Chance Me for Class of '25: HYP, BC, BU, Dickinson, Swarthmore, Amherst, UChicago and Reverse Chance

Background - White male
Residence - Rhode Island
School - Small Catholic school, one of only IB schools in state
Finances - (Parents divorced) Mother - upper middle class, Father - lower middle class
Hooks - Yale double legacy (both parents)

Stats - #1 in class of 106
SAT (only taken once) - 1580 (780 EBRW/800 M)
SAT II - No stats yet, registered for US History, Spanish, Math II
IBs: English A, Spanish B, Physics, World History HL; Math (only offered as SL when I took it last year, now offered in both SL and HL), World Religion SL
APs - US History (5), Calculus AB, Spanish Literature and Culture, Microeconomics (this year, * = self study) (Average # of APs taken by high-achieving students over 4 years - 2)
GPA - 4.0 UW / 4.59 UW

Intended Fields of Study - Econ, History/PoliSci

ECs:

  1. State Model Legislature
    9, 10, 11
    6 hr/wk, 25 wk/yr
    Continue
    Senator (9), Senate Party Whip (10, 11)
    Awards for Distinguished Participation (10,11)

  2. Student government
    9, 10, 11
    1.5 hr/wk, 35 wk/yr
    Continue
    Class Secretary (9, 10, 11)

  3. JV Cross Country
    9, 10, 11
    12 hr/wk, 20 wk/yr (summer training and fall season)
    Hope to continue, but unlikely to do so due to capabilities
    Have already been named captain for my senior year

  4. Varsity Indoor Track
    9, 10, 11
    15 hr/wk, 10 wk/yr
    Continue
    Distance Captain (likely 12)
    All-Division (11)
    All-Class (11)

  5. Varsity Tennis
    10
    12 hr/wk, 12 wk/yr
    Not Continue

  6. Varsity Outdoor Track
    11
    15 hr/wk, 12 wk/yr
    Distance Captain (likely 12, as I will be the only senior on the team)

  7. Work - Family Farm
    9, 10, 11
    30 hr/week, 12 wk/yr (Summer)
    6 hr/week, 16 wk/yr (School Year)
    Cannot continue in college (at least not during academic year

  8. Volunteering - Local Bicycle Advocacy Group
    9, 10, 11
    8 hr/week, 10 wk/yr
    Continue in similar work

  9. Volunteering - Local Nonprofit Summer Collegiate Baseball Team
    11
    24 hr/week, 8 wk/yr
    Continue
    Official Scorer - position held by college students for every other team in the league

  10. NHS
    Will join after end of semester 1, unless by some freakish turn of fate my GPA drops an entire point (3.6 is the minimum)

Honors:
Highest Honor Roll (95+ average, all As) - 9, 10, 11
Model Legislature Statewide Award - 10, 11
USSYP Finalist - 11
National Spanish Exam Gold Medal - Levels 1, 2, 3
All-Class Indoor Track (11)
All-Division Indoor Track (11)

Rec Letters:
Too early to tell, as I’m almost four months from asking, but I’m planning to ask my IB World History teacher, who is also my Model Legislature advisor and knows me well, and my IB Spanish teacher/AP Spanish Literature independent study mentor (I check in with her once a week), who also knows me well and is a big fan of mine.

The good new - you are in the range from which they select their students. the bad news - so are about 7,000 other applicants.

Harvard/Princeton - crapshoot, considering that they only accept a few percent and you have no real hook.

Yale - legacy hook and great stats - good chance, especially if you apply REA. I don’t know how good but far better than average.

Amherst, UChicago, Swarthmore - reaches but see above

BC - low reach/high match

BU - low reach

Dickinson - I would call it a match, but check out your high school’s Naviance to be sure.

You need a safety.

Agree with the above, adding for Dickinson you must demonstrate interest, or risk a denial due to yield protection.

Also, talk with both parents about the budget…as at all of the schools above both parents income and assets will be part of the financial aid equation.

As they’re pointing out, with certain colleges, good enough isn’t good enough. You have model legislature and student govt, but anything independent, not a school program? Eg, vol’ing for a state or local rep, or something related to elections, and/or for some advocacy (activism) group? And similarly, community service for the needy?

This sort of thing, in line with your possible major, would show you get out of the usual hs activities, have that sort of vision and follow through, etc. Easy to add.

Thank you very much! I agree that I need a safety - do you have any possible suggestions to explore, based on my profile?

Yale! Yale! Yale!

I agree with what someone said above though; some of your ECs are the generic school-related stuff and not individual pursuits into what you are passionate about.

But legacy? And with BOTH your parents? Rare, and with those ECs and stats REA to Yale is a no brainer if I were you.

Apply REA to Yale and you’ll have a 50% chance if you’re pessimistic.
As for Princeton (I didn’t apply to any other school on your list), you should start polishing your essays ASAP. By the end of this year, have the bare bones outlines of your common app essays and all your supplementals. You’ll have the summer to get them exactly right, and trust me when I say it’ll pay off.

That’s what I’ve been planning on for years. I should have put it in the OP.

Safeties/Matches:

George Washington would be a match/low match, depending on what you see in your Naviance (acceptance rates of > 40%, you are in the top 25% for stats)

American University would be similar

Binghampton may be a safety, as may be UMD and Wisconsin, but you should check your high school’s Naviance.

How do I access my school’s Naviance? I’ve never heard any students or teachers/counselors reference it.

Ask your GC whether your high school subscribed to Naviance, and search your school’s website. It is a colleges readiness and search website, and it also track applications from your school to different colleges, and the outcomes

This is where you get to demonstrate your resourcefulness. There’s a lot that’s good in your record. Don’t blow it by being the sort who leans on strangers as the first step.
Yes, ask your GC. You can even google for a broader understanding. But key is being the sort of applicant they want to accept. Do you have sufficient understanding of what that is? They don’t just take x% of applicants. They take the ones who meet their wants.

You sound like a really great young man. I would assume that you’re in the top 5 in your class at TPS?

I agree with everyone above. @MWolf has given you a great breakdown. I would think BU is straight match for you.

I would add PC as a safety. Also if you have any interest in continuing in agriculture UMass Amherst has an incredible program in their Stockbridge school and it can be combined with the isenberg school of business. Brandeis and Wake too. Both super schools with an academic focus and similar hard working, extremely bright students like you for really good matches.