GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 5.1 weighted
Rank: 4 out of 350
Ethnicity: Asian Pacific islander
Financial situation: Lower class & financially challenged (welfare, free lunch, etc.) Not an international student, I’m a US citizen
Extracurriculars include:
Central Carolina Medical Clinic Volunteer
500+ hours of tutoring and piano teaching
Scholarship chair of NHS
President of French Honor Society (French Club)
Science Olympiad
Academic WorldQuest
Diversity Club vice president
Staff writer for school newspaper
Student government sophomore year through senior year (Sophomore class VP, Junior class treasurer)
Classes:
IB Diploma candidate (basically the equivalent of AP but more or less a little crazier). An IB Diploma Candidate must take all 7 IB classes (equal to taking 7 AP classes).
IB Psychology
IB Theory of Knowledge
IB Mathematical Studies (1 & 2)
IB English (1 & 2)
IB History (1 & 2)
IB Biology (1 & 2)
IB French (Must go all the way up to French 5)
In addition to these IB classes I also take: AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, and Symphonic Orchestra (I’ve been playing the violin since 6th grade)
I’ve never made anything less than an A (my school has a 7 point grading scale in which an A is a 93-100)
Standardized testing:
I did not take subjects (I know, tsk tsk but I couldn’t afford a tutor or the money to take subjects)
Did poorly on the SAT so I’m not reporting
31 on the ACT (second try) [34 English, 27 Math, 34 Reading, 27 Science, 33 Eng/Writing composite]
Awards:
Science Olympiad Medals: Awards for achievements in various realms of science. 1st place gold JV division for Disease Detectives (2013) and Anatomy & Physiology (2014), 2nd place silver JV division for Bottle Rockets and Write it/Do it (2012), 3rd place bronze JV division for Disease Detectives and Bottle Rockets (2014).
High School IB Psychology Award: Award for excellence in International Baccalaureate Psychology (2014)
Quill and Scroll/ASNE Sweepstakes Winner: Award for News Writing category story “New spoon design on track to shine” (2014)
Quill and Scroll/ASNE National Winner: Award for Sports Writing category story “Rugby player forgives, wishes he wouldn’t forget” (2014)
SIPA Award: Award from Southern Interscholastic Press Association for 3rd Place Sports Feature story “Rugby player forgives, wishes he wouldn’t forget” (2014)
NSCMA Award: Award from the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association for 1st place Sports Article in Large schools “Rugby player forgives, wishes he wouldn’t forget” (2013)
High School Outstanding Reporter Award: Award for exemplary dedication to the East Mecklenburg Newspaper “The Eagle” (2013)
United States Achievement Academy Scholarship: Award for outstanding achievements and excellent performance in school (2012)
I would like to be chanced for these schools (they are in order of most desirable to “least”):
1.) Johns Hopkins University
2.) Columbia University
3.) Duke University
4.) UNC Chapel Hill
5.) Yale University (my chances here are pretty low, so it’s in the middle of my list)
6.) University of Pennsylvania
7.) Vanderbilt University
8.) Emory University
Please be honest, critical even, but not mean
Thank you, I promise to chance back!
Your test scores are the only things that aren’t up to par with the rest of your application. However, I’m fairly certain that your GPA and EC’s more than make up for that. My only concern would be if you’re planning to go into some sort of “high testing” major, like any type of engineering. I believe these kinds of majors really hold test scores more into the evaluation than perhaps any other aspect of your application, besides your GPA.
Hopkins: High Match
Columbia: Low Reach
Duke University: High Match
UNC Chapel Hill: Match
Yale University: Reach
University of Penn.: Low Reach
Vanderbilt: High Match
Emory: Match
Your chances could go up or down depending on the major that you apply to. Hope that helps!
With respect, you probably need a safety school (admission/academic AND financial) or two (with rolling admissions, given late-January). UNC is the least selective school you’ve listed (particularly since you’re in state), and I am fairly certain you’ll be admitted to Chapel Hill. However, the remainder of your alternatives are “reaches” for almost everyone, especially with your 31 ACT composite score. Beyond that, your performance record is outstanding and it would not be too surprising were you accepted in several of your target universities. Nevertheless, a safety school or two would be a wise strategy (even at this late date for Class of '19 admission).
I claim not expertise in “acceptance chancing,” but I’ll offer a novice’s opinion:
Hopkins, low reach
Columbia, reach
Duke, reach
UNC, match/low match
Yale, high reach
Vanderbilt, low reach
Emory, low reach
Good luck! It seems to me you’ve EARNED a place in one – or more – of these excellent universities.
Thanks so much everybody! I have 7 safety schools that I have not listed and I have been accepted into the bulk of them already so I’m definitely not concerned about being able to afford those.
I know that biology and psychology are two majors that are very competitive to get into because so many people apply to them. I know that at Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering has more applicants than biology.
None of them require subject tests if you submit the ACT plus writing (which is what I have). All of them recommend them “SAT and two SAT Subject Tests or ACT with Writing” is how they phrase it and that’s exactly how I interpret it.
