Chance me for UNC-CH, NCSU, Duke, etc.

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Hello! I am from North Carolina and I am applying to mostly in-state schools because 1) they’re affordable and 2) both of my parents are NC teachers (not paid very well!)

I am applying to UNC-CH, NCSU, Duke (I already know this is like an extreme reach.), UNC-W, GT, and Cornell (because why not?)

Here we go!

I am a white male from NC
GPA (Weighted) - 4.720
GPA (Unweighted) - 3.96 (so I believe. I do not have my transcript handy right now, but I believe this is what it said!)
Rank - 13/213

Senior year classes - AP English IV, Chemistry II Honors, AP Calculus AB, AP Psychology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics, Journalism.

Previous AP classes (and scores) - AP Biology (4), AP Environmental Science (3), AP English III (3), APush (2… yeah…)

ACT - 29M, 31S, 28R, 27E, 29W (97% yay!!!), 28C (in one sitting), 29C (superscore)
SAT - Not sending
SAT II Subject tests - Took biology E and math 1 (yeah I regret changing math 2 to math 1 but I panicked!) I took them today.

I don’t know if this matters at all, but I have taken every single science class offered at my school (or am currently going to take them this year)

Major: Chemistry (BS), and maybe Laboratory Sciences as well if I get into UNC-CH!

Extracurriculars/Clubs/Honors/Societies:

  • Ocean Science Bowl - Captain - 3 years - Won 3rd place in the state competition!
  • Science Bowl - 3 years
  • Science Olympiad - 2nd year (it was formed last year) - I got 3rd place in the Air Trajectory event and the team overall placed 4th place at the regional competition and went to the state competition (which was so much fun by the way!)
  • Science Honors Society - Founder
  • Did research at NC State University under the Young Scholar program with the FREEDM Center over the summer (lasted for 4 weeks, 40 hours a week I believe…?) - Got to work on engineering and research with graduate and undergraduate students from across the nation (wonderful experience!)
  • National Honors Society - (we have to do like 20 hours of volunteering hours our senior year)
  • National English Honors Society - We do things around the school in addition, such as fundraisers and even a haunted house thing for kids in the community.
  • Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honors Society) - Secretary
  • I tutor a boy ~3 hour a week and have been doing it since last february (can be more, can be a little less. It varies depending on his schedule and mine!) in math, science, and some english! (mostly in math)
    -Note: His mom is a Duke professor and said she would love to write us a recommendation!
  • Volunteered at the local hospital during the summer of 10th grade - (7.5 hr a week for 6 weeks)
  • Link Crew - 2 years - We help the freshmen transition into high school and we act as a good role model and a friend to them. We also organize the freshmen orientation and we do many things around the school like fundraisers, help with the games, do events for the freshmen, etc!
  • Also, I intend to help with my local elementary school’s Science Olympiad team (they’re making it this year and I plan on helping out every week for a few hours)
  • Volunteered at the elementary school level Science Olympiad event last year
  • AP Scholar

Teacher recs: I know 100% that my chemistry teacher poured out her heart and soul into my paper (she said before that me and my twin brother are her all time favorite students and that we are such hard workers) and she is a UNC-CH alumni who double majored in Chemistry (BC) and Laboratory Sciences and was valedictorian at UNC-CH (I don’t even know if this matters, but I assume so since I am applying to UNC-CH as my top choice!)
I also got a rec from my APes teacher who liked me a lot and I am pretty sure it is very good too!

GC Rec: I don’t know… She likes me, she knows my family, she knows how hard I work, but she didn’t get started on my rec until the day before she sent it so I am very VERY worried…

Additional rec (maybe): From a Duke professor. I tutor her son and have been for a while.

Also, my step dad graduated from UNC-CH, my uncle donates a lot of money to UNC-CH (apparently), and both of my cousins go to UNC-CH. My dad is a graduate from NCSU.

I applied EA to UNC-CH and to NCSU and the rest are regular decision!

Please chance me! I really hope I get into UNC-CH!

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Oh I forgot to include Latin Honors Society!!!

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Yo should be a match at UNC-CH, UNC-W, andNC State. Cornell and Duke are reaches.

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@anonymous26 Awesome! What about GT? I am assuming it is a reach.

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I think NC State and UNCCH and UNCW are all matches; GT is a reach; Duke and Cornell are both high reaches (but they are for anyone tbh). Good luck!! :smiley:

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@cl938803 Yay! Thanks!

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I’d be extremely surprised if you didn’t get into NC State. UNC seems pretty solid but you never know - I’ve known kids below you to get in but I had a friend way above you (and me) who got denied last year - UNC is weird. Duke is a reach for almost everyone, but worth a shot.
If you don’t get into UNCW we’re having an apocalypse. Something is seriously wrong.
I don’t know much about GT but Cornell (and any ivy) is definitely a reach.

I’m a senior too (from NC) applying to Duke, NC State, and UNC (and 5 others). You and I have similar stats - my GPA and standardized test scores are a little higher (4.0, 4.875, 32, 2130) but it looks like you have more AP’s (I have 7) and we have around the same extra curriculars (yours are more specialized around science, mine are more random - 2 sports, 2 honor societies, some random volunteering stuff, piano, etc.) All to say, I’m nervous about Duke (and UNC), so we’re in the same boat. Are you doing Duke ED? I can’t decide - it’s risky because if I don’t get enough money I don’t want to go, but I really want to go.

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@maisiekate I was originally applying to ED Duke, but since both of my parents are NC teachers (>80k i believe), I would not be able to afford it most likely! I would get financial aid, but my mom remarried and my step dad is a doctor so that kind of ruins our chances for aid (which sucks because he doesn’t provide for us!)

I am very nervous about UNC-CH! It is honestly the only school I really see myself at! I mean, I would love Duke as well, but I feel like it is just too cut-throat for me (and yet, I am applying to Cornell and GT… Hmm…)

And I am really glad that my ECs are really specialized around science since that is my intended major (and is my passion, but I try to not use that word because it is very cliche).

Also, with your stats, you’ll definitely get into UNC-CH and you probably have a really strong chance at Duke!

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Bump!

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Hahahaa no passion is good! UNC loves it, they even say ‘we don’t want well rounded students, we want a well rounded student body’ so they love people who are more specialized! If I were you, all I’d be doing in my UNC essays would be talking about how passionate you are about science and how much you love it.
Duke literally wasn’t a question for me until my dad told me he was forcing me to apply, and now I actually really want to get in, but the money is a huge thing. School should be free, like seriously.
Thanks :slight_smile: I don’t know, UNC is a weird school. I really want to get into Duke, but I feel the same way - very cut-throat. Although I’m also applying to NYU…whatever.
Thanks :slight_smile: I’m not as confident, but we’ll see!

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@maisiekate I would have written a lot about my passion in science, but I felt like the essay topics weren’t really suited for that. Instead, I wrote my common app (the general one) about standing up to my parents and my conservative town’s beliefs (I often stand up against people who are homophobic, transphobic, etc)… I wrote about that because I happen to be gay and I actually showed it to my dad last week (where I “came out” to him lol). I guess that shows passion but in the wrong subject!

Oh well!

And you are pretty much guaranteed UNC-CH and I feel like you have a great shot at Duke.

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Yes, you have a good shot at all of these schools. I don’t know about the specific FA policies for each of these schools, but if you let them know of your financial situation, I’m sure you can get some aid (or merit aid).

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No that sounds great! If not better, because UNC loves diversity and I feel like that kind of essay would turn out really well. Personal essays like that are the best. I wrote about the Power of Fiction (Ted Talk), which sounds weird but I actually really liked it.
Sometime I forget towns like that exist - I live in the most liberal part of North Carolina you can find (Raleigh area) and I rarely meet anyone who is homophobic. My cousin is trans and our grandmother practically disowned him, but other than that everyone’s pretty great. That’s really cool! Congrats :slight_smile:
Let me know if you get in/where you end up going! Good luck!

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@pupscotch I sure hope so! Thanks!

@maisiekate Your essay sounds very creative actually. I was doubting anyone would do that one. I think you doing it will give you an edge for sure.
And I will let you know and you do the same for me!
Good luck to you too!

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Bump

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@ThatAPesExamTho I do not have a good sense on what GT wants. My comments on the other schools are based on my D’s and her friend’s experiences applying last year.

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@anonymous26 Oh ok! Thanks!

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Bump