chance me. please. (is it a lost cause?)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>I am trying to decide whether Princeton SCEA is worth a shot. Until now I had no doubts in applying to UChicago EA but after visiting the campus and hearing about Princeton's policy of having every professor teach classes/ thus access to a stellar faculty, I have been slowly warming up to Princeton(plus Princeton shares the #1 graduate economics ranking with UChicago). I have no hooks and given the applicant pool, I still feel that applying to any of the HYP regular or early is waste of time. Please be brutally candid so I can have a better idea of whether I should be investing time and money in early action to Princeton.</p>

<p>Asian Male/ Suburban New Jersey resident
Income bracket: 50 ~ 60k
Competitive public high school; sends several kids to ivies every year</p>

<p>4.31 W GPA (school doesn't do unweighted)
Top 10th percentile (not sure about rank; i don't think school does ranks)
APs:
Environmental Science (5)
Biology (5)
Calculus BC (5; school taught only AB so i self-studied)
Lang & Comp (5)
Statistics (4)
US History (4)
European history (3)</p>

<p>SAT I composite: 2360
CR: 780 M: 790 W: 790</p>

<p>SAT II
Biology: 780
math IIC: 780
US History: 710</p>

<p>ECs:
- Math Team (Co-Captain); competes in the SCML monthly
- Yearbook Staff (Editor for Peoples)
- Medical Club (Co-founder/Co-President); brings in guest speakers from the health professions + volunteering opportunities + trips
Marching Band (Section leader/Drill Captain for two years)
- School newspaper (9,10,11,12)
- Vocal ensemble (9,10,11,12)
- Principal Players: Pit band (musical productions; participated since 7th grade)
- Varsity GOlf (10, 11); JV Golf (9)
- School Orchestra, Wind ensemble, Brass quintet
- Passaic Youth Orchestra (since 7th grade; Principal trumpet/violin)
(all in all, lot of the clubs at our school are very generic and not very career-oriented/vocational; this worried me a bit and kind of pushed me to co-founding the medical club)</p>

<p>Honors/Awards:
- All-State Orchestra/ Symphonic Band
- Regional Orchestra/ Symphonic Band/ Jazz
- Concerto Competition at Passaic Youth Orchestra: Runner-up
- Qualifier for All-Eastern Honors Band/Orchestra (Band director missed the deadline...)
- Academic Honor Roll (9,10,11)
- National Honor Society (11)
- Spanish National Honor Society (11)
- Tri-M Music Honor Society (11)</p>

<p>Summers:
- New York Summer Music Festival (NYSMF; 9)
- Intro to Physics @ Passaic Community College (10; final grade of A)
- Red Cross Summer Youth Council
- Research Assistantship @ NYU (Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy)</p>

<p>Community Service:
- Good Neighbor String Ensemble (9,10,11)
- Faith Sunday School (10,11)
- Red Cross Youth Council (10)
- Trumpet lessons (11; 10 hours required for tri-m)</p>

<p>Work experience:
- Tutoring (SAT I; math)
- Office Assistant for American Cancer Society event
- Research Assistantship @ NYU (Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy)</p>

<p>I am thinking of majoring economics or math, with a minor in music
EDIT: I am also intending to go premed and go to medical school afterwards</p>

2

<p>… You’re definitely NOT a lost cause. You have a centralized passion which is really nice. Many applicants are all over the place with their EC’s. With that said, there are other applicants that are as good as you, so you need to set yourself apart from the rest.</p>

3

<p>And btw, nice job qualifying for all eastern. I would raise hell if I were you. Your music teacher kind of screwed you over…</p>

4

<p>Have you thought about applying for Questbridge? Your low income status is definitely a “hook”. You’ve done a great many things to be proud of on a very modest income.</p>

5

<p>sbjdorlo, I have thought about applying to QB earlier this year… but I felt like the application process would be overwhelmingly chaotic/ rush things. Sending in my apps a whole month prematurely than I would have to an ED/EA school or three whole months to an RD school might be detrimental to the quality of its content… I don’t know. SHOULD I be reconsidering it?
Given that there are additional essays and whatnot that goes with the QB.</p>

6

<p>It is a lot of work, I agree. You might spend a little time reading the Questbridge threads to see if it was worth the time and effort. I think it would highlight your accomplishments even more in light of your limits but only you know if it’s worth it given everything else you have to do this year.</p>