Chance me please! MIT, Caltech, Berkeley, etc.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi everyone,
I’m a rising senior at a California public high school (class size around 650 people), Asian Indian, upper-middle class. There’s no rank in my school but I’m certain I’m in the top 5%.

Objective:
SAT I : 2330 (770 M, 770 CR, 790 W, 9 Essay) First and only time
SAT Subject Tests: 800 US History, 800 Chemistry, 800 Physics, 790 Math Level II (Will retake in fall)
ACT: N/A
Unweighted GPA (4.0 scale): 3.95, Weighted GPA: 4.54
AP Scores:
2014: 5 - AP US History
2015: All 5’s - AP Chemistry, AP Language and Composition, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus BC
IB: Not offered at my school

Coursework: All A’s - 9th Grade - Honors Algebra 2, Spanish 2, Honors Coordinated Science 1, Honors Global Perspectives (history), Honors English 1, Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble 1
10th Grade - All A’s - Honors Precalculus, Spanish 3 at community college, Honors Coord Science 2 (Biology), AP US History, Honors Chemistry, Honors English 2, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble 1
11th Grade - All A’s except two B+'s in AP Lang and AP Physics 1 (both first semester) - AP Language and Composition, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Computer Science A, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble 1
12th Grade - (To be done) - AP Statistics, AP Gov/Politics/AP Economics, AP Literature, AP Biology, ASB, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble

Extracurriculars (my weakest part): Model United Nations (3 years) - various commendation and outstanding awards, ASB Technology Commissioner (1 year) - Maintain the ASB website, make an Android/iOS app for the school, make websites for other groups like yearbook and clubs, assist other ASB members+advisers with tech help, Junior Council/Homeroom Senator (1 year), TONS of band related groups (I play trombone) (4 years) - Wind Ensemble (Top band in school), Symphonic Orchestra, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble 1 (Top group of 3), Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (prestigious outside group), and more. Volunteered at UCI Medical Center (100+ hours) (3 years), Volunteered at Leaders In Training (basically babysitting little kids and teaching them) (50+ hours)(2 years), President of Technology Student Association (2 years) - teach various lessons related to technology like web development, basic programming skills, etc., have weekly meetings and lead competitions, Engineering Innovation by John Hopkins during summer 2015 - learned a variety of engineering related task and though processes, Other stuff: working on my own personal website (writing it using HTML/CSS/Javascript + Frameworks), hoping to do freelance work during the fall

Letters of Recommendation:
One from my AP Chemistry teacher, I did really well in her class and she knows I’m a dedicated and hard-working student. She also is my club adviser.
One from my AP Literature teacher who was my freshmen Honors English 1 teacher as well and is my ASB advisor.
Maybe one from my band teacher as an extra letter of rec.
My counselor knows I’m one of the hardest working students in the school.

What are my chances for (you don’t have to do all of them) (also if you think I should apply early for any or if I should apply to a different college, please let me know):
MIT, CalTech, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, Columbia, Harvard, CMU, UIUC, Georgia Tech, JHU, Cornell, UCI, UCSD, UCLA, UM Ann Arbor, CalPoly-SLO, RPI

Intended Major:
Engineering - Undecided or Electrical Engineering/Computer Science (might double major later on)

2

For UIUC, CS is very competitive and it would be a reach for anyone. For EE, it should be a high match. For UMich, you my apply to either CoE or LSA for CS major. For LSA, it would be a high match. For CoE, it would be a very high match to low reach due to low admission rate.

3

I’d ED to Cornell, as I’d think you’d be an in there for engineering. Take Harvard off your list, it’s not worth it for engineering. If you’d go down to just CS, then maybe consider it. I’d replace it with Princeton, which has very good and solid engineering programs, especially in EE and CS (EE is ABET certified, just sayin’) as well as Cooper Union.

I’d say the rest are either high matches or low reaches, except for UCLA, RPI, and UCI (matches and safeties).

4

Why retake the Math 2? Has the world really become this desperate? Listen, no college will care if you get an 800 vs a 790. You’re wasting $$$$$$ and time you could spend improving the areas of your application that actually need to be improved.

5

Haha that’s so true. It’s not really for colleges but something that has irked me for a long time. Both on the Math Level 2 and actual SAT I’ve been 1 question down from an 800, so it’s a personal challenge of mine to get an 800. I know it’s stupid and a waste of time but when my peers all get 800’s on it (I go to a competitive school), it’s disheartening and a little frustrating to be told “I expected better from you” even as a joke from my friends. I also know I easily can get an 800 on that test so it won’t be too taxing.

6

@SuperLinguini Well alright then. Wouldn’t it be an even better joke though to be the only one from your school to get into MIT or Stanford though because of essays or ec’s (i.e. something that actually matters)? Then you could tell them that they shouldn’t have made fun of you.

7

Hmm yeah that’s a good way of thinking about it. Thanks! Now I realize how naive and stupid I was.

8

I have to agree with the above… Instead of working on boosting your math 2, invest some time working on your ec’s. As you said, they’re low-register, especially for the schools at which you’re looking.

As of now, you’ll just sort of blend in with the high scoring Asian males that we hear so much about

9

Schools such as Stanford and Cornell require ALL test scores ever taken and don’t allow you to use score choice. They would see that retook a 790 trying to get an 800. Whether you got the extra 10 pts. or not would be irrelevant because your actions would probably tell them more about you then the results.