Chance me for MIT/Stanford/Harvey Mudd? I'll chance back!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Please chance me, and I will chance back if you like! (Please leave a link.) I'd love critique and feedback. I wonder if it's possible to get in with 8 B's? D:</p>

<p>Prospective major: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Computer Science, Business
Prospective minior: Energy Studies, Transportation Studies</p>

<p>Some things to consider:</p>

<p>-Moved to current high school in 10th grade, I've moved 8 times in my life between America and Canada and several cities
-Qualify for free lunch
-Full Chinese/female
-First generation (well, parents have useless Chinese degrees so idk)</p>

<p>Now on to other things:</p>

<p>Cumulative GPA: 3.8 UW, 4.16 W (Honors not weighted)
ACT: 33 (not sending SAT)
SAT: 2050....ouch. Yeah that's not going anywhere.
APs: World History (3), Composition (4), Literature, Physics, Chemistry (3), Biology (4), Psychology (4), Environmental Science, Computer Science, Calculus BC, Macroeconomics (no score means taking this year)
Fluent in Chinese, English, and Spanish.
Income bracket: <$30,000</p>

<p>Clubs:
-FIRST Robotics (Director of Communications [11], FLL Tournament Coordinator [11, 12], Communications Systems Coordinator [12])
-CV FRC Collaboration - Electronics and Pneumatics Lead [11, 12]
-President of Math Team
-Science Fair (9th grade), Honorable Mention
-Science Olympiad (10th grade), 3rd in Robot Arm
-Key Club (prob VP)
-Computer Science (prob VP, currently secretary)
-CSF all years
-300+ hours volunteering, 300+ hours at robotics in less than 6 weeks
-Started up several FLL (kids robotics) teams and a FLL tournament, managed two more tournaments
-Several art awards, including Best of Show and 1st place for my photorealistic artwork
-Learned Java, C++, HTML, CAD in Creo 2.0
-Part of t-shirt cannon project for Fresno Grizzlies team, some of my own projects in generating environmentally friendly electricity
-Judo (blue belt), avid lover of tennis and badminton
-Crime Stoppers' Youth Advisory Board 12-13
-Speech and Debate
-History Day</p>

<p>I absolutely love love love my robotics team! I spend all my time there, learning new things relating to STEM and teaching all I can about electronics and programming. I support FLL, robotics for kids in elementary school, and I manage some tournaments and start teams. I also create other outreach events, including a robotics tour at elementary school carnivals to spread STEM to young students, and I wrote an Engineering Documentation binder that helped my team win the Engineering Inspiration Award this year. Apart from robotics, I make my own projects by reusing bikes to invent methods of generating clean energy. I also made a robot for STEM Outreach that communicates with young students and draws them into STEM. I'm currently using a VEX robot that will hopefully help my arthritis-ridden mother around the house. My parents think I should study more, but....that's not as fun....but I can study hard and I'm especially good at what I'm interested in.</p>

<p>I also moved eight times. Born in New York, I moved to Ontario where I moved twice, then moved to Ohio, then moved back to Ontario to move twice again, and then moved to California, where I moved within the same town three times and moved schools again and again. It's actually a really depressing story, planning to make some good essays with these and ECs.</p>

<p>All ECs are this year only- didn't include past years unless otherwise noted. Love photorealistic color pencil drawings. I've won a few awards through those, but I discovered my love of design through art and robotics fusion! I love both, but now my art talent is just a hobby.</p>

2

<p>Can’t really comment on your chances, but you sound like a really interesting and awesome person. You’d bring a lot to any campus. Genuine interest in the stuff you’re doing is clear, I’d admit you on the basis that you seem really unique and passionate. Good luck I hope you get into one of your top picks!!!</p>

3

<p>I would say Harvey would be a reach, Stanford a high to middle reach and MIT a high reach.
Good grades, but ECs aren’t that special (what doesn’t mean they aren’t good!). I would definitivly include your art skills. Are you submitting an art supplement? Good luck with your application.
Would you chance me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1549918-chances-international.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1549918-chances-international.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>I think they’re all reaches, but in order</p>

<p>MIT (high)
Stanford (high)
Harvey (mid)</p>

<p>If you can convey all of the enthusiasm that you have about what you want to do on your application, I think it’ll help tons. Did you move at all while in high school, though?
(I moved a lot as a kid as well, but as far as I know none of that matters on applications unless a) it impacted your performance in high school, or b) you choose to use it as your essay topic.)</p>

<p>The only other thing that I might say to you is that you might want to consider writing a not-so-depressing essay? I mean, if there’s a story that you want to tell that’s really important to your character and you genuinely want to, go for it. But most of the ‘successful’ essay samples that I’ve read have been light-weight and often humorous. I think it’s hard to write about something sad without coming off as if you’re looking for pity.</p>

<p>“It’s actually a really depressing story, planning to make some good essays with these and ECs.”
I just think that if this ‘it’s depressing so I can make a good essay out of it’ mentality shines through, the admissions staff are going to be unimpressed. But do what you feel strongly about. I could be completely wrong. </p>

<p>That said, best of luck to you, and I hope you end up somewhere that makes you happy!</p>

<p>Chance me? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1550664-chance-me-ill-chance-you-back-super-promptly.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1550664-chance-me-ill-chance-you-back-super-promptly.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>^I agree with aribman on everything. </p>

<p>Your essay doesn’t have to be humorous necessarily, but don’t make it a pity-party; I’ve proofread a lot of college essays in the past few weeks, and the number one issue with most is getting weighted down by cliches (e.g. I went to this place and it changed my perspective on life forever), so watch out for that. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>