<p>Hey wonder about 4 institutions: (reading some of these peoples chances that are posted are like wow, i really suck haha)
1.) Brown University (ED)
2.) Cornell Engineering
3.) University of Pennsylvania
4.) Dartmouth</p>
<p>Puerto Rican, from Long island
Major: engineering (undecided concentration)</p>
<p>Your stats look pretty good actually, however, your ECs aren’t very impressive or unique.
I would say the schools you are applying to are High-reach/Dream when looking at your stats. As your ECs aren’t top of the line, you need to impress with high SAT scores. Atm. your SAT Is aren’t bad, but not impressive for the schools your applying for, which have averages of 2100+
But get up your SAT Is, to like 2200 and you’ll do great you have an essay and some recs to impress them with aswell ;)</p>
<p>If you can retake the SATs, do so, preferably after working with a private Kaplan tutor. Expensive, but totally worth it. </p>
<p>Highlight your extracurriculars and do some service if you can. It’s never too late. </p>
<p>Make contacts at Brown. Who’s reading your app? Get to know your interviewer if you’ve had one and get an interview if you haven’t. Interviewers are useful contacts and interviews really crystallize your thoughts on why you want to go to the schools.</p>
<p>Talk about working multiple jobs and peer tutoring. What did you learn? What did you see that struck you? Some people may have it harder than you, either academically or financially. How did that make you feel?</p>
<p>Why engineering? Don’t just be another kid good at math/science who has no passion for it other than it boosts his GPA. Explain why it fascinates you on personal, emotional levels, be they the thrill of the challenge, the puzzle to exercise your mind, the desire to order things, etc. </p>
<p>Applying ED does help, but these are hard schools for EVERYONE to get into, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Where else are you applying? Please don’t just apply to Ivies. That’s a recipe for disaster. How about Lehigh for engineering, for example? Maybe a Claremont school? I don’t know, engineering is about as far from my strength as it gets, but a friend I know applied to Lehigh as his engineering dream. He’s at Mich State now, which also is pretty good for engineering, too, though out-of-state costs for state schools are atrocious.</p>
<p>Hope this helps. Can you chance me? Mine’s called Crossing My Fingers. Thanks.</p>
<p>haha, thanks very much. i am applying to lehigh, love to go there, but they problem is the ivies have the money and that is crucial. my parents can only afoord state tuition, so financial aid is critical and the ivies make it affordable, thanks for the great advice</p>
<p>There are many other private colleges that have aid as good as 3 of the 4 schools on your list. Being from PR helps, but being from LI means you’re in a tough pool with many qualified URM candidates from NY.</p>
<p>I’d add a few of the schools that meet 100% of need but are a little less competitive.</p>
<p>The only thing that makes me nervous about this is the SAT score. Colleges tend to look past SAT scores once they are above a certain par, but if you don’t make the cut it could get ugly. You have to have a really strong personal profile for this to work. Make sure your essay reflects something that you are interested in, and portrays you as a student who will give something to the campus. Top schools are trying desperately to find “normal” people with extraordinary talent. This is why many asian students with monster 2300+ SATs and 4.0 but no ECs other than math and piano competitions often get surprise rejections from schools.</p>
<p>Your GPA and rank are fantastic, and the ECs are good as long as you show how involved you are.</p>
<p>Overall I’d say your best shot is Cornell, but I’d recommend some other safeties. For engineering try Lehigh, Lafayette, Villanova, UVa, Northeastern etc…</p>
<p>You’re the total opposite of me. I’ve got 2330 but a 3.7. I’d rather be in your position right now because from what I’ve heard, colleges think that the transcript is the #1 indicator of college success.</p>
<p>You really need to get your SAT scores up to be competitive for top schools. But admissions are a comprehensive process, and no single thing is going to keep you out. Suerte Bueno!</p>
<p>haha, of those schools you mentioned, i am applying to most of them. i got it all covered with some sunys as well. thank you
and im done with standardized testing</p>
you have an essay and some recs to impress them with aswell ;)</p>