I’m actually still a high school junior but I’d like to get opinions before I apply. Bear in mind that this list will grow over the next year.
I am from Maryland
GPA: 4.94 (weighted), 4.0 (weighted)
Class rank: 2 out of 496
SAT (taken once, Oct 2014): 2400
PSAT (junior year, 2014): 240
SAT 2:
Math 2:800
I plan on taking the Bio(M) and World History at the end of the year.
ECs:
Model United Nations (member, 3 years)
Class of 2016 Treasurer and Financial Committee Representative (review/approve school budget w/ administration)
DECA (3 years, state champion in 2 different events, State Officer - Region IV Vice Present)
Center for Talented Youth - JHU Session 13.2, Law and Politics in US History
CTY OneCourse Scholarship - took a course in Intro to PoliSci online at UMBC, final grade of 97%
Interned for a summer for Doug Gansler, Maryland Attorney General at the time
Maryland Allstate Orchestra - 4 years, assistant cello section leader for 1
Anne-Arundel County All-County Orchestra - 2 years, section leader for 1
High School Orchestra - 2 years, section leader for 1
Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra Side-by-Side (we rehearse and play a concert with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) 2 years, section leader for 2
Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra - 5 years, section leader for 2 (I’ve volunteered with the OrchKids, a program that has high school musicians play alongside/teach underprivileged, inner-city younger music students)
National Honor Society
National French Honor Society
National Social Studies Honor Society
AP Classes/Tests taken so far: AP Gov (5), AP Stat (5) - my school doesn’t allow freshmen to take APs, and sophomores usually can only take 2
Junior Year Course Load:
Honors French IV
AP Micro/AP Macro
AP Lang
AP Calc BC
AP World
AP Bio
AP Physics 1
Senior Year Course Load:
AP French Lang
AP Lit
Calc 3 (counts as a 5.0 for GPA)
AP Physics C
AP Euro
APUSH
AP Human Geography
AP Music Theory
The honors societies kind of look like a laundry list but your scores at very impressive. I say in at one of the HYPS. Rest accepted to. You’ll probably be placed under the hardcore academics students.
If you are #2 in your class, I would hate to see #1!! Doing a chance thread with your record is a bit silly. What can anyone say? Clearly your chances at almost any school are excellent, and getting into the HYP type schools will just depend on your recs/essays and how the admissions officer is feeling that day. Actually you might have more trouble if you apply to some lower tier schools as “safeties” because they will all be convinced that you will end up at an HYP, which is no doubt true in the end.
BTW, being Chinese won’t help you at all. That is not an Affirmative Action minority class in the world of higher education. In fact some people are convinced it hurts you at certain schools, but that may not be true either. But it definitely does not give you an edge.
OK, well just so you know that is not Affirmative Action. Not sure if you were trying to make a wry or sarcastic observation but it doesn’t track. No biggie. I am not sure I buy into being held to a higher standard either, but I know a lot of people believe that. It definitely doesn’t seem to be a factor at UCB or UCLA, given their typical final demographics. Even if there is some truth to that at some other schools, I don’t think it will affect you, given your particular resume.
There is not a school in the nation where you are not entirely competitive. Obviously for HYP, there are no guarantees. For the reminder of your non-UC “targets,” I’d suggest you are low reach (only because their applicant “packs” have such overall distinction). For the UCs, you’re in (match or safety). CONGRATULATIONS, you’re truly done a fine job in high school.
we all know it’s true, even if no one affiliated with secondary-education institutions will explicitly admit it. i learned in summer camp after freshman year that college admissions officers essentially compare Asian-American and some Caucasian applicants to others by subtracting 200 points from their SAT scores, lowering their grades, etc. pretty much normalizing their stats.
If your only goal is to get into a top school and you don’t have too much preference I would suggest just applying to 15 of the most selective schools and you will undoubtedly get into one. Its a crapshoot at the top level and schools love priding themselves in rejecting 4.0 2400s (the dude running my UC berkeley info session mentioned it at least 4 times.) I would talk with your family about your goals for college pricewise because you will most certainly be able to go to a top university for completely free. The ivy league doesn’t do merit aid but at most 2nd tier schools you will be very very competitive for full scholarships + room and board + stipends
@normanxi I’m pretty sure adcoms don’t lower Asians scores by 200 points. Sure they are held to a higher standard, but considering the average SAT score at Harvard for Asians is 2304 and everyone is 2256 http://features.thecrimson.com/2014/freshman-survey/admissions/, I imagine Asians would get a 100 point deduction at worst maybe a 150 point deduction when compared to African Americans (about 2150 average)
I’d say that you will probably get into every single one of those schools if you have outstanding recommendations and essays. Just make sure that the person you’re asking for a recommendation truly likes you… Many students with much worse stats get into the top schools that you have mentioned.
With those stats, being Chinese probably won’t affect you much.
The thing that might put you at a disadvantage is the school that you’re in. You’re probably in a top high school, so you will be especially be compared to your other peers who may have national or international awards.
Honestly, you’re a good bet for any of those schools. Duke and UC’s are almost a given and you’ve for a solid shot everywhere else.
I guess the one thing I could suggest is make sure you have depth in your clubs meaning like take leadership positions and stuff.
@WannabeaDoctor (re #13): Of course, I’m sure you’re aware that it is more frequently difficult to be admitted to Duke than it is to be admitted by about half of the Ivies (while there are obviously MANY exceptions, in general I would cite Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth and Penn).
