Chance Me for Emory University ED2! [extenuating circumstances, could really use advice]

Colleges and Universities A-Z Emory University
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Hi everyone,

Just got rejected from WUSTL ED so I don’t really know where to apply ED2 other than Emory, but if you think I have no shot then advice for other universities would be appreciated as well. A lot of people from CC and Reddit said I would get into WUSTL so I’m kind of disappointed with their decision, but maybe the admissions department just didn’t understand my circumstances as well as I hoped. If you have any tips on how to appeal to future AOs better through my application and the “additional info” section I would love that. Thanks so much, guys.

Asian male trying to do pre-med/psych, attend one of the top STEM schools in the country, doesn’t rank but definitely has a national reputation and is known to top colleges by name. Family income is ~300k, not applying for aid.

GPA: 3.97 cumulative after junior year, 4.53 just for senior year though, possibly 4.57. My brother had Leukemia in my sophomore year and so my grades really tanked, my GPA for that year was like a 3.65. Since then, I’ve improved by a LOT, with all As this year except for a B in Multivariable Calculus, a class in which I have the hardest teacher at my school who historically always has a lower avg in his class. I tried to talk about this to my AO and conveyed in my common app but I guess it didn’t help me.

ACT: 36 composite

SATII: 790 MathII, 730 Chem

PSAT: NMS, 1510

AP Scores:
Bio 5
Mac Econ 5
Mic Econ 5
Psych 5
BC Calc 5
US Hist 3

Currently taking Multivar (Calc III), AP Gov and AP Lang.

Essays: I thought they were really good, I’d say about 8/10. Common app wrote about my two main passions, cancer research (sparked by my brother) and running.

Recs: Nothing stellar but won’t hinder me, I don’t think.

ECs:
-MVP for Track & Field, Varsity athlete for Fall, Winter, and Spring, State-level competitor, potential D3 runner… track is my main time-consumer outside school.
-Officer for my school’s Cancer Research Society, tied in with my passion and wrote about how it helped me cope with my brother’s condition in my common app.
-Member of school’s medical society, nothing big, just give presentations sometimes and educate people on general human anatomy.
-Had an internship at Georgetown’s Cancer Center, the program had a 5% acceptance rate (is there any way to tell colleges that?) and I conducted research in the field of predictive toxicology with my knowledge of bio and Python.
-Over the summer I coached track at a youth track club for the distance kids. It was a commitment of a few hours per week and it ties in with my love for running.
-During the school year I regularly tutor math to middle schoolers at a middle school nearby.
-I volunteer at my local temple serving food in the kitchen to devotees, I find it a nice way to give back to my Hindu community for all their positivity and support over the years.
-I was invited to my county’s education excellence ceremony, which basically takes the best kids from each school (based on PSAT scores I think) and celebrates them and their most influential teacher at a banquet.
-I own a gaming YouTube channel with over 10,000 subscribers, over 2 million views, and almost 8 million minutes of watch time.

Thanks again for all your help guys, any questions will be answered ASAP by me, and if you have any other recommendations for where I should apply I’d love that.

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Strong EC and insane stats. I think you could get in with any doubt!

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If you’re serious about track you should reach out to the track coach. He can’t guarantee you admission but his support wouldn’t hurt.

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There is no sure thing with any of these elite schools. In any case, think of the bright side. Where we you rather spend four years? Suburban Atlanta or St Louis? Seriously, good luck.

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what is your UW GPA? what is your class rank?

Why Emory? What about Hopkins for premed? Northwestern? U-Chicago? Georgetown? Tufts? (The point is that there are many excellent private colleges and it really helps if you can explain why what you bring to the table is good for them.)

as an aside, mentioning that you have a hard/bad HS teacher is never a good thing to do in your app/essays. It comes across as complaining/whining. The point can be made by your GC, however. ‘Tygal is one of our top seniors and only got a B in MV Calc bcos Teacher X only gives out one A per year.’

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Universities like Wash U and Emory want to know what YOU bring to the Class of 2024 beyond being a STEM star. If that’s all there is to it, your application is pretty generic among the rest. They want to know that an applicant isn’t just passing through and will participate in what Emory has to offer, be it clubs or research or other campus involvement. Also, Emory is not just a “STEM school”. The liberal arts base education is a point of pride at Emory. What ELSE are you interested in at Emory?

@bluebayou explains above what may have gone wrong for you at Wash U and what may go wrong at Emory. It’s about more than stats or resume/application building.

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An an Emory grad I can assure you the Emory is no where near the suburbs. In fact it is part of the Atlanta sprawl.

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It’s not about circumstances and making adcoms “understand” them. More kids than you can imagine endure family challenges. Rather, it’s about the strengths that matter to the colleges. How you triumphed, despite… And it’s show, not just tell.

Each college will have some of it’s own differences. Understand enough about any target to self assess your match and then make the best self presentation. That’s not just the resume. It very much includes what comes through in the big essay and any supplement questions. Your understanding of what they want to discover and showing that.

For premed stem at a top college, yes, one needs top math and science rigor and grades, plus any related scores. (Incuding the chem Sat2. I also don’t see AP chem or physics mentioned.) No, it doesn’t help to explain it’s the teacher. The competition for a slot will include plenty with brutal teachers.

You may be looking at this too hierarchically, your stats, a competitive summer program, etc. It’s more. Not just about two passions, either.

So take a hard look at what Emory is looking for, what they say and show. Then see how you show that in your full app.

Afaiac, btw, WUSTL is very unpredictable. Keep moving, but take your understanding up a notch

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“except for a B in Multivariable Calculus, a class in which I have the hardest teacher at my school who historically always has a lower avg in his class. I tried to talk about this to my AO and conveyed in my common app but I guess it didn’t help me.”

No, this didn’t help you. This hurt you and probably sabotaged your application.

Never, never, never complain about a teacher. There are plenty of hard teachers. You will have to deal with hard teachers in college without complaining and making excuses. You want to come across as accountable and responsible. Be careful characterizing your situation as “extenuating circumstances,” relatively speaking. Using that term in your Common App creates a tone implying that you don’t recognize that there are kids out there going through some REAL tough times.

The tone of your OP sounds very much like “it’s not your fault.” If this kind of tone is reflected in Common App, it can be very detrimental. You can provide the context of what was going on in your life sophomore year (and should) and let them make the connection to your academic performance (sounds like your main essay does this). Better yet, that too can come from your counselor.

You will have to deal with difficult teachers (and people)in life, and your application will be much stronger if you show that you can do that instead of complaining about it.

Moving on - senior courses are very important. You say that you are taking Multivariable Calc, AP Gov and AP Lang. Science? Foreign Language? That is light senior year rigor for a school like WashU. Has your rigor decreased since junior year? You should have five academic cores, and preferably a 4th year of foreign language.

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What other schools have you applied to/intend to apply to? Have you reached out to any track coaches? UW GPA?

I can’t chance you for Emory. I do agree with the poster above that if your essay or somewhere else in the common app blames a teacher for a B or even tries to explain a B, you will need to change that.

Did your GC cover in their rec your dip in grades due to your brother’s illness? On your app, it’s ok to write about this…but the essay has to ultimately be about you, not your brother. Nor do you want the reader to feel sorry for you. It’s really a tough balancing act. Have you had feedback on your essay from a trusted professional (GC, english teacher)?

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@zq0618 Thanks so much, do you have an approximation of what you think my chances are and how I can improve them?

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@eastcoast101 I don’t think I’m fast enough to be recruited, but I will be by the end of this year so it may be worth a shot. Thanks! Otherwise, assuming I’m not recruited, what do you think my chances are?

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@ljberkow Thanks so much. I think Atlanta definitely has more opportunities for internships and volunteering than STL so in a way, it’s good that I was rejected. Also I hear Emory is easier to get a 4.0 than WashU with its infamous “weed-out” classes.

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@bluebayou UW: 3.55 and my school does not rank its students. OMG I didn’t realize how I wrote that part of my OP, I DID NOT mean to say I complained about a teacher, I told my admissions officer ONLY ABOUT my brother’s treatment and that being the reason for my low GPA in sophomore year, and how I have come back from that in the last couple years. I did not mention any “bad teachers” anywhere on my application, don’t worry.

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@ljberkow Where would I include this “passion” that they so desperately need to see? There’s always something about the other schools you mentioned that I don’t like so I strongly believe Emory is still my first choice, but their supplementals don’t allow for much reflection so how should I convey this passion?

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@lookingforward Got it, thanks so much. If I tailor my application correctly, what do you think my chances are just based on pure candidate strength?

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@trekslxchick Refer to the reply I made to @bluebayou 's comment. Also, my school is extremely rigorous in and of itself so course rigor is definitely not an issue. Those are the only AP-weighted courses I take, I’m also enrolled in Robotics, a Neuroscience lab, Geosystems, and and Law class.

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@Mwfan1921 Refer to earlier replies. Also, yes, my English teacher has reviewed my common app and said it represented me very well. My brother does not dominate the story by any means, my teacher was educated at UMD and Oxford and said it was a really strong piece so I don’t have many worries.

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OP, you have to get a feel for what a target is looking for. Sometimes, it’s more obvious than others. Often, you need to put the pieces together, as best you can. Then you can self assess your match. Do you have those traits, do you show them effectively in the app? (Doesn’t matter if we think it’s x or y percent. We’re not reviewing you, not comparing you to others from your area or wanting your major or with your profile.)

“Where would I include this “passion” that they so desperately need to see?” Not sure where you got the idea they need to see “passion.” What they need is a logical interest you pursued, that’s relevant to college studies (for the prep and the mindset) and college life. For top colleges, how you pursue it needs to include some vision and stretch. That “shows” them you’re aware and pursued various angles. Not just what’s at the hs. Not just an internship. Etc. At the same time, some rounding. Top colleges like to see you try new things, are open to engaging with different sorts. And more.

The work for your temple is commendable. When adcoms look at kids, they look for how they reach out to others, whether it’s direct and over time (not just service hours.) Did you get a chance to mention this more, the connection and gratitude? It can show grounding and other nice traits.

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No AP English Lit? Foreign Lang? AP Gov? If not, why not? (Colleges like Emory which teach more than jus STEM like to see a strength across academic disciplines.) And no, the Law course is not the same as there is no measurement standard for such a course. Most Adcoms will view it as an ‘easy’ elective.