Hello, I am an incoming senior and am considering several schools. I am an Asian female with a family income of 38k (only 1 parent works) living in California. I was accepted into the Questbridge College Prep Scholars Program and will apply to their National College Match. As for UC’s, I will apply to UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSD, and UCI. For Questbridge ranking from most to least interest, I’ll rank Caltech, Pomona, USC, Claremont Mckenna, Scripps (regdec/no rank), Stanford, Caltech, Yale, Princeton and MIT
SAT: 1500 (750 Math, 750 Reading, 20/24 essay), 1 sitting. Should I retake? I honestly felt lucky, I was expecting 1450 so what if I actually tank? 
ACT: might take in September, am estimating a 32-35
SAT II: Math 2: estimate 800 Bio E: estimate 700+
UW GPA: 3.94 (9-11)
Weighted: 4.66 (9-11), I got 2 B+'s freshman year but I don’t think that rly counts for these colleges right? Or at least not as big a deal when seeing my upward trend (B+ to A- to A to A+)
UW GPA: 4.0 (10-11)
Weighted: 4.71 (10-11)
UC Capped GPA: 4.31
AP Scores: Euro (5), APUSH (5), English Language (5), APES (5), Chemistry (4), Calculus AB (5), Spanish Language (5)
Senior Courseload: AP English Literature, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Psychology, AP US Government, AP Microeconomics, AP Physics 1/AP Spanish Literature (not sure)
Intended major: 1st choice: applied mathematics, 2nd choice: biochemistry, 3rd choice: environmental studies. I might double major 1st and 2nd choice.
Academic Decathlon (4 year member) Highest scorer on my team in 10th and 11th grade (2 hrs/wk)
NHS (3 year member, 2 year officer (Sophomore Representative, Parliamentarian Elect, President) 60 hours in 10th, 25 hours in 11th
Key Club (4 year member, Secretary 1 year, Division Task (Apparel) Coordinator) 33 hours in 9th, 50 hours in 10th, 10 hours in 11th, 15 summer before senior year so far
Math Club (2 year member) tutoring elementary and high school kids math, 10 hours in 11th
Yearbook (1 year member, Underclassmen Editor)
Choir (1 year)
CSF (2 year member)
National Piano Playing Auditions Level 10 Passed and will achieve Piano Diploma by spring of senior year
AP Scholar with distinction
TOP 10 (gpas and stuff)
Ivy Chain (top 20 juniors ranked lead seniors in graduation)
Top 5 Volunteer Hours
Key Club Officer of the month
Yearbook student of the year
Questbridge College Prep Scholar
No USAMO/AMC are offered at school. In 8th grade tho where we had more funding, I scored among the top 4% in the nation tho?? Should I include this in additional comments?
Are my ecs too generic I also don’t have as many leadership positions as I would like. Would it be ok to explain that I was qualified for acadeca captain but elections chose an unqualified person out of popularity (she was only on team 1 year) or would that be too petty/unnecessary? I was pretty upset about it. Put in additional comments?
Im Asian, specifically Cantonese Chinese/Vietnamese. Maybe I’ll just call myself Viet bc that gives better chances right? It’s sorta more URM than Chinese
Tennis (2 years JV, 2 years varsity)
I took 2 CC classes over the summer: Fundamentals of Communication (Public Speaking) and Survey of American Cinema
I recently moved from a competitive high school in Orange County to a noncompetitive high school in San Bernardino County. Colleges or Questbridge select you by your location right? Like your school profile? So if I were compared to other kids in San Bernardino County, I’m sure I’d stand out but I’m not sure if I was chosen in comparison to students nationwide…
I can also speak/read conversational Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Korean, and Spanish (Seal of Biliteracy).
My biggest problem will be my essays. I am am totally generic. No disease, death, divorce, drugs or anything in my life. I haven’t done any big awards or no significant things in my life besides skipping first grade and getting 2nd place in the county spelling bee. The spelling bee is probably the only topic I can think of. Thats what I wrote for my common app essay asking how have you learned from failure. I got all into it and wrote 1300 words, double the word limit, so Im gonna cut it down. Would anyone mind reading? I framed it like all my life, I’ve dreamed of being like kids on TV doing the spelling bee and dealing with 2nd place taught me to cope with loss and not give up when I was outed in an earlier round the previous year. It “stung” me seeing the 1st place winner get a word wrong that I knew how to spell. I was especially disappointed and wanted the bee so badly, I would give up the $300 2nd place prize, showing how big my ambition and determination was.
For the 2nd Questbridge National College Match essay, I wrote about my intellectual vitality and how I believe learning comes from fun like vlogbrothers, crashcourse, scishow, asap science etc, but most specifically how learning comes from like daily life, not just reading a textbook for fun. So like I talked about how I taught myself Korean and would ask the Korean teacher to let me borrow worksheets or textbooks since I was already taking Spanish. I also made a connection between languages and STEM (major: Math or biochem or environmental studies) by saying how like taxonomy uses Latin, which the spelling bee and Spanish helped me with.
Thanks! I look forward to your comments!
do… not… do… that! It makes sound look petty. Petty is really, really bad for elite admissions. It does sound like an unfair situation, but that happens. Just move on and succeed at life, that’s always the best revenge. 
Your 1500 crosses the line, I think you are fine.
I agree, as written above, you are very generic sounding. Good scores, grades, some good ECs, but very cookie-cutter. Nothing that sets you apart from the thousands of other NHS, KeybClub, piano and tennis playing applicants. Your spelling bee essay, unless written in some unique way, has been probably been written and read by adcoms a 1,000 times… you need a unique, memorable narrative.
I see you list a bunch of hours for volunteering, but not what for. Anything interesting or notable? Elite admissions love kids that give back and change their communities (this is who they want at their school!), but you need to do it in a significant, “real” way. Quality of volunteering over quantity.
Your income level / Questbridge will help some, but what really impressed me was you learning so many languages and your organic self-learning. You came “alive” to me describing your foray into languages, That could make for a great, memorable essay. Especially if you lead with your non-Asian language, Spanish. Did you learn any life lessons in your pursuit of these languages? Any interesting, or funny insights you had comparing the various languages? Any universal truth that binds all these languages? Any chance to volunteer, or have a unique EC that leverages your language skill? That would set you apart from your peers.
Good luck!
Ok thanks for the feedback!
Like I said, my problem is I don’t have any really big life event or anything traumatic. I’m not like an amazing Olympic level athlete or intern for the governor or win national quiz bowl or smtg (those kinda competitions not offered at my school). Maybe will they consider the fact that I’m 15 so legally I’m too young for any job or internship (cant even volunteer at the library omg)
I rly thought that the spelling bee essay was kinda unique? Like I talked about how it was the County spelling bee and if I got first place, I couldve gone to nationals and it taught me to stop beating myself up over the past. I talked about how I managed to get so far in the competition without a tutor which the first place winner had. Maybe this is petty again but I wanted to express that I was disadvantaged but still made it so far.
Also, the languages thing is good I think but would it be too weird/unremarkable bc languages isnt rly related to math (intended major)
As for volunteering, the significant events have been decorating for the Rose Bowl Parade and USA Tet Festival which is like this Vietnamese new year cultural 4 day event where I dressed up in traditional áo dài and taught people some stuff about my Vietnamese culture. I also just like key club because it’s a nice network to meet new ppl so then I know ppl from like 50 different schools but idk if this is rly significant enough
Sigh I know I sound rly average, I just haven’t had anything significant in my life and I’m not like dirt poor. I know caltech, yaleprincetonmitstanford are reaches but like just trying. Do you think I can get into USC, Pomona, and Claremont Mckenna though? I think those are more approachable but still like high-tier schools.
I agree with above. Language was the most interesting part of your CV. That you are just 15 and managing that is compelling. Language can be related to math or virtually anything if you can make connections.
Much of the other stuff sounds like achievement for achievement’s sake which is boring though impressive.
Yeah, i dont really know what to do about the achievement for achievements sake part ^ (it’s true) and I dont have any special talent but are the essays good? Is the spelling bee essay really that unconvincing/memorable? I think I outlined the what I learned part well. If anyone can, can you please read my essay?
Would it help that I’m financially disadvantaged or that my school isnt well funded?
Cuz if colleges accepted by location, I do stand out compared to the rest of my school but compared nationally, I’m not very much I guess haha. Like previously, kids with 1300 sat and fewer aps and extracurrics still got into Cornell, pomona, and Claremont mckenna, so I was wondering if that would boost me or something.
Thanks for the responses guys!
Your passionate defense of your spelling bee work convinces me that you could write a good essay on it. Any topic on something you love can be great, so if you really love spelling bees, then write about them.
The onus is on you to make the essay interesting and different from the numerous other spelling bee essays the adcoms will have read. Please PM me and I’ll read it and get you my subjective feedback.
Yes, being from a disadvantaged school / background is helpful, but you cannot rely on it.
again, the “poor me” approach will not work and makes you look bad. It is totally true you are at a disadvantage compared to wealthier competitors and their tutors, but the tone is just wrong.
Schools want to see what you did with what you had and not excuses on what’s holding you back. They will understand your circumstances by your school, your questbridge and your financials. You don’t need to hammer it home and the optics will be wrong when you try.
You will get into some great schools, I’m trying to help you with getting to HYPS level schools.
Cheers,
Psy