Chance me for Princeton SCEA please! :)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

Hey guys. I applied SCEA Princeton this year, and decisions come out soon. Seemed like a nice time to do a chance me thread! :slight_smile:

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2120 (640 CR 800M 680W); 2200 (640CR 800M 760W); 1550 (750R 800M) [New SAT]
ACT (breakdown): 35C (36E 35M 34R 36S) [one sitting]
SAT II: 800 Chemistry; 800 Physics; 800 Mathematics Level II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): N/A [Indian educational system - CBSE - hence percentage: 96.8%: ultra-high for CBSE student]
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/200
AP (place score in parenthesis): None taken. AP courses not offered. Plan to take 4 AP exams next year.
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science (CBSE system - Indian educational system)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Winner of national science competition (30 students out of 50,000); Environmental Agency Energy Challenge (national environmental competition - wastage tracking and analysis using Geographic Information System) winner; Silver Lead School Award by Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi (with cash prize of approx. $8000)-won this prize for my school; community/govt. awards/certificates for academics

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

  1. Events Coordinator for Prakriti Environmental Club
    Mentioned in Additional Information section of Common App: I head components of Green Audit – my job involves allocation of resources for the audit, optimization of audit procedures and most importantly, keeping track of trends in resource consumption and designing a plan of action based on the issues discovered through audit data analysis. During the years I have been involved, there has been a significant drop of 5 grams of waste items per capita.I was a designer and analyst for the team that developed the solar films project. Using monetary incentive received by Environmental Agency for pioneering environmental work, the solar films project was implemented indigenously and has reduced electricity consumption by 15% in the school. I have attended one international and many environmental summits. I worked on a project as Lead Student Project Coordinator for the Zayed Future Energy Prize international environmental contest as well.
  2. Robotics: Club member, finalist at World Robot Olympiad UAE
  3. Debate/Speech: President, Moderator for Verbatim Debating Club; In-charge of meetings; recruiting, mentoring members; conducting club competitions; taking care of administrative matters; served as vice president
  4. Karate: Black Belt (Shodan) holder, Oriental Karate Club; Learning Shorin-ryu Seibukan karate for eight years, assisting sensei in teaching children; won medals in inter-club kata contest
  5. Prefect (2016), Spring House Vice Captain (2015): Responsible for maintaining discipline, developing house spirit, selecting students for competitions
  6. Distinguished Speaker, Inner Universe TM Club: Participation in Toastmasters meetings taking up roles of Speaker, Evaluator, Chairperson. 15+ trophies in UAE Division H Conference (DTAC)
  7. Batsman & Wicketkeeper, Zayed Cricket Academy

Job/Work Experience: Internships/jobs not legally allowed for under 18 persons.

Volunteer/Community service: Volunteer for an NGO and in an anti-smoking campaign.

Summer Activities: Visited a nuclear reactor in India and some labs, was a speaker for a youth leadership program for juniors

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App essay: 8/10 - talked about how taking a different perspective in a trivial situation changed me and talked about my intellectual development in high school; it was somewhat unique
Princeton Supplement: 8/10 - talked about my first experience in an interview and how it went badly and what I learnt from it: to delve into fearful experiences to develop as a person. I’d say the matter was a bit generic but revealed an important aspect of me, in a very strong manner.
Princeton BSE: 9/10 - wrote about my experience visiting a nuclear reactor and associated labs, talked about what I wanted to achieve with a Princeton education and how I fit into it

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: By CS teacher for 2 years - I’m sure it’s very good.
Teacher Rec #2: By English teacher who has known me for 4 years and taught me for 2 years - she considers me her best student so I am sure the rec is excellent.
Counselor Rec: Knows me kinda well and feels I am a competitive applicant, so I think she wrote a good recommendation.
Additional Rec: By environmental club coordinator - she said she wrote a really good one for me.
Interview: Went pretty well. Discussion was smooth; interviewer really liked my questions regarding Princeton; he appreciated my fine qualities and talents. So I guess it was pretty good.

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes, but not expecting any
Intended Major: Computer Science B.S.E.
State (if domestic applicant): N/A
Country (if international applicant): United Arab Emirates (I am an Indian though)
School Type: Private community high school
Ethnicity: N/A
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $150,000-$160,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Not sure if it’s a hook but those accepted from my place are usually from IB/IGCSE schools which are more expensive and offer more opportunities for their students. So I am a ‘different’ applicant in the eyes of Princeton, maybe? (very few apply to Ivies from Indian community schools in the UAE)

2

Also, I submitted additional documents of environmental project report summaries quantifying my work. (for Zayed Future Energy prize project and solar films project that reduced electricity consumption by 15%)

3

Wait less than a week :wink:

4

Umm. Your Resume sounds exceptional.
I have applied SCEA too, but my SAT scores aren’t good. 1340/1600. Essay 21/24.
Nobody from my high school applies to universities abroad. No one is even aware of SAT 2s, and most of them don’t know about the SATs.
I’m in the top 5% of my class, predicted 95% for CBSE boards, which will put me in the top 1%. I have the same subjects as you. But I’m interested in BA Math.
Got 96/100 last term in Math. With Calculus. Class topper in English, Math, and Physics.
National Merit Scholar for which I received full fee-waiver scholarship at FIITJEE. Took coaching in college level PCM courses for 3 years.
Worked as a Event-Cordinator last year, my employer said he wrote me a beautiful recommendation. I’m expecting my teachers to give me their highest recommendation.
Was offered a Public Relations and Content Creation Head post with a leading national Youth Organization. Took it.
Have won at several college-level International MUNs.
Common App Essay: Wrote about two severe health crises I had to face in the last 3 years, and how I persevered to keep up my grades. How hard I worked towards my motivations and personal growth and never let my circumstances get the better of me.
Supplement Essay: Wrote about the long term effects of low quality education on poorer sections of society. Wrote on the cycle of Fiscal Backwardness leading to low quality education leading to fiscal backwardness again. And it is my life’s goal to break this cycle for myself and doctor a solution for it.
Wrote an additional scientific paper on increasing the efficiency of inductive cells.
My School counselor got a phone call from Princeton asking how committed I was to social welfare, and it seemed very weird that as soon as I approached her to tell her that the results were coming on 15th, she wished me congratulations.
No one from my city or school has ever applied to Princeton.
Income: Less than 16k USD, Cosmopolitan city, Private community school in India.

5

@Mupito I have never heard about anyone being called by Princeton to be asked how committed the applicant is for Princeton. And if your counselor really wished you congratulations, I think you’ll be hearing good news at 1:30 AM on Friday! :slight_smile:
Also, could you please post that you got such a call (mention the date and time) and what your counselor said, on the Princeton Class of 2021 EA/RD Applicants Thread?

6

In my city in the UAE, I am heavily involved in environmental work. My school does a lot of the work in this field as well, and I am a committee member.
Two students from my school have gone to Cornell among the Ivies, and only one has applied to Princeton (weak applicant) in the history of my school. My scores and extracurriculars combined are more competitive than any other applicant from my school. I’m hoping for the best, but what scares me is that Princeton has never accepted any CBSE student from the UAE. (although I don’t know if CBSE students even apply to Princeton or any of the Ivies for that matter - most feel it’s really tough and apply to state schools instead).

7

@Mupito

8

I guess we’ll both have to wait 2 more days.

9

Did you get in? @derpro

10

@Mupito
No, I got deferred. Pretty bummed… oh well I was probably not a strong enough applicant.
What about you?

11

Deffered. Same. I’m really disappointed.
A lot of people have been deferred, apparently. With much better credentials than both of us. So I’m very disheartened, because now it feels impossible.
Let’s hope for the best. :slight_smile:

12

Also. Have you been able to find any Indian accepted student? I haven’t.
Plus I think now they just want to take Indian students from schools that have a good relationship with Princeton and schools from which Princeton has previously accepted a lot of students. Example: The Doon School, La Martinere, etc.
They select about 35 students from India each year.