CHANCE ME PLEASE! For HYPS/Duke/Columbia/GaTech?

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>I am a current junior. Please chance me for the following and anywhere else you think I should apply to! I love neuroscience and I'd love to go to a school that has a great program.</p>

<p>Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
Duke
Georgia Tech</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 (UW)
Top 5%
High School: Alright...MAYBE 1 acceptance into an ivy every year..., IB school
African American Female
Course Load: Full IB, most rigorous in county
SAT: 1900 (600CR/630M/670W)
ACT: Planning to take
(***Please don't judge me on this, I didn't study at all this first time... But I'm studying like crazy right now and I'm already looking at 2100-ish. I WILL have a 2250+ by this fall! I'm determined.)
AP: Psychology (4) </p>

<p>EC:
Biomedical Research (Physiology, Neuroscience - University Level) (10-11th)
Track and Field (9-11th)
Piano (9-11th)
Dance (9-11th)
VERY involved in church and youth group - I work in the sound booth on a weekly basis, I dance, and I do a lot of volunteering.</p>

<p>*Science Stuff (I feel that this is the strongest part of my app)
Experience:
- 6 week lab internship at Morehouse School of Medicine (summer before junior year, studied breast cancer)
- 8 week paid lab internship at Emory, highly selective (summer before senior year, studying neuroscience)
Awards:
- School, District and Regional Winner
- State winner of BioGENEius Challenge, one of less than 14 students to compete nationally (SUPER EXCITED)
- Various Awards at state science fair</p>

<p>Clubs/Academic Teams: All the usual stuff (Beta, NHS, HOSA etc.), but here are some offices...
-Science Bowl - Started the team, Head Captain
-Science NHS - Vice President
-Spanish Honor Society - SGA rep.
-National Honor Society - Treasurer
-Local student advisory board - Vice President
-Student Commissioner for City</p>

<p>Other Awards: Just school level ones. </p>

<p>~150 hours of community service (I really want to host an Alzheimer's walk/fundraiser this summer/fall, hopefully everything works out)</p>

<p>*Founder of the IB mentoring program at my school - It's been a huge success, about 200 students so far and it's growing. Hoping to expand it school-wide next year!</p>

<p>So, assuming that my essays and recommendations are amazing and I get my SAT scores MUCH higher, what are my chances? And what score should I aim for on the ACT?</p>

<p>Thank you guys so much in advance! </p>

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<p>GT should not be a problem. Its a great school for what you want. As far as the others, even if you get the SAT up to 2350 its still a long shot. I would add a few more options just to be safe. ACT should be at least 33 to be competitive. EC’s look good </p>

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<p>African American female = huge boost in chances. Georgia Tech shouldn’t be a problem at all for you. The others, you never know.</p>

4

<p>Your Sats are a low even for an URM. You may get into 1 or 2 of the top schools </p>

5

<p>if you do raise the sat to 2250 you’ll probably get into most of these schools. </p>

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<p>Thanks everyone! </p>

<p>@ooohcollege‌ SATs or stats? </p>

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<p>@lauwai @TechBusiPerson‌ </p>

<p>Why do y’all say that Georgia Tech shouldn’t be a problem at all? I’m not sure if you are aware, but they just switched to the common app and they just had a record low acceptance rate (33%) and an SAT average of 2130. Even if OP is a URM, GT by no means is an shoo in.</p>

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<p>Your SATS and i do not agree with the poster above. ^^^^ Your stats are pretty much in line with a GT admit and it should be considered a match school.</p>

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<p>@ooohcollege‌ </p>

<p>Explain to me how a 1900 is a match when the average was 2130? There were multiple people with scores above 2200 who were waitlisted. It doesn’t matter whether your agree with me or not, the numbers speak for themselves.</p>

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<p>@may2013sat URM plus above average ECS with the stats in the range make GT a match school. I am allowed to have my own insight and you are entitled to have your own too, but if the numbers were the only things able to speak, harvard with only accept kids with 2350+.</p>

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<p>You’re the one who said that her stats are low even for an URM…so are you saying that her ECs are what make it match? I hope you understand that GPA + SAT come first, then ECs. At this point, I think OP is at a low reach, but if she can raise her SAT like she plans to, then it will be a match.</p>

<p>I had above average EC’s ad well and a higher SAT, but I was originally deferred (but ultimately accepted). I am telling you this from firsthand experience. GT is becoming more and more selective each year, and you can;t really determine that someone is a match when they are lacking in an area.</p>

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<p>@may2013sat GT is nowhere near as competitive as Harvard and Princeton and that is why her test scores are low. Her scores are low for the ivies but they are in range for GT. You may have had a higher SAT but did you have the same GPA as OP? Plus she has the URM hook. Unless you had a 2200+ SAT and at least a 3.9, OP is probably a better candidate than you. Therefore since GT was probably a high match for you since you got in, OP is a match to this school.</p>

<p>Looking at your stats you got in with a 3.5 GPA and your an ORM. OP should not have a hard time getting into GT.</p>

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<p>@may2013sat @ooohcollege Thanks, but I already figured that I should get my SAT up… (that’s why I emphasized that in my original post). Are there other areas of my application you would suggest I improve on?</p>

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<p>Sorry to have this little argument on your page. Your ECs don’t need much improving. You are going to need SAT Subject Tests. Did you take any practice ACTs because your scores could be better if you take those.</p>

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<p>@ooohcollege‌ </p>

<p>3.5 UW at a top 10 nationally ranked high school while doing the IB program, You can’t take a 3.5 and move it to any school you want, you have to look at it in context of the school. Plus, this isn’t a competition- no one asked you to judge who is a better candidate.</p>

<p>Even though GT is not as competitive as Harvard, the middle 50% for last years SAT scores were 2000-2210. Explain to me how a 1900 is in that range? If OP had applied last year, she would have been in the bottom 25% of the incoming class based on SAT scores. Keep in mind that this range is even higher this year. </p>

<p>No one is telling OP to get a 2350. If she can raise her SAT to that range, she can solidify her chances. </p>

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<p>@ooohcollege‌ </p>

<p>Also, I found this and wanted to share with you: Reddit - Dive into anything<em>was</em>deferred<em>for</em>early<em>action</em>by<em>ga</em>tech_whatd/</p>

<p>A hispanic URM, Eagle Scout, 4.0 GPA/top 5% of class just like OP, 32 ACT and ended up getting deferred from Georgia Tech.</p>

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<p>@ooohcollege Haha, it’s no problem. I’m studying for the Math II, Chemistry and U.S. History subject tests right now, and I feel pretty good about them. I’m going to take a practice ACT in the next week to see how well I do.</p>

<p>I have a feeling that I’ll do better on the ACT than the SAT…but it’s pretty aggravating because I’ve spent SO much time studying for the SAT. The critical reading kills me. </p>

<p>@May2013SAT Please take my SAT scores out of the picture. I most definitely would NOT send that to any school. I took it last fall and I hadn’t studied at all. So I probably shouldn’t have listed my score on here since it isn’t an accurate reflection of what I will putting on my application this fall…sorry. </p>

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<p>Apply EA (Early Action) to GA Tech- acceptance stats are better. Also you’ll know you have one if it’s a yes. Although I agree- take the ACT. My S did 100% better on ACT and never bothered with SAT again- except SAT IIs which you should be taking as some schools absolutely require them for consideration. </p>

<p>You ECs are good- now nail that essay using a great story incorporating a true story from your EC experiences- maybe from your Mentoring program.</p>

<p>Why aren’t you including some schools like Morehouse and Emory? They already have a track record with you. It is such a “roll of the dice” at any of the schools you listed- please research your program and include a couple of “safety” schools. </p>

<p>I have a completely different take on “safety schools” - which may still be highly ranked and yet difficult for an for an “average” student to get into. My S had a 34 ACT, 99 weight HS average- and was accepted at GA Tech & Cornell for engineering, along with a couple others that are ranked within the top 10. His is attending his safety school, which is ranked in the 30’s for his program. They gave him THE most opportunities- including a paid research assistant as an incoming freshman, it also has the best Study Abroad program- complete with a big scholarship, too. AND- the best Merit aid package, which is the only assistance we have. It also had the best feel for him- very friendly staff and students, hundreds of Co-ops and paid internships available each year, new buildings, great lab facilities, honor dorms with a late night café, unlimited food, free laundry- and big 10 athletics. Things that at first didn’t seem as important as “rank.”</p>

<p>Please think about all the reasons you want these schools. As well as what thy want in their students. </p>

<p>With your stats you never know what a “lesser” ranked but great school may offer. </p>

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<p>@sciencegirl314‌ </p>

<p>Sorry, I wasn’t trying to say that you won’t get in or anything, I was just trying to prove a point to ooohcollege. Anyways, I will be attending Georgia Tech next year, so let me know if you have any questions. If not, best of luck and I hope to see you here next year!</p>