Chance me-- Harvard, Columbia, etc

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Schools: Columbia, Harvard, Dartmouth, UPenn, Tufts, UChicago, BU, Georgetown, WashU, some in-state safeties that I won’t list for privacy reasons

Demographics: White male, public school in top 20 USNWR, first generation

Intended majors: international relations, business, and/or economics (i.e. still haven’t decided)

Academics:

ACT: 36 C (36, 36, 35, 36) <— anticipating to have, currently have a 35 C, I was one subscore point away from 36, retaking b/c I can

SAT: 2200 (660, 740, 800)

SAT II: haven’t taken yet, but will likely do well on Math II and Chem

UW/W GPA: 3.8/4.7

Coursework: most rigorous classes available, will have taken 11 APs, rest honors.

Awards: AP Scholar with _____, French National Exam medal recipient three years in a row

Extracurriculars:

Took course at reputable Ivy during the summer among undergrads and grads, got 4 credits

Doing an internship with local university professor this summer, hope to get a nice rec

Work with local college to help students taking Russian classes (I am fluent)

Tutor younger students after school for free, all subjects

Solo/Ensemble competition for my instrument, superior (played it for five years so far)

NJHS, NHS

Actively helping out a campaign of a presidential candidate in the ’16 election

Chess club

Model UN

Contacted local government regarding irrigation issue, in order to implement more sustainable water usage practices

Have a blog where I write Haikus

Self-studied Latin, know five languages

(reposted because other post wasn’t commented on in a while)

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“Reputable Ivy” - you probably don’t mean it, but you sound incredibly pretentious right now.

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@jarrett211 sorry if it came across like that, I just didn’t want to list it exactly, and I know that some people hold grudges against schools like Cornell.

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Tbh it sounds better to just list out the ivies than to say “the good ones”.

The ECs kinda just sound like “10 different things I’ve done” rather than things that require longterm commitment.

Anyway, you should be in good shape and should definitely apply. I’d add in another match or two (American? GW?) just so their isn’t a large “drop off” in your list.

Good luck!

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“The ECs kinda just sound like “10 different things I’ve done” rather than things that require longterm commitment.”

I see what you’re saying, thanks for the feedback. Do you think that would be looked upon negatively by admissions? Even if the the internship and local college work is considered (by me) to be major?

“Anyway, you should be in good shape and should definitely apply.”

As far as chancing goes, do you think I have an elevated chance for any schools in particular?

“I’d add in another match or two”

I’ll probably add GW, thanks!

for the record was at Harvard

@TheAtlantic

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The common app asks about time commitments for your activities and gives you time to explain your roles, so as long as you’re able to do that you should be good. But all your ECs relate to your subject so I think you’re fine.

I think your profile matches Georgetown and Tufts pretty well (I was accepted into Georgetown, didn’t apply to Tufts). SFS is considered “harder” to get into than the other Georgetown schools, but the stats were more or less the same.

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@TheAtlantic thanks once again.

Do you think Columbia is a high reach or low reach, considering my scores and hook? I ask because I am considering ED there.

Also, congrats on Vanderbilt!

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@SSundee
Your chances of getting into the universities that you have listed (with the exception of Harvard) are relatively good. I personally know a hand full of individuals who actually have worse scores that have been admitted into the universities that you have listed including my own brother who was admitted into Stanford (however, mind you this was when the AR was 5.1). My advice to you would be to join more clubs and perhaps try to increase your GPA… other than that, you’re good… if everything fails you can always go to Cornell…

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@TenThousandMenofYale haha true :P, but thanks for the reassurance. I’m looking at D or C ED so I’m just trying to make sure that my stats are a plus for them because I already know my test scores are. Are you going to Yale based on your username? If so, congrats!

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@SSundee
No, actually I am going to Robert D. Clark Honors College at the university of Oregon

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" know that some people hold grudges against schools like Cornell."

A grudge is “a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury.” Was that the word you intended? Did Cornell do something negative towards people who view it as less acceptable than other schools?

If you did not mean “grudge” what did you mean?

And when you said “Took course at reputable Ivy during the summer among undergrads and grads, got 4 credits” did you mean you got an “A”?

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@lostaccount Yes, an A

grudge might not have been the right word in that scenario, but you know what I mean

“if everything fails you can always go to Cornell…” from a poster above, this sort-of exemplifies what I meant

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That’s a terrible thing to say.
My son had similar stats except for a little
lower GPA with 11 APs
National merit finalist
AP Scholar of distinction
35 composite ACT
Much better ECs at state and national level
Outstanding recommendations
Blog
Presidential silver award for volunteering
Internship
And he chose Cornell early decision

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@Mothersv Yeah, I never really got that trend of hating on Cornell, it’s a wonderful university. Several of my friends from school have enrolled

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As someone who has just recently been through the process, I think that you’re competitive, but with the amount of other students out there that also have test scores and GPAs as high as yours, I would focus on making your application essays stand out as much as possible, and highlighting any ECs that you were particularly amazing in. I think you have a chance of getting into these upper tier schools, but nothing on your application really stands out besides your scores. Obviously this is a truncated version of what you’ll actually be sending to universities, but I would focus on showing that you’re truly passionate and that you seized every opportunity available outside of the classroom and your school to learn. The internship is a good start, but many other applicants have gone to state and national competitions, started their own businesses, and other insanely impressive feats- make sure that you highlight the things that you’ve done that are as impressive as that.