Chance me for HYP, Top Schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>First time posting, and I'd like to see my chances for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, the Ivies, and JHU. I'd like to go into bioengineering for my major. I'm an international student from Taiwan, by the way.</p>

<p>SAT: 2370 (800 M, 770 R, 800 W)
SAT II: Physics 800, Math II 800, Biology M 780, Chemistry 800
APs I've taken (with scores): Calc BC 5, Chemistry 5, Physics C Mechanics and E+M 5s, Biology 5, English Lang 5, Statistics 5, Microeconomics 5, Comparative Government 5
GPA: 4.30, 4.62, 4.98 (fresh, soph, and junior years)</p>

<p>Legacy: Dad's a grad student from MIT, magna cum laude</p>

<p>Academically-related awards/activities, etc.
- Won first place twice in the Physics and Electrical Engineering department of my sophomore and junior year science fairs
- Was awarded the Harvard Prize Book award (an award given by Harvard alumni in Taiwan for outstanding academic and extracurricular achievement, only 2 or 3 people per year get it in Taiwan)
- Student Council president this year, treasurer in my freshman and sophomore years
- Interning at Academia Sinica, a prestigious research institution in Taiwan
- Rank 1 in my class
- Silver medalist in the USAD, the International competition
- Frequent Model United Nations participant, attending two international conferences a year and have been chair and deputy Secretary-General for two major international conferences</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities
- Over 400 hours of community service work
- Revamped recycling program in school
- Tennis and swimming teams, have won regional awards
- Horseback riding
- Second violinist in my school's orchestra</p>

<p>Other information
- I don't need financial aid
- I would've participated in the International Biology Olympiad, except for some reason in Taiwan the test is offered ONLY in Chinese, which I am weaker at (I don't know terminology and the such in Chinese)
- I'm taking a sophomore-level biology course (Principles and Techniques of Molecular Biology, BIOS-12) at Harvard this summer
- I'm pretty sure I'll do well on the essays. I have a lot of material to reference, from a stay at a Buddhist temple to my many years of Model United Nations, and community service and more.
- Teachers like me. I'll have good rec letters.</p>

<p>Thanks for your information! If you need more, just ask.</p>

2

<p>I really think you’ll get into the top schools. The problem that comes to my mind immediately is you’re an international student. I don’t know, but I think they’re a lot stricter with international students, but your stats and ECs look fantastic, so I don’t see a problem. One of my relatives lives in China, and applied here too. Don’t know how well it worked for him. I should ask.
Since you have legacy at MIT, it looks good haha.</p>

<p>You seem extremely lucky!
You also seem well-rounded, so…I don’t see much of a problem.</p>

3

<p>In case “top schools” is too ambiguous, I mean the top 20’s, all Ivies included.</p>

<p>Also, kokome1, are you sure? On CC it seems that people with better credentials than I do still have HYPSM listed as “high high reach.”</p>

4

<p>To stay on topic: Great extracurricular’s and well rounded I guess.
Off topic question: Just curious, I’m also an international student in Taiwan (high five) and was just wondering where you find your service opportunities? (just guessing, you go to TAS?)</p>

5

<p>ChillyPenguin: I got my internship opportunity through familial relations, and community service through Student Council and school. I actually don’t go to TAS.</p>

<p>What year are you in?</p>

6

<p>Apologies for the double reply, but since everyone seems to be adding this on their chances:</p>

<ul>
<li>CTY program since grade 2 until grade 10, making me exceed the supposedly exalted rank of Seven Year Satan…heck, I’m even on the site! <a href=“http://www.realcty.org/mw/index.php?title=Baby_CTY[/url]”>http://www.realcty.org/mw/index.php?title=Baby_CTY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
</ul>

7

<ol>
<li> I don’t think grad school legacy count as much</li>
<li> “Better” chances since you are not applying for FA</li>
<li> “Better” chances if you are a female (science/engineering oriented female)</li>
</ol>

<p>These are all Asians males (couple of them are international applicants)
Friend 1: SAT 2400, SAT II 800-790-(800 or high 700s), UWGPA 4.0, National Level Recognition
Your ECs and awards = Friend 1 ECs and awards (because of the national recognition)
Your Stat = Friend 1 Stat
Result: Rejected or waitlisted from HYPSM but got into a few very selective colleges. </p>

<p>Friend 2: SAT 2350+, ACT 36, SAT II 800-790 (or 780)-(800 or high 700s), UWGPA 4.0
Your ECs and awards > Friend 2 ECs and awards
Your Stat = Friend 2 Stat
Result: Rejected or waitlisted from HYPSM, Ivies and very selective colleges</p>

<p>Friend 3: SAT 2350+, SAT II 800-800-800, UWGPA 4.0
Your ECs and awards > Friend 3 ECs and awards
Your Stat = Friend 3 Stat
Result: Rejected or waitlisted from HYPSM and Ivies but got into a few very selective colleges</p>

<p>20more: SAT 2380, SAT II 800-800-780, ACT 35, UWGPA 3.96
Your ECs and awards > 20more ECs and awards
Your Stat > 20more Stat
Result: Rejected or waitlisted from HYPSM but got into a few very selective colleges</p>

<p>I think you will do better than us because of your ECs and awards.
And, I really HOPE you do better than us.
Good luck to you!</p>

8

<p>20more: Thanks for the encouragement, but I’m slightly confused (in a good way) over why you think my ECs are good, since I’ve seen many CCers post of countless positions at many clubs, much much more hours of community service than me, and national awards on many things ranging from academics to sports, so what makes you think my ECs are good?</p>

9

<p>I thought ECs and honors were good because of </p>

<ol>
<li>Interning at Academia Sinica, a prestigious research institution in Taiwan</li>
<li>Silver medalist in the USAD, the International competition</li>
<li>I would’ve participated in the International Biology Olympiad</li>
<li>I’m taking a sophomore-level biology course (Principles and Techniques of Molecular Biology, BIOS-12) at Harvard this summer</li>
<li>Harvard Prize Book award: an award given by Harvard alumni in Taiwan for outstanding academic and extracurricular achievement, only 2 or 3 people per year get it in Taiwan</li>
</ol>

<p>As you know, the bar is higher for Asian males. All I can say is good luck to you and be prepared!</p>

10

<p>Great chances</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Your ECs are indeed good. You have great academic ECs and good athletic and music ones, so that’s fine. Countless positions in clubs is just app filler, the colleges don’t care that much about it. There also isn’t that big a difference between 410 and 610 community service hours.</p>

11

<p>So you went to student council to ask for volunteer opportunities? I find it hard to find academic competitions/interns in Taiwan.
I’m class of 2013, and I’m actually not at TAS as well. Where do you attend school?</p>

12

<p>

</p>

<p>Are you sure?</p>

13

<p>ChillyPenguin: Rather, being in the Student Council opened up opportunities for community service, fundraising, etc. I’d actually not like to disclose my school.</p>

<p>coolweather: What do I have to gain from lying? False “chances” that do me no benefit? Latin honors are awarded on the basis of GPA; my dad succeeded well at MIT and graduated with nothing less than an A-, and that is why I live a pretty well-off life and he works as vice-director of his department at TSMC.</p>

14

<p>haha. Alright, whatever floats your boat. Thanks for your insight though.</p>

15

<p>“What do I have to gain from lying?”</p>

<p>I did not say you are lying. MIT says it does rank its grads: no magna cum laude title. Furthermore it does not have legacy policy.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/notable_alumni/iron_man_mit_87.shtml[/url]”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/pulse/notable_alumni/iron_man_mit_87.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

16

<p>Well, then, I’ll have to stand corrected, for I assumed Latin honors were given out to those in the top 10%, 5%, etc. Nevertheless, my father did graduate in the top 10%.</p>