Chance me for Stanford/MIT/Ivies/UChicago/Caltech next year? Unique hook?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello!

I’m a junior this year but I would like to see which schools could be reach/target/safeties for me?

Please chance me for the following school?

Top choices
*Stanford
*MIT
*Caltech.
Other very selective schools I’m interested in
*Harvard
*Yale
*Cornell
*Carnegie Mellon
*Upenn
*Columbia
*UChicago - dad who graduated from the MBA & donated 6 digits over the years - does it count?

I’m still thinking about the safeties schools, any recommendation? I’m interested in CS/Science if CS not possible & business or politics (not decide how to sell my story yet - any advice?)Thanks in advance!
I’ll also apply to top European universities in the UK & in Switzerland (I hold a green card with European nationality)

Stats:
GPA: UW 4.10
Rank: Top 1%
SAT: 1590
APs: 7 in total, 5 in all, Calc, World, French, Biology, Physics
Ethnicity: White and 1/4 Hispanic (I don’t know if it will help)
Gender: Female
State: New York

ECs:

-Sport/Art
Rowing, States level competition with my rowing club.
I write lots of poems some of them were published and won some prizes (nothing big!)

-Entrepreneurship
Founded a company that generates 30000 net revenue/year. I managed everything from market research, business plan, funding, marketing, website to contact with clients. It’s a very lean company and I only have one employee.
Founded a website and create an app to teach fun ways to do science to kids with more than 150000 views+downloads.

-Clubs/Leadership
Multiple state level awards for maths, science and robotics.
One national reward for a coding competition where I was one of the only girls.
Debating competition, our debating team went to state level and I’m the team captain.
Founded a club to promote science to girls (online and also in my city), giving tutoring sessions and organizing events in local venues and museums. Featured in local newspapers.

-Unique hook?
I’m not sure how to play out this one or if it could be a hook. My family comes from Belgium and we’ve been traveling the world since I’m 2 years old. I lived in multiples countries (and have had lots of interesting experiences) I’m multilingual french, english and flammish. I’ve interned in a representative’s office (member of parliament in Belgium) and I’m very involved in my community. I managed big events for the Alliance Francaise and also helped translate french to english for Haitian refugees, among other things.

I know the universities aren’t fond of international candidates but what of an american resident (I’ll apply as a local) with strong international ties? Can this be a hook?

2

its not a hook but its interesting and will make you more sought out, however slightly. If you get in it will be bc of your credentials and academics, not because of your ‘hook’

3

you will likely get into several of your schools on your list, though

4

Hi Thanks so much for your answer! Do you think I should put down hispanic and white as well or only white? I look like the average white girl - my hispanic grandfather was white as well - it sounds like lying to me to put down hispanic?

5

You are highly likely to get into a lot of these schools! There is no reason to not accept you unless they’re being silly about something! Also for a lot of European countries, the acceptance rates at these universities are higher than the overall acceptance rate. For example, closer to 10% of UK applicants get into Harvard. Check for Belgium with their international student representation stats. I am an Asian and it was especially hard for me, but since you would apply as a Permanent Resident, I think there would be fewer reasons to worry :slight_smile: Best of Luck!

6

Hi
Thanks for your answer - I didn’t know for the 10% of UK applicants. I’ll check with their stats! I know it’s especially hard for Asians, even the american ones, they usually have to had the best academic profiles to get in, my dad told me the Asians had the most impressive profiles in his MBA - otherwise they won’t get in in the first place I guess.

7

I wouldn’t consider most of these schools “safeties” by any stretch - it’s a crapshoot when it comes to the top 20. Watch it with declaring an unweighted GPA over 4.0 - typically only weighted GPA’s can be over 4.0 (I know some schools do the whole “+” thing, but you you will probably have to max it out at 4.0; weighted is a different story). You have a good number of AP classes, but it’s not in the uber-rigorous realm of 10+ that you will see top candidates have. You’ve got some good/interesting EC’s, and you can leverage them with some well-crafted essays. There are A LOT of really, really smart kids who did amazing things while in high school and don’t get into all of the top schools. Every year, schools are trying to put together a “class” - it’s how you fit into their picture of that “class”.

I don’t know how UChicago treats legacies (and donors), but if they tend look kindly upon them, your stats should make you a no-brainer. This would be your only “hook” as far as I can tell.

8

@Undercrackers! Thanks for the feedback! Yes - I’ve seen people with 13+ AP classes but I decided to be more focused on the ECs. I’m also looking for safeties schools for Cs/Science/Business related majors - do you have any recommendation? Otherwise my safer bet is European universities.

As for Uchicago - I’ve read somewhere they don’t do the legacy thing, but the post is over 10 years ago and on CC people seem to say now they are considering legacies. They tried to leverage the alumnus for donations in the past 2-3 years (and my family donated a lot) so I would not be surprised that they are trying to do the legacy thing now.
My only problem with UChicago is they don’t offer the best STEM programs/undergrad business program - the programs I’m interested in - but it would be absolutely great if it can be a safer bet.

I’ve been told being European & still apply as a local could be slightly advantageous depending on the university - any thought on that?

9

@eloywin Might be aware of this already, but you should look into the M&T program at Penn. It is a dual degree program in business and engineering. You can also pursue an uncoordinated dual degree in business and engineering at Penn if you do not get into M&T. Penn M&T is extremely difficult to get into (Stanford, Harvard level of difficulty) and it is a top destination along with Stanford and MIT for students with interest in business and technology.

10

@eloywin I think your stats are very competitive for this schools. Also the fact that you a female interested in STEM and business will help as well. of course most of the schools here are reaches for anyone so you never know.

11

Hi Penn! Thanks for the advice! I would love to Penn M&T but would already be happy to go to “normal” Penn - So I’ll think about it and weight my chances for M&T - which seem to be more difficult than the normal admission. Is it easier to find a job in tech/consulting after M&T? I would guess UPenn with good grade is already a top target most for tech/consulting companies?

12

@eloywin. I agree, your stats look good, but I would echo the comment that the 4.1 UW GPA looks odd. But I would ask an Admissions officer or guidance counselor. From what I hear, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, no matter how solid your stats and resume, it’s so hard. You might fare better with Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, and try to identify a few lower ivies and convince them they are at the top of your list. They don’t want to accept you and have you not enroll!