Chance Me for Top Tier Schools?!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Gender: Male
Ethnicity: White
Location: New York
HS graduating year : 2011 (current junior at a private school)
Financial Aid? Yes.</p>

<p>Class Rank: N/A
GPS: 3.78 unweighted</p>

<p>SAT: 2160 (720 R, 650 M, 790 W)
SAT IIs: 760 US History, 670 Spanish, 730 Literature</p>

<p>Courseload: 4 AP Classes by the end of Senior Year
US History (4), Spanish Language (5), English Language (4)
Taking AP Government next year</p>

<p>Swimming on a swim team for 6 years
I have been playing trumpet for 9 years
Jazz Band - Lead trumpet
Wind Symphony - Lead trumpet
Various other music groups</p>

<p>Inquiry Club - Club leader
Spanish tutoring - in school</p>

<p>I worked at a charity as the development intern for a month (200+ hours)
I am working for a month in Peru this summer (Teaching English and building a community center)</p>

<p>Took a summer course at Oxford in International Business and Law and Society - A+ in both courses</p>

<p>Bronze Medal on the National Spanish Exam</p>

<p>I speak English, French and I'm almost fluent in Spanish
I have dual citizenship (U.S., Belgium)
I have traveled extensively (20+ countries)</p>

<p>Chance Me: Harvard, UPenn, Columbia, Princeton, Duke, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Northerwestern, Brown</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>BumpBump…</p>

3

<p>Harvard: high reach
UPenn: high reach
Columbia: mid/high reach
Princeton: high reach
Duke: reach
Wesleyan: match
Middlebury: high match
Northwestern: high match
Brown: reach</p>

4

<p>I don’t see you in Harvard or Princeton with those SAT and Subject Test scores at the moment. Your ECs don’t seem that varied either in my opinion.</p>

<p>Columbia, uPenn and Duke I would say high reaches. A 2200+ would be more favorable, try to get that math score up; and your subject test scores are fine for these but resit Spanish.</p>

<p>Brown reach/high reach.</p>

<p>Northwestern high match/reach.</p>

<p>I don’t know the others, sorry.</p>

5

<p>could you suggest any improvements?</p>

6

<p>Other than Wesleyan and Middlebury, and i say this because i dont know much about those schools, i think all the schools you listed are pretty high reaches. Your standardized test scores are definitely lower than their average admits’ scores, so in terms of what you should improve, maybe retake some of them come next fall, unless its like your fourth time.</p>

7

<p>Those scores were my first attempt. I am planning on re-taking them in the fall and I’m pretty sure that I can get a 750 reading, 700 math, 800 writing (2250).</p>

<p>I’m not looking for an ego-boost, just for realistic goals.</p>

8

<p>I agree that these are all pretty high reaches at the moment, with wesleyan and middlebury being a bit better than the rest. realistically, the most important thing right now is to make sure your gpa is as high as can be. after that, try to improve your test scores.
your ECs aren’t particularly standout, but unless you do something really amazing this summer, it’s kinda too late for those so the next priority is the essay. i would recommend writing about either some really important personal experience, or capitalizing on your huge amount of traveling and talking about how that’s a big part of who you are. avoid the cliches: do not talk about the service trip to PoorForeignCountryX that changed your life. do not talk about the swim meet where you proved to yourself that you tried your best. etc. the essay can really tip things for you if you can get your stats up a little, especially at liberal arts colleges like middlebury and wesleyan that are looking for interesting personalities.</p>