Chance me for Ivy-level schools please!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Demographics: Asian female from the Northeast, public school (though a pretty wealthy and highly ranked one); as for hooks, immigrant parents and single parent, but it probably doesn’t matter

Intended major: Biology, likely a Statistics major/minor

Academics

  • ACT: N/A
  • SAT: 2360 (800 R, 790 W, 770 M)
  • SAT II: Biology E (800), Chemistry (780), Math II (800), Physics (800)
  • Class rank: No rank, but top 5%
  • UW/W GPA: 4.0/4.7
  • Coursework: Took all honors/AP academic classes; currently taking AP Lit, AP Spanish, AP Chem, AP Physics C, AP Calc BC
  • AP exams: Euro, Bio, Physics 1 and 2, English Lang, Calc AB, US Gov, Macro (all 5)
  • Awards: National AP Scholar, National Merit Semifinalist, more in Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars

  • Debate team all 4 years, captain. Numerous local awards and a few national-level ones, but none good enough to put on an app
  • Bio competitions 11th and 12th; USABO semifinalist, 6th place in state science league, couple others
  • School newspaper all 4 years, editor
  • Volunteering at a local park center 10th to 12th, about 80 hours total (pretty paltry I know)
  • Varsity swimming 9th-11th (quit this year, hope that doesn’t hurt me)
  • Research program at a biological research station last summer, getting an additional rec letter from the director who worked with me a lot and really liked my paper
  • Sculpting with clay as a hobby; wrote an essay on restarting it after a long hiatus
  • NHS if it matters

Schools

  • Princeton (EA)
  • Duke
  • Cornell
  • U Penn
  • Columbia
  • Harvard
  • Yale
  • Brown
  • JHU
  • Emory
  • WUSTL
  • Couple safeties

Teacher rec letters (bio and gov teachers) should be good, I definitely know the latter will be. I’m concerned about my essays and EC’s the most. Overall I’m worried that I have too many reach schools, and that I don’t have a shot at any of them. Is that something I have to fear? Thanks!

2

These are all very tough schools to get into. However, you have a great academic record as well as involvement outside of school. With some great essays I bet you’ll get into a few on your list. PM me if you have any specific questions :slight_smile:

3

I tell virtually anyone who’s applying to all 8 Ivy League schools this: nobody is a fit for all 8 Ivies. This suggests to me that your list is based on something other than which schools might have programs that suit your goals well, and needs revising.

If you want to know your chances, you’re a very strong applicant, but also an Asian STEM major. I’d put your chances slightly above the admission rate, but not above 10% or so.