Chance me please! (Rice)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Rice is where I want to go! Had I been able to apply ED I would've. Too bad for me :( Chance me please! These sentences are short...</p>

<p>GPA: weighted, >4.0
Class Rank: 1/328</p>

<p>SATS:
m:650 v:730 w:660
subject tests:
math2:620
spanish w/listening:790</p>

<p>(but the school is the least competitive it could possibly be, with 99% students being Hispanic, and something like 92% being labeled financially handicapped, and 43% dropout rate, or something like that, and <20% going to 4 yr university)
Courseload:
I've taken every single AP class offered at my school, totaling 11ish, but scores haven't been so great. (only a couple of 4s and 5s, and some 3s, got AP scholar)</p>

<p>EC'S:
-band (i was drum major, and have been section leader all 4 years)
-jazz band
-math club
-NHS (historian)
-engineering club (9th & 10th)
-youth orchestras of san antonio (very prestigious)</p>

<p>Awards:
-1st chair in everything (regional, district, orchestra, etc)
-solos rated highest rating several times
-AP scholar
-national Hispanic scholar
-3rd place math competition</p>

<p>Recs:
-from teacher really good (known her for 3 years, she checked the "one of the top few encountered in my career" box for everything, and wrote a long letter.)
-from counselor same, didn't write much, but wrote that i was most determined student she's ever worked with, etc</p>

<p>summer stuff:
mit mites program (sci & eng)
classes over summer
drum major camp
band camp</p>

<p>I had an interview and it went decently... the interviewer said it would be 30-40 minutes, but it ended up being an hour. (is longer better?)</p>

<p>Essays... one was pretty good. I wrote about the problems in my community.
I was iffy about the "why rice?" short answer, because i wrote about how mit was my old first choice, and how i realized rice is a million times better. on another i wrote about my experience at mites and how i realized that i'd never experienced anything outside of my little corner of the world, and that that's what i could bring to rice.</p>

<p>I took a tour/info. session and fell in love with the school. (I don't know if this shows more interest?)</p>

<p>I'm also sending a recording of myself playing a couple of pieces with the arts supplement.</p>

<p>i really wanted to apply ED, but i hadn't taken subject tests.</p>

<p>Be harsh!</p>

<p>EDIT: also, I'm URM
DeafeningHorn is online now</p>

2

<p>I think you have a pretty good chance at Rice. I know one person from my sister's school who was accepted ED with stats very much similar to your own... and he was from Houston .... Good luck! It's Winter break now.. so try to relax!</p>

3

<p>Why are you so interested in Rice? I actually think you have a great shot at the Ivies. If you look at my previous posts, you'll see we have similar stats. I'm a freshman at Princeton, so let me know if you have any questions! :)</p>

4

<p>Excellent chances of getting accepted by Rice. While your SAT and SATII scores are lower than their expectations, the fact that you have taken the most rigorous courses in an uncompetitive environment should help you stand out in the admission process. Best of Luck!</p>

5

<p>@ boy654321:
I used to want HYPSM (if that's even right), but I realized I was just caught up in all the prestige. I just thought Rice was perfect for me from what I heard, but after having visited, I can't imagine myself anywhere else. I don't even want to apply anywhere else... though I have to a couple safeties, before anyone lectures :p</p>

6

<p>Well, if Rice is the perfect fit for you, then I'm sure you'll do great there!</p>

<p>Best of luck from a MITES '06 alumnus :)</p>

7

<p>Really MITES '06? I guess it's a pretty small world after all.</p>

8

<p>in at rice</p>

9

<p>It hurts that I'd know already had I been smarter and taken SAT IIs a month earlier, or at the end of the school year as many people suggest. I know beggars can't be choosers, but "good" is not that great of a statistic. I'm giving myself a 50% chance, because that's the rate for valedictorians, and I figured that my URM status balanced with my low test scores (for CC standards, at least).</p>

10

<p>Lump, hump, dump, rump, (Forrest) gump, jump, pump... am I missing anything?</p>

11

<p>Your test scores arent low.. they are in range for Rice.. I dont think Im trully the right person to be doing a chance thread...but anywho... hope to see you at Rice</p>

12

<p>Hey DeafeningHorn,</p>

<p>Your test scores are surely not stellar. They are below average.
Ok, now I'm done being harsh. Your EC's look really good; I would suggest you put a lot of effort in your essays. In my opinion, the essay can make or break your application, but an SAT score that's a little weak probably won't. </p>

<p>I would say you have a very good chance of getting in. Your interest in engineering goes well with your EC's, and you are first chair in everything (I don't know jack about music, but I know that first chair is pretty impressive). </p>

<p>Also, keep in mind that your "Why Rice" essay is a great chance to tell them why Rice is perfect for you. Applying ED would've shown a lot of interest, but a kickass "Why Rice" can make up for that. I wrote about my visit to Rice and how it was the visit that made Rice my #1. I wrote the whole thing as a story to make it more interesting. Be creative and let it show your true voice. </p>

<p>Also, put some effort in the box! Don't stress about making it perfect, just make it <em>stand out</em>. Make it personal, and don't put something there just because you think that's what they want to see.</p>

<p>Ok, that's all the advice I have for now. Good luck, and I hope to see you at Rice next year!</p>

<p>Btw, you're from South TX right?</p>

13

<p>Yes, south Texas.</p>