Chance me for MIT, UPenn, Cambridge, Stanford, Caltech

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi, I’m a junior at a pretty average high school in the United States and yes, I’m playing my chances by graduating early this year and going for all the reaches. If I don’t get in, which is a likely event, then I’ll probably take a gap year and work on some research I have off to the side to bolster my app. Any comments below are really appreciated at this point in the college app cycle. I’m primarily interested in a Materials Science/Physics major with CS as an alternative.

I’m also in a kind of a weird spot. My school is technically an IB school but per IB rules, you can’t test in Standard level IB’s until junior year and Higher level IB’s until senior year. I took all the IB sciences early on and subsequently, I’m not able to test in them so I took their AP counterparts instead.

Stats:
SAT: 1560 (Essay: 8,7,7)
PSAT: not taken because junior (also didn’t think about graduating early until mid-sophomore year)
SAT 2: Math II, 800; Biology M, 760; Physics, 800; Chemistry, 800
AP’s (9): Calculus AB, BC, Physics 1, Physics C Mech & Electromagnetism, Chemistry, Statistics, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics

GPA: 4.64 (weighted on 5 point scale. 5 points for A in IB classes, 4 points for normal classes like non-IB spanish, PE etc.)
Unweighted: 3.93 (screwed in IB Lang/Lit SL soph year B’s in both semesters)

Transcript.
9th: Calculus 1,2 (semesters), AP Statistics, IB Chemistry HL 1, English 10, History 10, IB CS SL 1, Spanish II
10th: IB Economics SL 1, IB Lang/Lit SL 1, IB Chemistry HL 2, IB Physics HL 2, IB Biology HL I, IB CS SL 2, Spanish III
11th: Calculus 3/Linear Algebra, Writing 121, IB Lang/Lit SL 2, IB Social Anthropology SL 1, IB Biology HL 2, IB History HL 1, Spanish IV

Yes… I realize my transcript very weird but our school has IB, yet doesn’t have enough numbers for classes non-core IB classes so they instead have classes like Calculus that is a dual credit program with local university.

EC’s

Science Bowl Captain: (11) - 3rd/4th at Regionals, not super good
Science Olympiad Captain (10, 11), 3rd at State, not good either considering my region
Cross Country: (9, 10)
Track and Field: (9, 10)
Debate - win local tournaments, nothing big

USAPhO Semifinalist + honorable mention (10)
USAChO Semifinalist (10)
USACO Gold (10)
AIME Qualification (9, 10) -> garbage on the AIME so let’s not talk about my scores there
Volunteering at random places (Foodbank, school fundraisers) maybe 100hrs.
Research on Solar Cells at University, may publish paper soon, probably not in time for this year’s admission round.

So that’s me, I’ll chance back.

2

Your stats and ECs are strong. Of course all of these schools are reaches for anyone but are definitely competitive enough to have a good chance.

3

Did you get score of 5 on all those APs? If so, you should have a good shot at least at getting an interview at Cambridge - I guess you’re looking at Natural Sciences there?

4

All 5’s yes on AP’s. I’m going to see if I can take some IB exams this year.

5

I would apply to a couple 20-40th ranked schools as safes.

Seems like close to a lock for an interview at Cambridge in a natural sciences or other STEM subject. I would think you would have a could shot at MIT / Caltech.as you fit the profile, very strong on science.

6

Thinking about it, as far as safes, I would apply to another school about the UPenn level and a school at the 20-30th or so level. Even with a really strong application, you should probably have safes. As indicated though, you should have a good shot at all the schools you mention.

7

Thank you I will do that.