Chance me for Columbia, UCs, Rice, UChicago, & others (IB Diploma Candidate)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi y’all! So I just wanted to do a “chance me” to soothe a bit of nervousness/give me a reality check as I work on apps :slight_smile:

my colleges
Mega reaches: Stanford, Columbia, UChicago, Dartmouth, Northwestern
Slightly less reach-y but still reaches: Rice, USC, Barnard college, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UCLA
Match/Safety: UT Austin (auto admit, applying ASAP), Southwestern University, maybe UNT but it’s a little too close to home :stuck_out_tongue:

about me!
White female from North Texas area
Medium sized public school
IB diploma candidate
my dad lives in california, so i’m in-state for UCs

stats :slight_smile:
GPA: 4.0 (unweighted) 4.94
Rank: 30/500 but if I maintain A average for senior year I will be 1
ACT: 34
SAT: 1410, but retaking in August
Haven’t taken SAT subject tests yet

classes/coursework
AP Coursework: AP World History, AP Physics, AP Macroeconomics (sophomore year),
IB Diploma Candidate Coursework: IB Biology HL, IB Art HL, IB Lang & Lit HL, IB History of the Americas HL, French SL, Math SL
AP & IB Scores: 4s on WH, Physics, & Macro. 5 on IB French SL (probably my weakest subject)

extracurriculars: Percussion for (5th-12th grade), High School Band for (9-12), Varsity Percussion member (10-12), top Wind Ensemble member (10-12), participated in an independent indoor drumline for 1 year, attended percussion symposium (10) and 3 instructional percussion camps (11), Member of NHS (10-12), Key Club (10-12), Civil Liberties Club Member & Historian (11-12), IB social club treasurer (12), attended SMU Human Rights Summit (12)

Awards/recognitions: AP scholar, various awards in band & indoor drumline, had my art in a selective local show

Extra??: I’m currently working on illustrating a children’s book with plans to publish
I’m in the top 6% of my graduating class
I’m a pretty good writer, so essays will be good, and also I expect a strong letter of rec from my percussion director

Let me know anything that might make my app stronger! thanks again :slight_smile:

2

EDIT: my UC weighted and capped GPA is 4.23

3

Just out of curiosity, are you sure you qualify as instate for the UCs? I thought you (the student) had to have a physical presence in California for at least one year immediately prior to applying as one of the criteria you must meet to be considered in state? If anyone out there knows, thanks for answering for me.

4

This is copied from the Berkeley admissions website https://admissions.berkeley.edu/residency-requirements

"When considering whether or not you can apply as a California resident, you must demonstrate that you, your family, or a parent/guardian has a permanent address established in the state of California. Please review these common scenarios to see if one fits your situation:

You have attended a high school in California but moved to another state or country. If you have attended at least two full years of high school in California, you may apply as a California resident. Be sure to include the information in your application. If you have attended fewer than two years of high school in California, please review scenario 2 to see if you can establish residency through a parent/guardian with a permanent address.
You have a parent who has a permanent address in California, but you live part- or full-time with a parent who lives in another state or country, or you attend boarding school in another state or country. If you can establish that a parent/guardian has a permanent address in California, than you may apply as a California resident."

so this applies for admissions only, tuition is a little more vague & somewhat hard to decipher: ( from https://registrar.berkeley.edu/tuition-fees-residency/residency-tuition-purposes/basic-requirements-residency )

"You (or your parent) must be physically present in California on a continuous basis for at least 366 days immediately prior to the residence determination date (the first day of instruction).

Residency may not be established in absentia and the prior residence must have been relinquished.
You or your parent must be able to demonstrate physical presence in California with sufficient documentation.
Within the 366-day period, you or your parent can be absent from California for a cumulative maximum total of six weeks. A residency classification will not be granted for absences that exceed six weeks."

5

Hope it works out for you then. The information I found on the UCLA website said you (the student) had to have a physical presence, but didn’t say “or your parent.”

6

You are a competitive applicant. Your stats and ECs are good. You don’t need to retake the SAT as your ACT score is great. Write amazing essays and you could get accepted to any of these schools

7

Even as a competitive applicant at all of these schools you should apply to a wider range of target and safety schools meeting you criteria, whatever they may be. The reach schools you mention have become so competitive as to offer little more than random admission chances, even for you.