<p>I'm currently a junior, and I was wondering if my current grades/test scores/"resume" would match up to the admissions "requirements" for HYPS and schools like HYPS (UPenn, UChicago, etc.).</p>
<p>SAT: 2400
ACT w/ Writing Composite: 36</p>
<p>SAT Math IIC: 790 (re-taking)
Taking bio E/M (both), USH, and chem. Possible Chinese as well.</p>
<p>GPA U/W: 3.97
GPA W: 4.31
GPA 10-12 W: 4.71</p>
<p>AP Euro/French: 3s on both
Waiting on scores for AP Calc AB, chem, USH, and bio.</p>
<p>Clubs:
Give a Kid a Backpack (President)
California High School Science Bowl
Academic Decathlon
Mu Alpha Theta
California High School Varsity Mock Trial
DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America)
S-Club (Service Club)
Interact
The Protagonist (HS literary magazine)</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
CHS Marching Band/Colorguard (Colorguard – rifle line)
San Ramon Kumon (worked as a math tutor from May 2009-2010)
Tzu Chi Foundation recycling program (Taipei, summer 2009)
Deng Fa Elementary School English teacher (Kaohsiung, summer 2009)</p>
<p>Honors/Awards:
Student of the Year (2006-2010)
Bay Valley speech contest winner for five years, participated in N. CA competitions
Honorable Mentions in Bay Area Business Round Table (9th + 10th grades)
ten-year medalist of National Guild Piano Playing Auditions (since 2000)
Early Bach, Advanced Bach, Sonatina, Sonata medalist</p>
<p>I am hoping to be accepted into BLIPS this summer (results haven't come out yet), but if not, I'll definitely be attending COSMOS.</p>
<p>Your numbers are very strong. I don’t think you need to retake the 790 on Math II because that is already a great score (obviously), and there are LOTS of people who got into HYPS with lower scores on that test. Since all four schools are so unpredictable in their admissions, all I can tell you is to keep up what you’ve been doing so far. Just apply and see what happens. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>I disagree. The curve on Math II is lenient to the point that the only respectable score, especially for “HYPS,” is an 800.</p>
<p>If I were running HYPS I’d take you. A bit concerned about skipping Intermediate Bach, but that wouldn’t be show-stopper. :)</p>
<p>You have great scores 、 but you sound cookie cutter</p>
<p>^^ Kittens:</p>
<p>It is ridiculous to retake a 790 SAT2 Math2 exam. These scores are all very high and an 800 will not be a factor in admission or denial. The adcoms may hold it against you for retaking a 790 thinkng you need to get a life.</p>
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<p>The curve is massive, but I wouldn’t be that extreme. (I had a 760, retaken from a 750–lol–and got into H and P. Though I might recommend you retake if you had a 760.)</p>
<p>At this point, the best thing you can do is to stop worrying about quantitative measures, which are not just “pretty good” strong but are nearly as high as they could possibility be. Instead, delve into one of your ECs and take it to the next level–ie, beyond your school.</p>
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<p>By “cookie cutter”, do you mean that the OP is apparently Asian and has an apparently common extracurricular (piano)?</p>
<p>Yes. I have a friend exactly like him but higher gpa. 2400 and a 4.8. This friend got 4 800 sat2s. There are about three of these kinds of kids at my school. All didn’t get into ivies stanford MIT. My friend played violin and was a state champion in speech and debate</p>
<p>glassesarechic: I do not think you realize just how “massive” the curve is. Traditionally, a score of 800 on the Math II exam has corresponded to roughly an upper-eightieth percentile. In other words, typically over one in ten examinees receive a perfect score. Nevertheless, this talk is all fruitless, seeing as DINOKitty is already planning to retake the exam.</p>
<p>well the only privates i got accepted to were Cornell, U of Chicago, Rice . SAT 2200 , 800 790 770 740 8 APS (5) , alright ecs (pres for 3 clubs didnt realyl do anything). saving grace was proababably my awards: nmsqt , national ap scholar, siemens and intel sts semifinalist, published in 5 scientific journals</p>
<p>Ok guys, these are my stats:</p>
<p>2140 SAT (800 M, 650 R, 690 W)
12 AP Classes
Numerous extracurriculars and a lot of community service
3.8 UW, 4.2 W GPA
730 Bio M, 750 Math 1, 750 US, 780 Math II
blah blah blah</p>
<p>Everyone’s basically the same in stats, ivy leagues honestly don’t care about slight differentials AT ALL. My essay, interview, and teacher rec’s got me in, I promise you that. Make sure you know your counselor well, write two amazingly passionate essays (explain passion for an area and relate it to obstacles in your life and NOT academic acheivement), and show up ready to spill your heart at your interview. I promise you it will greatly increase your chances compared to anything academic. Your stats are stellar but these other tenets will get you in. </p>
<p>By the way I got into Harvard with these stats</p>
<p>This thread makes me sick.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. =]
Yeah, I realize that my stats are extremely common, but what am I going to do, somehow change my race and go back in time to pick up some other instrument? [Although I am a female planning to go into the sciences which may help slightly.]
I was debating whether I should retake the 790, and my parents encouraged me to, so I’ll have another go. Hopefully it’ll pay off, but I tend to make stupid errors and such…</p>
<p>To be honest, I am slightly apprehensive about my essays and interviews. I tend to sound super formal when I’m nervous, so I’m working on it so I can really show people that I’m not all about numbers and grades, and actually have a life, given that I’ve have my share of being identified by my SAT score. [One of my club advisors called me 2400 the entire weekend we were at a competition…]</p>
<p>The curve on MathII only matters to test-crazy idiots on College Confidential. A 790 isn’t going to keep you out of HYPS, nor will an 800 make any difference at all.</p>
<p>Seriously, adcoms aren’t silly enough to reject someone for coloring a single bubble half a centimeter too far to the left on a Saturday morning.</p>
<p>If the OP wants to retake the test for personal reasons, that’s fine. But don’t spread this 800-or-bust misinformation.</p>
<p>You have very strong credentials, I would say don’t be confident, but you have just a good of a chance as any to get in. </p>
<p>Do you have any athletics? (just wondering) Also, don’t retake the 790. It’s not worth the money, time, effort etc. I regret retaking my 2260 (waste of time) - I got a 2290 and made S (and Columbia). At this point, grades are the least of your worries.</p>
<p>I see you have leadership and that’s good, but I couldn’t really tell one thing that you were particularly good at - you seem kind of spread out. While doing a lot of things is good, try to emphasize how there’s at least one particular subject that you absolutely excel in.</p>
<p>Also work on your essays earlier rather than later, don’t do what I did and turn each application (12 schools) no earlier than two days before the deadline.</p>
<p>No traditional sports, sadly, but I’m involved in Colorguard, which is rather physically strenuous as well. Not sure if admissions people would consider it as a sport or even know anything about it though, so I’m just going to assume I have a lack of sports.</p>
<p>I’ve already signed up for the math re-take; it wasn’t too bad considering I need to take some more SAT IIs anyways, and my parents encouraged me to take it as well.</p>
<p>Yeah, I do have a lot of ECs and such, but I’d say my main 3 “clubs” are Colorguard, Mock Trial, and DECA. I’ve placed statewide in all of them and really enjoy them.</p>
<p>HYPSM get enough high stats applicants to fill their freshman classes many times over with such applicants. Presumably, it would help to have something unusual enough to stand out in a positive way to an admissions committee. Being “too common” (e.g. being Asian from a big city or suburb in some state like California who plays the piano or violin as your main extracurricular and who wants to major in biology as a pre-med student or political science as a pre-law student, and not an alumni or faculty legacy or a celebrity) might not stand out enough among large numbers of similar applicants.</p>
<p>And even if you do find a way to stand out, it is still an uphill battle to get admitted to schools with <10% acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Better have some safety schools lined up.</p>
<p>Yeah, to state it bluntly, I don’t see you getting into HYPSMC. There have been enough 2400 asians, especially from cal, rejected for me to come to this conclusion. The ECs don’t stand out much, probably because of tough competition from your peers, but it won’t help you.</p>
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<p>That’s what I was wondering too. Team sports in particular teach valuable lessons and I don’t see anything remotely like that in your CV so far.</p>