Hi, if you have a moment, could you tell me what you think of my chances at the following schools? I think I’m a fairly decent applicant, but I definitely have some weaknesses. Just tell me the truth, don’t sugarcoat anything. Also, if you could tell me what you think the strengths and weaknesses of my application are, that would be great. Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. I will chance back.
Majoring in Computer Science
Applying to:
Cornell (applied ED to Engineering)
UPenn
Yale
Princeton
Brown
Columbia
Dartmouth
UChicago
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Rice
Georgia Tech
USC
UVA
Maryland-College Park
Virginia Tech (safety school)
Demographics:
Location: Virginia (not in competitive Northern Virginia)
Race: Asian (Chinese)
Gender: Male
Income: 140k
Academics:
SAT : 790 M 710 CR+W (Essay: 17)/ 790 M 700 CR+W (Essay: 18) (Yeah I don’t know what happened the second time )
ACT : 35 (36 E/35 R/36 M/33 S) (Essay: 8 / ELA: 31)
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Physics
GPA: 3.93 (Unweighted), 4.40 (Weighted)
Class Rank: 13/511 seniors
AP Scores: AP Human Geography (5), AP Computer Science A (5), AP European History (5), AP Chemistry (4), AP United States History (5), AP Biology (4), AP Calculus BC (5)
Senior Class Load: AP Physics C, AP English Lit., AP U.S. Government, AP Spanish Lang., Multivariable Calculus & Differential Equations, Economics and Personal Finance
Freshman Year Grades: 7 classes (1 AP) – all As
Sophomore Year Grades: 8 classes (2 APs) – all As
Junior Year Grades: 8 classes (4 APs) – six As, two Bs
Senior Year 1st Quarter Grades (not calculated in GPA): 6 classes (4 APs) – five As, one A- in AP English
11 AP Classes Total in High School
Most of my other classes were all magnet or honors classes. My regular classes that I took were mostly all graduation requirements.
Awards:
National Merit Semifinalist (1 of 10 in my entire city)
AP Scholar with Distinction
Dartmouth Book Award
American Mathematics Competition School Winner (one question away from AIME)
Math Department Student of the Year (9th and 11th Grade)
Social Studies Department Student of the Year (10th Grade)
Activities:
Golf Team (Member - 10th, 11th, 12th Grade/Team Captain and MVP - 11th, 12th Grade)
Mu Alpha Theta National Math Honor Society
Model UN (Founding Member - 9th Grade/Treasurer- 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Grade)
Senior Research Project – Completed 140+ hours of research. Worked closely with a computer science professor at a local university and studied the applications of formal methods in computer science.
National Honor Society (Member - 12th Grade)
Community Service:
200+ Hours of Community Service
High School Math Center Tutor in 10th, 11th, 12th Grade – Volunteered during my off-blocks and sometimes afterschool to help tutor kids who were struggling with math. Helped with all subjects from Algebra I to AP Calculus BC.
Volunteer Golf Instructor at the First Tee in 11th and 12th Grade – Helped out with junior golf instruction every Saturday. Taught golf skills, the Rules of Golf, and life lessons to be learned from golf to little kids.
Volunteer with U.S. Kids Local Golf Tour in 11th and 12th Grade – Served as a rules official for local junior golf tournaments. Answered rulings questions, facilitated play, and helped out with other logistics.
Application:
Common App Essay: (6.5/10) Not a bad essay, just not an excellent essay. I kind of lost my motivation for the prompt near the end so it feels a bit rushed and bland.
School Essays: (8/10) Generally most of my college essays were pretty good. I spent a lot of time on them.
Counselor Recommendation: (9/10) I think this was a pretty good recommendation. My counselor and I are on really good terms, and I am her top-ranked student. She always praises me for being kind and on top of things. My only concern is that she will write a generic recommendation because of all the recommendations that she has to write.
1st Teacher Recommendation: (10/10) I got this from my AP Calculus BC teacher. She told me that I am one of the best students she’s ever taught. She always has good words for me and I think it will be an amazing recommendation.
2nd Teacher Recommendation: (9.5/10) I got this from my AP Physics C teacher. He taught me junior and senior year for magnet physics and now AP Physics C. He can really attest to my growth and development as a student. He think I’m his top student. My only worry is that he will write a generic recommendation because he’s really busy and also kind of lazy.
Anyways thanks so much in advance! I will chance back!