 trimester class (5 each trimester), which would be the equivalent of 10 classes in a normal high school system.</p>

<p>The grading scale is a 7-point scale (96 A, 93 A-, 90 B+, etc.), without A+.</p>

<p>Though not labelled AP, we are given the option to take the AP exam in May, and I have for several classes, as listed.</p>

<p>9th grade: 3.92
ENGL 211-212 (English IV): A-
MATH 411-412-413 (Single-Variable Calculus): A
CSCI 211-212 (Introductory Computer Science I): A
HIST 211-212 (Middle World History): A-
SCIE 211-212 (Chemistry I): A
ARTS 213 (Ceramics I): A
FREN 511-512 (French IV): A
RUSS 311-312 (Russian II): A
GPA: 3.92</p>

<p>APs:
Calculus BC: 5</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests:
Chemistry: 760
Math II: 770</p>

<p>Summer 9/10:
MATH 321 (Spherical Trigonometry): A
ARTS 231 (3D Design): A-</p>

<p>10th Grade:
ENGL 311-312 (English V): A-
MATH 521-522 (Multi-variable Calculus): A
HIST 411-412 (Advanced World History): A-
SCIE 311-312 (Chemistry II): A
SCIE 321-322 (Biology I): A
FREN 521-522 (French V): A
RUSS 411-412 (Russian III): A
CSCI 311 (Introductory Computer Science II A): A-
HIST 581L (Microeconomics- YL): A
GPA: 3.91</p>

<p>SAT Subject Test:
World History: 770
Biology M: 800</p>

<p>APs:
AP English Language: 5
AP English Literature: 4
AP World History: 5
AP Chemistry: 5
AP French Language: 5
AP Computer Science A: 4
AP Microeconomics: 5</p>

<p>Summer 10/11:
Johns Hopkins:
AS 110.202.21 (Calculus III) A+
AS.171.118.21 (Stars & the Universe) A+</p>

<p>11th grade:
total classes:
ENGL 411-412 (English VI)
MATH 531-532-533 (Differential Equations)
HIST 431-432 (US History)
SCIE 441-442 (Physics I)
SCIE 411 (Honors Organic Chemistry)
SCIE 421-422 (Biology II)
FREN 541-542 (French VI)
RUSS 511-512 (Russian IV)
ARTS 241 (Band)</p>

<p>1st trimester:
ENGL 411: A-
MATH 531: A
HIST 431: A-
SCIE 411: A (+.25 for honors class)
RUSS 511: A
ARTS 241: A
GPA so far: 3.94</p>

<p>2nd & 3rd Trimesters: TBD</p>

<p>Extra-Curriculars:
Captain Varsity Badminton: 9th, 10th, 11th
Black Belt in Taekwondo
JV Soccer: 9th
Varsity Soccer: 10th, 11th
JV Tennis: 9th, 10th
Community Council: Member: 9th, 10th / Treasurer: 11th
Head of Technology, French, and Math Clubs.
Member of Russian Club and RAMPS.</p>

<p>School List:
Caltech, MIT, Dartmouth, Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, UVA, Stanford.</p>

<p>I'm looking to major in Mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help.
If I forgot anything, please ask and I'll add it.</p>

2

<p>No Math or Science related extracurriculars. Starting a technology club won’t cut it.</p>

<p>Yeah, was your grandfather of European descent living in south Africa or was he African living in south Africa? If he is of European descent, you will NOT get URM.</p>

3

<p>He was not. I forgot to add that during each summer, I’ve done research with a PhD student, helping her with her dissertation for electrical engineering. And, I didn’t start the club, I’m just head of it this year.</p>

4

<p>First, no you are not an URM. Secondly, Caltech doesn’t give much/any weight to race.</p>

<p>You have a chance at Caltech. But honestly nothing really stands out in your app. Sure, you have taken Diff EQs but by its position in your school’s curriculum, it does not give the same weight as the student who goes to a local college during the school year because he’s exhausted his curriculum.</p>

<p>Secondly, do you have any math awards or science awards? This could be way off but the curriculum you listed seems to be reminiscent of TJ. If you don’t, I imagine that you could have a difficult time being admitted when compared (even unintentionally) to your classmates.</p>

<p>Either way, for Caltech, write some great essays that show your love for math and science and you will have the best chance you can possibly have. </p>

<p>For the others, all are reaches except for UVA and CMU which are lowish matches.</p>

5

<p>IDK about calteach, mad competitive, but like above poster, you have an amazing math curriculum, time to post some passionate letter and get not good or great but STELLAR recommendation letter, :slight_smile: Best of luck you will succeed no matter where you go, plus being white as opposed to asian also helps, though other’s claim CalTech does not do racial profiling, lol</p>

6

<p>Your Math II subject test will probably hurt you. I heard that one year that everyone who was admitted had an 800 on Math II.</p>

7

<p>You are a strong applicant. Best of luck to you.</p>