Chance Me (for top 25ish schools)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi! I know these posts are not too popular with CC members and this might be a bit early but I just want a little input/opinion from other ppl.

Sorry for the long post!! I just want you guys to have all the info

I am applying to Ivys (UPenn,Cornell), Duke, NWern, U Mich Ross, Georgia Tech, etc. and applying as econ/ finance major. Here are my stats and more:

GPA: All A’s (had 4 B’s in Sophomore year 1st semester though)

ACT: M: 35 E: 35 R: 35 S: 29 Comp: 34
Took this when I was 15 can’t retake cause of covid19

AP’s: Gov, Chemistry, Biology, Lang, US history, Calculus BC, World History
All 5’s, one 4

Senior year course load: (semester 1/ semester 2)

-Georgia Tech Linear Algebra/ Multivariable Calculus
-AP Physics C Mechanics/ Electricity and Magnetism
-AP microeconomics/ macroeconomics
-Georgia Tech CS 1301/ GSU Engl 1102
-AP Literature and comp
-Work Based Learning (internship)

So a total of 16 AP’s/ college courses

Extracurriculars: (what I feel pretty good about since I’m applying with a demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship.) PLEASE, bear in mind that my parents barely gave me any money (couple hundred bucks cumulatively) to start these ventures.

-Founded a now failed app but received $25K outside funding from local biz, managed a team, lots of business experience from that.

-Founded Non-profit that has 5-figures in donations/ advertisement/ sponsorship deals. Pretty good website/ pictures to back it up.

-Marketing Intern then promoted to Business Strategist (paid) at Georgia Tech Create-X startup. Created and managed a sales team, marketing strategies, and brought in clients.

-Own crypto investment account that is now worth $45K in value and did $857K in volume according to IRS papers last year. Had good returns but don’t know if I should include specific ROI, etc. It also runs on a python-based bot that my dad and I created.

-President in Cryptocurrency at our school’s investment club.

  • Started an international fashion brand that sold $30K worth of merchandise in first year through social media.

-CURRENTLY: Own an EdTech company with about 4 employees (including UCLA/ Princeton grads) Our code is half finished and we haven’t launched yet.

Also made a crap ton of failed businesses but prolly won’t include them :slight_smile:

Volunteering:
Didn’t calculate this exactly but 2-3 hundred hours worth of volunteering and was promoted from volunteer to co-chair of the teen board at our local hospital

About Me:
Indian Male in Georgia
Applying with no financial aid
Come from pretty competitive school
Major: Business, Econ, Finance.

2

Not being an expert but from my first reading I see that your high school courses have good rigor and you did well. So check. You have a good ACT score. So check. You have demonstrated in your ECs that you are a self starter and motivated and continue to keep going after failure - shows resilience. I think how you package all this in your application and essays will be key. Chance you? I think you have a good shot. Your academics line up for the schools you are interested in. Of course so do the vast proportion of your competition. So you have a shot, but like everyone else, just based on the percentage of successful applications (acceptance rate) alone, your chances are reaches. Back these up with some good matches and safeties and you, in my opinion, have a realistic shot as anyone of having a successful application cycle. It is going to be in the packaging and whether the AO sees something in your application that fits their institutional need. Good luck.

3

I don’t know how you would have all As but then some Bs.

4

Haha, my bad. I worded that wrong! I guess I just wanted to stress that all 4 of my B’s were in sophomore year 1st semester.

5

You are competitive for all of them, however, they are all reaches, except GTech. Since you are in-state, GTEch is either a low reach or a high match.

You should likely choose 4-5 of these as your reaches and then move on to choosing more matches and a safety.

Also - what can your parents afford?

6

For safeties, Georgia Tech is definitely one of them. Because I took 11 credit hours with GTech in Dual Enrollment I have a 90% acceptance rate with them since they admit HS students with top quarter freshman admit stats; I should have mentioned this in the OP. I am also applying to UGA/GSU just in case.

As far as affordability goes, I won’t be applying for financial aid for any of the schools except for in state obviously.

I really hope to bank on my business experience and investment items to “jazz” up my application.

7

OP- not applying for financial aid- does that mean your parents have agreed to pay full freight?

Your stats looks great. Make sure your essays (and recommendations) don’t make it sound like you are applying to an accelerator or making a business pitch to a VC fund. You are applying to a university to get an education first and foremost… for the “top 25 schools” that don’t offer an undergrad business program, your profile needs to show intellectual interest and pizazz, not just that you’re into crypto…

Don’t bank on your business experience- bank on being the kind of person who will contribute to campus, both inside the lecture hall/seminar room AND campus life.

8

I’m just a rising freshman so I definitely don’t have a ton of admissions expertise but I will be attending a T20 and I think your extracurriculars are very strong even compared to mine and those of many of my classmates! In my opinion, you have good chances of getting into at least a few of these schools although which ones is anyone’s guess.

9

If GTech is indeed a safety, than you should likely take a look at a few matches which you may like.

I would, though, maybe take another 100% safety, just in case.

10

Ask yourself one simple question – if circumstances put you in a tough school district with poor parents, would you be successful? That is what admissions staff look for in most competitive schools. Or they look for elite athletes (Ivies), perfect students (Caltech), or super-rich kids (Tier 2 – G’town, Wash U, Vandy etc). Honestly, you are better off applying to tier 2 schools, which will accept you with open arms.