Chance me for MIT Cornell CMU, and I'll chance back

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Note: I’m an international student. My family income is less than $30k. I’m from a public school.

Academics:
ACT: 32
SAT II: 800M2, 700 physics
School academics: 10th grade GPA(UW) 91 on a scale of 100, 11th grade GPA(UW) 95 on a scale of 100, and 12th grade GPA(UW) 93 on a scale of 100.
APs: couldn’t take because too expensive and school doesn’t offer any APs.
School coursework: have taken the most demanding coursework available to me.

Awards/Honors: Qualified for the Intel ISEF team selection stage(stage to select team to represent country at Intel ISEF. Won’t mention which country because that might give away my identity), Award for scoring highest in mathematics in 11th grade, Award for scoring the highest overall grade in 11th grade, best basketball player in 10th grade.

Intended Major: Mathematics (my username says it :-p)

ECs:

  1. Research in math under a PhD student at MIT who was also a mentor at RSI and MIT-PRIMES. I solved a relatively significant 6 year old math problem, and I partially solved another relatively significant 6 year old math problem. Research selected for Intel ISEF team selection stage.

  2. Researched in mathematics under a Godel Prize winner. Solved a 6 year old conjecture from my mentor’s paper.

  3. Researching in mathematics under an ex-MIT prof, who also used to head the undergrad research at MIT. Working toward proving a new result in a field of math.

  4. Started the school mathematics club. Currently serve as president. Helped students prepare for math olympiad. Responsible for producing two regional math olympiad qualifiers(akin to AIME).

  5. Member of the school computer club. Helped students prepare for the informatics olympiad.

  6. Represented and captained my school soccer varsity team at district and inter-school level competitions.

  7. Represented and captained my school basketball varsity team at district and inter-school level competitions.

  8. Volunteered at an organisation to teach computer programming to children. Volunteered for over 100 hours.

  9. Elected as the Vice Head Boy(2nd highest position in the student council) of my school. Also held other leadership positions.

Some other things: self learned a lot of advanced math topics.

Schools: MIT, Cornell(CAS), CMU(MCS), UC Berkeley(L&S), UCLA, NYU, and Stony Brook.

Some important things: My essays were great(this is what people who reviewed my essays told me. I got my essays reviewed from friends who were studying at top schools), I would rate my essays (8 - 10)/10. My teachers also know me really well, so my teacher recs would have also been great. I have two external recommendations from my research mentors(One from the PhD student at MIT, and another from the Godel Prize winner), so they would be great, I guess.
I worked really hard for getting research opportunities: I emailed over 400 professors, requesting them to mentor me, etc, and I have conveyed this in my essays. In my essays, I have conveyed how I am persevering, ambitious, curious, willing to take risks, and some other stuff. I also talked about how my background shaped me as a person.

I can chance back if required.

2

Oh, and I scored a 34 on the ACT writing section

3

It’ll be competitive no matter what as an international (unless you got four golds at IMO or something), but you seem to have good potential.

Just curious, what field was this 6-year old problem from?

4

Your Awards/ECs are very strong, ACT score is good, and not sure about GPA because idk how that system works but I will just assume that it’s good. In my opinion, good chance for UCLA, UC B, and NYU. MIT, Cornell, and CMU are reach schools but rec letters from MIT people might increase your chance for MIT and good ECs/Awards will increase your chance for CMU, and Cornell is an ivy so cannot predict :frowning: And I don’t anything about Stony Brook… Sorry

5

@MITer94, graph theory and combinatorics. @qwerty943821 thanks for commenting!

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@PureMathIsFun cool. Graph theory is a pretty fun subject since there are so many open problems, and some really elegant proofs to theorems (such as Cayley’s formula).

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@MITer94 yeah the problem that I worked on was pretty interesting. I’m looking to work on problems in number theory and topology - these two fields seem really interesting to me.

8

Wow, amazing EC’s. Those would have definitely carry you if you your GPA/ACT were better. From what I understand of the 100 point scale, your GPA is a bit below average for your schools (not 100% sure though). It seems like your LORs will be great. Overall, your top three schools will be reaches, but you still have a great change depending on how your essays genuinely portrayed your passion for research.

Chance back?
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1847372-final-chance-thread-ivies-stanford-ucb-p1.html

9

Your test scores and academic credentials are very competitive and your extracurriculars definitely show your passionate about your major. Your also an international applicant so you’ll bring a unique perspective to whatever campus you apply to. Everything you’ve done makes you a very competitive applicant anywhere you apply. Best of luck

10

I actually think you stand a very good chance given all your great math ECs. Your academics aren’t stellar for a school like MIT and being an international doesnt help but I do think your ECs will help you a lot

11

Thanks for chancing me!

You seem to be a very strong applicant with clear focus. And because of your sports and leadership, you don’t come off as a typical nerd. Good job!

CMU should be an acceptance. MIT and Cornell are very unpredictable

12

it’s me! You have a good shot a CMU, and Cornell/MIT may consider it, but they are long shots for anyone- I’d say you look convincing though. Good luck bud!

13

Your extracurriculars are amazing! I certainly think those will help a lot especially because they’re specific to what you want to do. Your ACT is also fairly competitive but all the students applying to the schools you are will have a 32 or better so to me that doesn’t stand out. On the other hand your ECs and your LoRs should help you a lot and make you stand out more as an applicant. With the schools you’re applying to it’s so hard to chance because it can be such a crapshoot, but I’d say overall you’re a competitive candidate. Best of luck!

chance back if you have the time? http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1851091-chance-me-please.html#latest

14

You’re looking very good. You stand out quite a bit. Maybe get 2 more points on the ACT if possible to really rank up there with their averages? Just a thought. Please chance me.

15

Dropping in to mention that CMU has lousy financial aid for domestic students, so it’s going to be worse for internationals.

16

damn. i’d say you have a 60% chance because though you’re right there at the top of the applicant pool, there are others there with you. And what about your essay? are you confident?

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@RastaGurl I would say that I have written decent essays. But I got them reviewed by my few friends who were already at top schools, and they said that the essays were great. So I would rate my essays 8/10

18

@PureMathIsFun I’d say you and I are pretty similar applicants. Although I’m more involved in Coding than in Math (I spend a lot of time on ProjectEuler.net and Brilliant) much of our application is the same - especially the research and ISEF part.
I too am wondering about what my chances are for the schools I’m applying to and people say I have a relatively good chance but you know how haphazard applications can get so you can’t tell with a 100% certainty. But mathematically speaking I’d say you have a pretty high chance of getting in at CMU, Cornell and most schools you’re applying to.
Best of luck to the both of us!

19

You dont have the scores or grades for MIT but you certainly have good EC’s I don’t know if they’ll be enough but you have a decent shot.
Cornell – Id be surprised if you got in
CMU – I think you have a good chance. I wouldn’t be surprised.
UCLA/UCB you will probably get in by your EC’s but your scores and grades aren’t that impressive here
You will certainly get into NYU and Stony Brook.
Best of luck
Chance back?
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1851776-chance-me-ucb-ucla-ucsd-will-chance-back.html#latest