Chance me / Match me for some IVYs and others

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Could you please advice me for admission chance for the colleges?

  1. Demographics
    • Asian female
    • Public School rating 9/10
  2. Intended Major: Philosophy
  3. GPA : UW: 3.95; W: 4.43 (Class rank about 1~2%)
  4. SAT : 1560 (Math 790 / Eng 770)
  5. AP Classes:
    • ALREADY TAKEN
      APUSH I, APUSH II(5), AP Lang(4), AP Physics I(5), AP Calc AB(5)
    • PLAN TO TAKE SENIOR YEAR
      AP Lit, AP Calc CD, AP Euro history, AP Physics C
    • OTHER COURSES TAKEN
      Introduction of philosophy at a UC (Summer class, A)
  6. EC/Activities:
    • School newspaper (writer, 2 years)
    • School and local orchestra (violin, 4 years each)
    • French club (ambassador, 3 year)
    • Volunteering club : teaching for younger school student (3 years)
    • Philosophy club (founder, 2 years)
    • Research paper about feminism (not published)
    • Writing an anthology about women philosophers
  7. Awards
    • Scholastic writing : 3 silver keys
    • National French contest (Le Grand Concours) : Bronze award

Chance me for:
Yale, Princeton, Stanford
Penn, U Chicago, Duke, Brown, Northwestern, Cornell
Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, U Michigan, UC Berkeley
BC, BU, George Washington

I know ECs are quite weak for top Ivys but I want to get your advice about the chance of each colleges and EA or ED strategy.

Thanks in advance

2

What is your goal? One of the quirky things about philosophy is that a handful of UG institutions are responsible for most the people accepted to the top PhD programs for Philosophy. This is not my field, so if you are thinking PhD, do some homework on this. The names that I hear most frequently for UG are: UC-B, UChic, NYU, Harvard and Stanford. Princeton, Yale and Dartmouth also pop up, which probably doesn’t surprise you, but so do Rutgers, Reed and Williams.

Aside from the “Ivy” schools (which you should be more selective about), I am bemused by some of your choices. Do you really like them all equally?

Look at the outcomes from your school- they will give you the best indicator of your likely outcomes.

3

Do you know what sort of philosophy you want to study? Are there specific professors at any of these schools that you hope to study with?

You could also consider schools in the UK. They don’t care about your ECs.

4

Based on your intended major of philosophy, for which discussion-based classes may be especially valued, you may want to consider adding a few purely undergraduate-focused schools to your list, such as Williams, Hamilton and Claremont McKenna.

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5

I would not be surprised for you to be accepted to any of these colleges. But, your chances are slim for almost all of these because they are receiving far more highly qualified applicants than they can take (several times more). I think that GW is likely and though your odds are better at BC, BU, and Michigan than at the rest of your list, I would not call those likely, either.

If you apply ED anywhere it should be at your clear top choice school. Additionally, it should only be after your family runs the Net Price Calculator and finds that the price is what they are willing and able to pay for every year for four years.

I’m also very curious about your rationale for how you selected the schools on your list. Explaining might help provide clarity on what’s important to you, particularly if anyone were to suggest additional options for consideration.

There are a couple of resources that I am going to link that you may have already read, but might prove helpful:

Comments about choosing a school for undergraduate study from The Philosophical Gourmet, a site that ranks graduate philosophy programs.

A column discussing where students at top doctoral programs in philosophy attended undergrad. The lists of various colleges here might be a good springboard for thinking about possibilities.

A ranking of graduate programs in philosophy

@merc81 already linked to the site for undergrad philosophy programs that I would have linked.

-Also, don’t forget about honors programs at big state schools (Rutgers, Pitt, several UCs, etc).

-Brandeis and Tufts are a couple of schools you might want to consider where your odds are a bit better, especially as you seem to like the Boston area.

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6

Your ECs are weak? Hmmm - not on this planet.

No reason you can’t get into any school on your list - but there’s also more who will want in then they can let in.

GW is likely - make sure you express interest.

What state are you from?

I’d add some more Boston College level schools - mid level or LACs - a Macalester for example and Pitt as a safety (research but it’s on the list just sent and a fine school).

Good luck.

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7

Are you from California?

The UCs are test blind. To be chanced for UC Berkeley, please calculate your 3 UC GPAs GPA Calculator for the University of California – RogerHub

8

Are you firmly against going to a small school (IE, under about 3000 total students)?

If not, echoing an earlier post, you may find value at a LAC, especially if you plan to go to grad school.

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9

These are all reaches or high reaches. I would put your chances as no better than the overall acceptance rate, and probably somewhat lower than the overall acceptance rate. You might think of yourself as a typical applicant to these schools, and being ORM will not help. Quite a few slots at these schools go to legacy students, athletes, and underrepresented minorities.

These are harder to guess. I think they are still reaches or high reaches. I am guessing that you are out of state for the public schools.

These could go either way.

Reading “Philosophy” plus “GPA 3.95” plus “French club” plus “Le Grand Concours” put together make me wonder if you should also consider McGill.

I also tend to wonder what your goal would be after getting a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, and what your budget is.

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10

Thanks for your advice. currently, I’m interested in philosophy mostly but also interested in journalism, law and pol sci as well. that why the list is so broad

11

Then why any of these schools vs say a Northwestern, Syracuse, maybe W&L, USC, and depending on the type of journalism potentially ASU. You’d have all your interests checked.

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12

For journalism, you should also consider U Missouri. Its school of journalism is one of the top in the USA.

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13

An alternative to a formal journalism program may be to develop your journalism skills as an EC through a college newspaper.

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14

If you have a top choice, ED there. You may not have the hook they are looking for during ED, but maybe you get deferred and they remember your strong interest.

If you do not have a top choice, EA where you can and then know that at any of the high reaches you pass the bar of “able to do college level work” and you have excellent accomplishments. Your chances of acceptance will be with in that 2 to 10% range. Know you may not get into any high reaches and have some great matches you are thrilled about attending.

15

Someone mentioned NYU in passing above, maybe take a closer look if it’s affordable (I know they have become more generous with funding but don’t know the details). Its current admit rate makes it a reach for most but your stats are strong. NYU requires all journalism majors to double major in something else as well - this might work well for you. If you’re considering GWU and BU you presumably are not averse to urban campuses.

I’m not sure about its philosophy offerings, but you may want to consider American as well with the interests you state above. You definitely need more targets. You’d need to express interest, but I think you’d have a good chance there.

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16

You may want to explore PPE programs. Here’s one at UPenn, since that school is already on your list: https://ppe.sas.upenn.edu/

Claremont McKenna has been mentioned, and they have an excellent, seminar-based PPE major Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) - Claremont McKenna College - Acalog ACMS™ Also in the Claremont Consortium, PPE majors are available at Pomona Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program | Pomona College in Claremont, California - Pomona College , and at Pitzer and Scripps The Scripps Experience: The Off–Campus Major | Scripps College in Claremont, California as an off-campus major. The 5C’s have a joint student newspaper which is top-notch and has launched many student reporters into journalism careers. (French and other foreign languages are also very strong.)

Other interdisciplinary PP/PPE/PPEL programs to check out:

https://artsandsciences.osu.edu/academics/programs/majors/philosophy-politics-and-economics-ba
https://catalogue.usc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=11&poid=12438&
https://moralscience.arizona.edu/ba-philosophy-politics-economics-and-law

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17

If budget is not a concern NYU has a great Phil Grad program and also has excellent undergrad Phil teaching. The downside is that NYU is notoriously stingy with undergrad fin aid, though it does provide generous stipends for it’s Phil Phd students - go figure.

18

My opinion. That is a very top heavy list. Do you have any Target or sure thing schools you plan to apply to?

Penn, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell, Gtown, Berkeley, Chicago, Michigan, Brown, NW, have very very low percentages of admission. You might get acceoted…but then again, you might not.

I think your chances at BU, BC and George Washington are better.

But seriously…that’s a LOT of reach schools. Schools that are reaches for everyone!

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19

When my daughter visited Johns Hopkins this is what stuck with us- Everyone here is as good as your or better. What sets you apart might be that you are published or have a patent. It was also made clear that accepted students would be in competition with each other. Don’t plan on any merit aid unless you set yourself apart as suggested above. Make sure you are in the environment -competitve vs collaborative that suits you as well!
We laughed and left. Went to a local coffee shop and I got a lavendar latte. I still remember how good it was! :slight_smile:
Good luck with your college experience. Any school would be lucky to have you.

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We know a number of current and past JHU students. They weren’t published before they applied, and none held a patent. This is an overgeneralization, in my opinion.

The very vast majority of high school students accepted at HOPKINS for undergrad have neither a patent nor publications.

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