Chance Me? - Georgetown, Brandeis, Tufts, Lehigh, etc.

Applying to College
1

<p>First off, I'm a rising senior and looking into a decent school with a good undergraduate international relations program. I'm either going for international relations or psychology... but leaning alot towards international relations at the moment.</p>

<p>Gender: M
Race: Asian
Location: New York (I'm considered instate for New York but I attend boarding school in New Jersey)
College Class Year: 2016
High School: Private
High School Type: rarely sends grads to top schools
Will apply for financial aid: Yes</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>Freshman/Soph year I attended a competitive high school taking all honors possible but had okay but not spectacular grades. I was very unmotivated and I don't even understand how I got lower grades than I thought in classes I thought I aced. (probably cause I didn't even hand in a single paper last quarter of soph year) The school I attended has around 300 kids in each grade and sends about 10-20 to ivy leagues and 30ish to non-ivy but top schools. (aka Emory, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, etc.) </p>

<p>Now my new school, is a relatively new school (around for less than 10 years) and only offers 1 AP. So I'm doing what I can here and will take the only AP (calculus) next year. It's very easy for me as I pretty much have near 100s in every class.</p>

<p>School is pretty bad academically. General low performance by other students, 1 AP, never sent a student to ivy, no academic clubs.</p>

<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.64 (3 years)
Freshman+Sophomore = 3.48
Junior = 3.95
GPA - Weighted: 3.95 (3 years)
Freshman+Sophomore = 3.84
Junior = 4.17</p>

<p>I assure a 4.0 UW senior year!</p>

<p>Class Rank: top 5% I am either #1 or #2 in my grade. The potential other #1 is a girl with a perfect GPA so far which is similar to me but idk how good her 9th/10th grade GPA was since she is an international student from korea)
Class Size: 25</p>

<p>Scores:
First time:
SAT I Math: 710
SAT I Critical Reading: 660
SAT I Writing: 590
1960</p>

<p>Second time:
Math: 800
CR: 700
Writing: 610
2110</p>

<p>I hope to improve my writing score by alot the 3rd time I take the SAT. I had 4 omits by accident (I never omit) and I completely bombed the essay. (7)
I'm expecting a 2150-2220 3rd time.
I did not study at all whatsoever for the 2 SAT takes. The only 'studying' I did was take 3 practice tests in the blue book the week before the 2nd SAT. So I will take it seriously now and do better.</p>

<p>Going to take SAT II Math and SAT II Korean. I expect 800 or close to on both. I'm not confident in any other SAT II's. I finished all my sciences already and I don't think I can self study from scratch. Took chem/bio 2-3 years ago and my school is very basic with physics. Same with social studies and others.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
2 years Model UN
2 years Math Olympiad
2 years Concert/Marching Band</p>

<p>Significant Extracurriculars:
Took college level Logic: Principles course at CTY @ John Hopkins (Center for Talented Youth)
-Named Long Island Young Scholar of Mathematics by the Institute of Creative Problem Solving for the Gifted and took a 20 hour course at SUNY old westbury on creative math problem solving. <em>competitive</em></p>

<p>Leadership positions: Member of Leadership Team at local church for 4 years
Varsity Winter Track for 2 years
Varsity Spring Track for 2 years
(Senior year I will play Varsity Soccer, Varsity Basketball)
Vice-President of Student Government (This is something I'm quite proud of. After only 1 year at my school I became vice-president and has never happened before in the history of the school)</p>

<p>Volunteer/Service Work: 200+ hours volunteer at AGAPE (program for persons with disabilities), Mission trip/community work with AIM organization to New Mexico in Navajo Reserve over 5 days, Mission trip/community work with Boston Project to Dorchester, Mission trip/community work with school in York, England.</p>

<p>Honors and Awards: Honors Program, National Merit Commended Student
ACSI Math League 1st Place Precalculus in New Jersey
Teachers Award 11th grade (Teachers pick 1 student they thought was the most engaged and hardest working)
Highest average in British Literature and Precalculus
Writing Award 11th grade (awarded to best writer in school)</p>

<p>Desired College Characteristics:</p>

<p>A small-medium school. Nothing super competitive aka HYP/stanford/etc.
A school that focuses on both academics/social aspects
Not a party school
Would prefer a school with at least 5% Asians </p>

<p>Area: anywhere, preferably east coast
Importance of cost: important. I need FA to go to an expensive school</p>

<p>I already have a good essay idea. It's kind of cliche but I'm going to make it original. I live in a dorm that is exclusively Korean international students so I have definitely experience a new 'culture' while living there. Although I am Korean-American, it is so much more different in a dorm filled with other Koreans my age. I am now fluent in Korean and I enjoy the new experience so much.
So yeah, I'm going to right about the 2 different cultures in my life: American and Korean culture and how it has impacted me.</p>

<p>Thank you for bearing with me and if you want me to chance back I will do so!
Again, the schools I am looking at are:</p>

<p>Georgetown
Brandeis
Tufts
Lehigh
Washington and Lee
American University
Williams College
University of Virginia</p>

<p>basically any small-medium school with a good international relations program. I am also looking at liberal arts school. I would love any suggestions anyone may have as I'm having a hard time looking for schools.
And I will only be taking 2 SAT II's so any school that requires 3 is out of the question :(</p>

<p>thank you so much in advance!</p>

<p>edit:
oh and about my school: the top schools students have gone/been accepted to are University of Virginia, University of Michigan, Boston College, U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Rhode Island School of Design, etc.</p>

2

<p>edit2: bump and
i will have excellent recs from my teachers. I already have 2 teachers who think very highly of me and I am an intern for one of them. I grade homework,quizzes, and tutor underclassmen.</p>

3

<p>You’ll be alright with all the colleges you want to apply to. Your educational background is Intense!</p>

4

<p>You’ll get in American, Lehigh, UVA,
Georgetown and Tufts area maybe…
I dont know about the others…
Chance me back!
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania-2015/1169001-chance-wharton-help.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania-2015/1169001-chance-wharton-help.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>wow really? this is definitely encouraging to hear. I have an average GPA, non-rigorous classes, and average extra currics so yeah…</p>

6

<p>chanced back. bump! will chance back!!</p>

7

<p>tufts - MAtch
george washington university - Safety
georgetown - High Match/Slight Reach
american u - Safety
macalester - Don’t know about this school…not that familiar with it
amherst - Match
williams - Slight reach
brandeis - Match
grinnell - Not familiar with this school…sorry :[
brown/dartmouth - REach (for anyone really)
washington & lee - Not familiar with it.
UVA - Match
middlebury - Match
colgate - Match</p>

<p>Thanks for chancing me! You’ll be fine - jsut bring up your sat score in teh fall and you’ll have a much better chance at all those colleges on your list. Don’t give up!!!</p>

<p>Good luck with the whole application process!!! :] :] :]</p>

8

<p>Thank you T.T i am very relieved that people are putting me as matches on alot of the colleges on my list because I made my list thinking most of them were reaches.</p>

<p>just to update things, my expected GPA after senior year is a 3.8 give or take UW and 4.1 give or take W
I will also be taking ACT on top of my 3rd attempt at SAT to see how I do on it. I’ll submit ACT if I get 32 or over.
and for extra currics I forgot to add:
-Helped raise over $1200 for North Korean orphans by MCing and performing in a charity concert organized by the dorm students (our group also got invited to perform for the staff at the UN but unfortunately couldn’t).</p>

9

<p>Just saying…Georgetown wants 3 SAT IIs.</p>

10

<p>Your stats could, and will I’m sure if you stick to solid prep for SAT, use a little tuning up but there’s def great potential there that will def come with hard work. You need to now explore your unique situation as a student a bit more in order to seem more interesting to colleges. I’d recommend Harry Bauld’s “On Writing the college application essay” to help you learn about the process and various ways you can help yourself. You should also def research a bit more and have some definitive top choices based on programs, demographics and environment (all of which you used to construct your list). Good luck!</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1193700-chance-me.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1193700-chance-me.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>Georgetown - reach (they recommend three SAT 2)
Brandeis - Match/in
Tufts - High match
Lehigh - Match/in
Washington and Lee - in
American University - Safety/in
Williams College - Reach
University of Virginia - Reach</p>

<p>Just so you know, Georgetown doesn’t look at SAT Writing.</p>

12

<p>yes im aware georgetown doesn’t look at SAT writing and that they recommend 3 SAT II’s.
the no SAT writing is good for me but the 3 SAT II’s are bad for me. I heard they are near “required” in RD but I also heard that for EA georgetown doesnt necessarily “require” 3 SATII’s. Ultimately, I am going to have no SAT II’s by the early decision date but 2 SAT II’s by the regular decision date (taking 2 SATII’s on november). just hoping for the best :x
I’m going EA for UVA and Georgetown.</p>

<p>lastly, thanks for chancing me guys. I greatly appreciate it!</p>

<p>edit: oopsies this is embarassing… just noticed i used “right” instead of “write” in my OP haha excuse that!</p>

13

<p>I think you are good for most of these
Mine look crazy in comparison but chance me please: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1198971-do-you-think-i-stand-chance.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1198971-do-you-think-i-stand-chance.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;