Chance Me For MIT/Harvard?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’ve already applied to all my schools, but I want the internet to validate me.

In all seriousness, I am curious what my chances are at the schools I applied to, my top choices being MIT and Harvard. My application was geared towards physics.

GPA: 4.02 weighted (my school doesn’t record unweighted)
Rank: 1/160
ACT: 34 (33 Math, 33 Writing, 33 Reading, 36 Science)
Sat II: 800 Math II, 760 Physics
AP’s: I’ve taken 5 tests and gotten a 5 on all except one which was a 4, and I’m taking 4 more courses this year for a total of 9/10 that my school offers. One, Chemistry, was an independent study.
College Courses: I’ve taken courses in Science Research at SUNY Albany and in Precalculus, Calculus II, and Calculus III at Ulster County Community College.

Ec’s and Awards:
Coca Cola Semifinalist (finalists aren’t out yet), NMSQT Letter of Commendation, AP Scholar with Distinction, RPI Medalist (not sure how relevant this one is), Scholastic Art and Writing Honorable Mention, Scholar Athlete all 4 years, blah blah…

I participated in varsity track and cross country since 8th grade, and I’ve been to states 4 times. Also a team captain in both.
I’ve been a student in Isshin Ryu karate for 10 years. I’m currently a black belt and have placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in local competitions. I also volunteer for the dojo.
I’m a student member of the Board of Education and am currently on a committee to reform the guidance program.
I founded the Human Rights Club, which goes on field trips to amnesty-type events and raises awareness. I’m president of the Tech Club, and I learned to code on my own and made several video games which I presented to the school and during some of my interviews.
I write and edit for the school newspaper. I have a science column.
For three years I’ve helped freshmen integrate into high school by meeting with them every week for a year.
I’m an officer for NHS and I’m in charge of the school’s tutoring system (I recently made the process paperless). Also lots of volunteering through this.
I’ve been a stage manager and sound engineer for the school play for three years.
There are a bunch of other things too, like Math Team and Science Olympiad, that aren’t as relevant.

I conducted research in quantum optics with a researcher from Harvard for two years, and I wrote a paper and am registered to participate in the ISEF-qualifying competition near me. I submitted my paper/abstract to colleges whenever I could.

In addition to what I thought were good letters of rec from my teachers and guidance counselor, I also got letters from the Harvard researcher, my district’s superintendent (because we’re both on the board and I’ve worked with him) and from my cross country coach.

I mostly wrote my essays about how working at Harvard allowed me to think and learn at a higher level, and how it made me realize what I wanted to do with my life. I also had to spend a couple months self-learning quantum mechanics, multivariable calculus, and electromagnetism so that I’d be able to understand what I was doing. I wrote about that as well.

Honestly, my primary concern is that I don’t have great awards. How detrimental might this be on my apps.

The schools I am curious about regarding my chances are:
MIT
Caltech
Duke
Harvard
Princeton
Brown
Cornell
Upenn
Yale
Columbia
Dartmouth.

2

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention: I applied EA to MIT and was deferred.

3

MIT - 9%
Caltech - 12%
Duke - 16%
Harvard - 7%
Princeton - 8%
Brown - 19%
Cornell - 31%
Upenn - 28%
Yale - 8%
Columbia - 9%
Dartmouth. - 13%

4

P.S. 89.2% of statistics are just made up, right on the spot.

5

if you don’t get into any of those schools then I don’t know who would! It sounds like you have done everything you possibly can to have a well-rounded and impressive application. At this point, you could be admitted to any of these schools, but there are thousands of other applicants just like you so it’s kind of a crapshoot

6

Did you qualify for ISEF? Was your research published anywhere? If so, your chances are very high. Either way, your chances are beyond good. You just have to wait until you get your decisions.

7

Bump.

8

I think you’re extremely qualified, and do have a decent shot, but with that being said, it’s a crapshoot at these schools.

9

The voice of “err on the side of caution” here. I hope you applied to match and safety schools. Those are all reaches for everyone.

Your best bet is Cornell. You don’t mention if you have any hooks. I assume not. You know you are qualified for any of them. You will get to the gates, but who lets you in, if any, is anyone’s guess. Good luck.

10

I was hoping my hook would be the research paper I wrote along with my mentors letter of rec. Or is that fairly common among applicants? I also wrote one of my essays about how I had to learn calc 3 and quantum mechanics all on my own using just a few books and an online course.

11

If you could get your Harvard staffer to advocate to admissions that they give you a likely letter that’s how the research can help you. You have high stats. Hopefully you come off as likeable too. I am sure you will get in somewhere good.

12

Hooks are things the college needs fill quotas… ex girls in stem, low income, URM, first generation. The research is a good EC, but not a hook.

13

Well, I do come from a low income family in a very rural area. Does that help?

14

Is getting a letter of rec from her different from that? And anyway, how helpful are letters of rec from insiders usually?

15

@Sepulchure I think the recs can only help- but, they won’t make your application.

16

@preppedparent is that something that I should just ask my mentor to do? Would it be considered rude to ask her that?

17

Yes, ask your mentor to contact Admissions and let them know they’re pulling for you. At this point in the process, I’d take some risks.

18

Well guys I didn’t get into MIT or Caltech. Wish me luck for Ivy Day!