Chance me for Cornell, Penn, etc with 2280?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am looking to go to an engineering school, and I want to receive an education beyond a bachelor's degree (Master's or PhD), and I don't want to be in any debt from undergrad. So my match schools (Clarkson, Case, U of R, Rensselaer) are off the table because I would have to take on debt to go there. Ivies have no loans (except Cornell but they match other Ivies' offers) so I'll apply to reaches and a safety.</p>

<p>SAT: October (March)</p>

<p>Math: 800 (800)
CR: 720 (660)
Writing: 760 (670)
Essay: 9 (8)
Total: 2280 (2130) and 1520 (1460)</p>

<p>Physics Subject Test: 790
Math 2 Subject Test: 800</p>

<p>Grades and Classes:</p>

<p>The school I go to is an average public school. We rarely ever send kids to Ivies. I remember once our valedictorian went to Yale and it was the talk of the town. For comparison purposes, the salutatorian that year went to SUNY Geneseo.</p>

<p>GPA: 98.62 weighted (96ish freshmen year, 99ish sophomore year, 101ish junior year).
Class Rank: 7/372 (Valedictorian had 101.7)</p>

<p>Non-AP or college-level classes taken:</p>

<p>8th - Accelerated Algebra
9th - Accelerated Geometry, Biology, Media Art, French 2, Global 9, English 9, nothing special
10th - Accelerated Algebra II/Trigonometry, Chemistry, Media Art 2, French 3, Global 10, English 10, nothing special again
11th - French 4
12th - Economics</p>

<p>College-credit classes taken:</p>

<p>11th - Accelerated Precalculus, College Physics, English 101
12th - French 5</p>

<p>AP Classes taken:</p>

<p>11th - APUSH (5), AP Stats (5)
12th - AP Lit, AP Gov, AP Chem, AP Calc BC</p>

<p>APs offered by school I did not take:</p>

<p>AP Biology, AP European History, AP Music Theory, AP Calculus AB</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>School Newspaper (writer since 9th, editor since 10th (layout and editing in Indesign), featured columnist in 12th, won 4 awards for this work).</p>

<p>Math Club (it only existed 11th grade; lasted a year due to budget cuts and teacher layoffs. Involved working on puzzle-like questions for NYS Math League)</p>

<p>Mock Trial (witness 11th & 12th; joined to improve communication skills etc)</p>

<p>International Club (10-12)</p>

<p>Varsity Tennis (all four years)</p>

<p>Volunteer at Local Sunday School (120+ hours, 10-12 grade)</p>

<p>I think what's really holding me back is lack of math and science extracurriculars. Most likely will be the reason if I'm rejected.</p>

<p>Awards etc:</p>

<p>NMSQT Commended Scholar
NHS, FLHS
Nominated for 2 scholarships by school, totalling $12000/year (these are from RIT and U of R)
NYS Academic Excellence scholarship, highest award
4 Awards for work with school newspaper</p>

<p>Personal Info:
Ethnicity: Pakistani origin (born there; lived in US for 12 years)
Gender: Male
Family income: $80k</p>

<p>Anyway guys, can you chance me for the following schools:</p>

<p>Cornell
Penn
Yale (yeah right)
Stanford (haha)
Columbia (they sent me a LOT of mail...)
SUNY University at Buffalo (chances for full scholarship too)</p>

<p>Also, if you feel that my chances are not good, please provide feedback on how I can improve them instead of just mocking. Thanks. I already think my chances are weak.</p>

<p>Also, do you guys recommend that applying to a bunch of these types of places increases the chance you will get into maybe one of them? Or will you either be rejected by all these types of schools or accepted?</p>

2

<p>Weighted senior year average is about 104 right now.</p>

3

<p>I think they will see you as academically qualified.</p>

4

<p>In any case, I think the most suitable choice (financially) would be that I go to UB for undergrad and then try for a Master’s at MIT etc. Do you think kids from Cornell and Penn and other such schools have an edge, even with the same GPA and classes taken?</p>

5

<p>Haha, I have stumped you all!!</p>

6

<p>As long as I don’t screw up the essays, I could get in, right?</p>

7

<p>I think your lack of ec’s is going to very much hurt your chances at these top schools. Nearly everyone who applies is academically qualified. The 10% that get in are more than that through their ec’s… That’s the harsh reality</p>

8

<p>Yeah like I said, I know it’ll be the lack of ECs that might get me rejected.</p>

9

<p>I’m signed up to take the SAT again on Saturday. Hopefully I can improve the 720. However, Cornell looks at ALL your scores so I don’t want to mess it up.</p>

10

<p>Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Penn: big reaches
Cornell: reach</p>

<p>Its not really worth taking the SAT I again, concentrate on grades/ecs</p>

<p>Since you’re in ap chem, try the chem subject sat if you have time (i’ve heard its easy); but i don’t know how much that would help</p>

<p>make sure you write really really compelling essays, could make up for having less impressive extracurriculars than others</p>

<p>Chance me back :slight_smile:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1407644-chance-me-please.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1407644-chance-me-please.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>We haven’t learned enough for me to try the Chem SAT II, I think 790 should be good…</p>

<p>Do you guys recommend applying to as many reaches as possible in the hope I get into one?</p>

12

<p>^ 790 in Physics I mean</p>

13

<p>I didn’t take the SAT again, so those scores are final.</p>

14

<p>Guys, would it help my chances if I attached senior year grades? I started a new thread on this topic:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1415722-would-improve-my-chances-if.html#post15039660[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1415722-would-improve-my-chances-if.html#post15039660&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;