Chance me for the Ivy League/Other elite schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm going to be a junior next year at a private school in my area. I don't know too much about the admissions process/colleges, but I would like to get into the Ivie's or other top schools, if possible. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Grades:
3.9 UW, 4.1W (93.5/100)
My school doesn't have any options for advanced classes and won't let you take AP's until junior year, so the only honors class I've been in has been Math. </p>

<p>School doesn't rank, but I would be top 10%</p>

<p>Freshman year classes:
English World Studies- A/A
History World Studies- A+/A+
Latin 2- A+/A+
Science 1 (We have a trimester system, so I have a trimester of bio/chem/physics)- A/A
Math Integrated 1 honors (A combination of geometry and albegra II)- A/B+</p>

<p>Sophomore year classes:
English World Studies- A/A
History World Studies- A-/A
Latin 3- A/A+
Science 2- B+/A-
Math Int. 2 Honors- A-/B+
Photo 1- A-</p>

<p>Next year I am taking:
AP Euro
AP Chem
AP Latin
AP Econ (both of them)
Precal Honors
Two English Electives (honors classes are not offered in English, and we only have AP Lit for Seniors)
My cousin who just graduated this year suggested to self study for AP Language, so I might do that as well. I've taken the hardest classes my school has offered.</p>

<p>Senior year I plan on taking AP Lit, AP Environmental, AP Calc BC, and AP art history or Govt.
SAT- haven't taken it yet, but my PSAT last year was a 196, but that was without studying/practicing for it, so one I work on it I can probably get it up to around a 2100)
ACT- Probably a 32/33
SAT II's- Plan on taking Latin, Math, and World History or Chem. The average between those three would most likely be around a 750.</p>

<p>AP Scores:
AP Euro- My teacher is great and makes the class so hard that he basically guarantees you a 4 or 5
AP Chem- Chem is the only Science I'm good at, so with enough study I think I can get it to a low 4
AP Latin- My best subject, high 4 or low 5
AP Econ's- 4's or 5's</p>

<p>EC's:
I play tennis year round for 10+ hours a week in the school year, more like 20 during the summer. I am top 10 in my state, 150 in my section, and am nationally ranked, albeit not very high. 2 star on tennis recruiting for those that know what that is, but will be moved up to a 3 star once they update it.</p>

<p>Since tennis takes up the majority of my free time, my EC's are quite weak. I didn't do anything freshman year other then math team and run for Student body/Student Government President, but I got second and didn't win.</p>

<p>10th grade I was a senator for my grade (There are 5 per grade), did Youth in Govt. (Blue Senate), and won the Presidential Election.
Next year I plan on doing more, so it looks like this:</p>

<p>9th:
Math team
Ran for student body pres.
Newspaper</p>

<p>10th:
math team
Student govt.
Youth in Govt.
Ran for pres.
Newspaper Editor</p>

<p>11th:
Math team
Student body/Student govt. President
Youth in Govt.
Debate
Science Quizbowl
Newspaper Editor</p>

<p>Pretty weak I know, but I do have a chance at playing tennis at the schools I am looking at, so that should help.</p>

<p>Tennis:
Been ranked top 4 in state, top 40 in section
Won around 20 local tournaments and a couple sectional tournaments
Played 2 singles and 1 doubles on school team 9th grade
1 singles and doubles 10th grade and qualified for state tournament</p>

<p>work/volunteering:
Again, tennis has taken up most of my time, though I also just didn't get involved during that time.
I don't work during the summer because I play 5+ hours of tennis most days and tournaments on the weekends.</p>

<p>my school has a mandatory service learning program, through which I have been involved in special olympics, river cleanup, homeless shelters, retirement homes, and other programs.
Next year I will be involved in a tennis program that teaches the game to people with disabilities, and will be part of a program that pairs me with someone with a disability, and a couple days a month we hangout and do activities through the program.</p>

<p>I love to write, so my essay will be well-written, I don't know how inspiring the story that I will tell will be, but at least it will be well-written. My recs will be good as most teachers like me.</p>

<p>One more important thing: My mom is a professor at U Chicago and Baylor, and has taught at Vandy, Georgetown in the past, as well as visiting professorships at harvard, princeton, yale, columbia, and a couple more of the Ivies. I don't know if this will help me or hurt me, and I certainly don't want to get any special treatment because of who she is. Additionally, since I was less than a year old, I have followed her overseas and around the country on various weekends/summers to accompany her to think tanks, speeches, and other academic gatherings. Some have been in Wales, England, Scotland, Israel, Oman, Norway, Czech Republic, Spain, and lots of US cities. It's been really interesting, but how can I include this in my application- or should I use it for my essay?</p>

<p>Sorry to bore you guys with this ramble, and I know there are more than a few "if's," but any response would be greatly appreciated, and thank you for reading this! (I will definitely understand the tl;dr comments haha)</p>

2

<p>Ivies (other than Cornell) and other elite schools such as Stanford, MIT, Cal tech, Chicago and Duke are reach schools no matter what you do.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the reply! I know that pretty much all these schools are a total crapshoot, but do you think I have enough to get into at least one of them? I don;t really know what I would like to major in, thought it’s probably between Writing, Political Science, Politics, or Latin.</p>

4

<p>“but do you think I have enough to get into at least one of them?”
It depends on your SAT or ACT and SAT IIs.</p>

<p>Nobody can tell your chances at the very top colleges even if you have 2350+ or 35+ and multiple 800s on SAT II. You might have a better chances at UChicago because of your mom.</p>

5

<p>I think you have a chance. It really depends on your essays though. My junior year PSAT was 197, then my first sat was a 2030. then i retook it and got a 2200 so I think with some studying you can get a high sat score. I ended up being waitlisted at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins and ultimately Penn accepted me.</p>

<p>But for ivies, really work on your essays as they are mainly what sets you apart from other high scoring, tons of ec-listing applicants.</p>

6

<p>Thanks! My essays will definitely be good, and I’ll think about them a lot more than I have been.</p>

7

<p>neorobie
Good for you!</p>

<p>I was waitlisted at Penn with 2380, 800-800-(800)-780 SATIIs and 35 and 3.96UWGPA and some awards and decent ECs and attended an elite HS.
But I am an Asian male.</p>

8

<p>I don’t necessarily think your chances are excellent or bad. You probably have a so-so chance of getting into those top Ivies, but it may be too early to tell since all your stats are hypothetical so far. But colleges are always a hit-or-miss situation. For example, in qualifications to Yale, you may have the better GPA, APs, SAT scores, and EC activities but get wait-listed while another student in your school with “lower” achievement recieves an acceptance (sharing from a personally bitter experience). I hate to say this but it really does come down to the individualistic aspect of your essay, ethnicity, gender, and just whether the schools like you on paper or not.
Here’s a glance of my profile so you’ll see what the acceptance is so of like: </p>

<p>Korean Female
GPA: 4.24
School Rank: 3rd (the more classes you take at our school the more your ranking goes down- it really sucked)
APs: 11
ACT: 35 (Presidential scholar candidate)
PSAT: National Merit Finalist
EC: Student Body President, Junior Class President, Sophomore Class President, Mu Alpha Theta Vice President, Mu Alpha Theta Treasurer, Varsity Cross Country runner, volunteer at providence hospital, mentorship with an orthopedic surgeon, DDF team captain, Public Forum debate state champion, State Student Government association leader, environmental activist leader, Saturday Math camp tutor, volunteer at state park, solar club (we build solar powered portable electricity sources for hospitals in Liberia) co-found and president, and TKD 3rd degree black belt. </p>

<p>Accepted: U Penn, Columbia, U Chicago, Amherst, Pomona, Swarthmore, Wesleyan
Wait-listed: Yale (defered EA too), Princeton
Rejected: Cornell, Harvard, Stanford</p>

<p>I ended up choosing Pomona and I love it so much :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Good luck in your college search/results</p>

9

<p>No chance at most of the ivies with a top 10% class rank except maybe Cornell. Competitive (unhooked) applicants at HYP, columbia, darthmouth, brown, and UPenn are typically in at least a top 5% (really top 2-3%) of the class and have a mid 2200+ SAT or 33+ACT. You may have a decent shot at Cornell if you get a 33-34+ ACT.</p>

<p>But if your school regularly sends about 30% or more of the graduating class to ivies and peer schools, then you may still have a chance at the other ivies.</p>

10

<p>20more: and I’m an asian female who went to a public school that never sent anyone to penn before. lol and my sat ii’s sucked, 540 spanish, 640 chem and 690 math ii.</p>

<p>it just goes to show that college admissions is a fickle animal</p>

<p>Habababa, there is always a chance. and given the acceptance rates, it’s gunna be a slim one but you’ll never know until you apply.</p>

11

<p>I think that you have plenty of time to improve your application since you’re a rising junior.
Your GPA is good for Ivies, just try to keep it the same or improve it during your junior year. The course load you wanna pursue is appropriate I’d say. The tennis thing will definitely help you a lot! But you’re ECs are a little lacking. Try to get really involved in another club 'cause you need leadership, and keep being member of the others. Try to be awarded in something, that could be tennis (probably… you seem very talented) or writing since you said you love to write.
SAT has to be above 2100 (2200+ for HYP) and you need to take two SAT subject and score above 700.
You seem a strong candidate so apply to the Ivies and top school you like (tennis will help you a lot in all of them I think if you are this good at it) and see, but always pick some safeties schools! Good luck!</p>

12

<p>I’m in the middle of starting apps to similar schools and what’s shooting me in the foot again and again is that I don’t have a clear direction or passion. </p>

<p>Find something you love and STICK TO IT. It doesn’t matter if it’s weird, like professional knitting or something, but stick to it and show your love for it. Start clubs, write about it, enter competitions, anything! If you find your passion and you stick to it, universities will adore you and essays will be a cakewalk. And the upside of this is you’re doing something you love to do! You can’t go wrong if you find a passion.</p>

13

<p>Took similar AP’s, had somewhat better EC’s and got a 32 ACT and 1460 SAT and didn’t get into any of the ivies, but I’d still say you have a shot. Just make sure to deliver on ur ACT and SAT</p>