I am currently a junior at a Catholic all boys school in Michigan. I am trying to get a gauge of my chances at certain universities, specifically Yale, University of Chicago, Duke, Georgetown, U. Mich., Boston College, Notre Dame, and Stanford. He is an academic and extracurricular detail:
Academics: I am an IB Diploma Candidate and currently am taking Chem, Physics, English, Math HL and Bus&Man, Spanish SL. Next year, I will take AP Micro and the AP American Gov. Exam and I am taking the AP Spanish Exam at the end of this year (as I came into high school with a really good grasp on the language). I have a 4.6 weighted GPA and a 4.0 unweighted GPA. I am #1 in my class out of a little over 200 students. I just received my first SAT scores and I earned a 730 CR&W and 760 Math (1490 Composite). This was my first time taking the test and am hoping to increase my composite by 30-50 points (and focus on CR&W).
Extracurriculars: I am currently involved in National Honor Society, where I will be an officer next year. Student Government (I have had and will continue to have a leadership role since 10th grade). Basically revived the Model UN Club/Competition at my school, and I am President of this club.I also have organized trips with MUN around the nation and locally to compete and am spearheading the project of hosting a competition at my school next year. Compete with a 12 person team from my school in the Michigan Mock Trial Competition (which involves months of prep and up to 10 hrs a week). Have 2 years of football under my belt and will have 2 years of tennis, one, hopefully, on varsity, by the time I graduate. I am involved in a Youth Club with my parish outside of school, which participates in service around the parish. I am involved with an urban development group in Detroit and have volunteered monthly with the group over the past year and will continue in the following year.
I’ll edit this post or post something else if I am forgetting anything. I want to know what everyone thinks my chances are.
I agree with @collegeboundprogrammer on what (s)he said. Take some subject test and DEFINITELY get that SAT score up. Most importantly. however, is to try to develop a spike. If history is your intended major then maybe you can look at national essay competitions.
Thanks. And by the way I received a 1450 on the PSAT so I will definetly be commended and am right at the semifinalist level in my state. Hoping it doesn’t increase a ton. Also I do have a paying job as a server if that helps any. Any more "Chance Me"s are appreciated!
The IVY’s listed will be very hard and it is for everyone. Stanford will be difficult but not impossible with all the EC’s you have, with them it seems to be the passion to learn and an original voice (D accepted this year). Chances look good at ND, BC and UMich. Look into safety schools, all the better schools are getting harder to get into. Your SAT scores must increase or your chance to the top tier schools will become less then zero. Take the ACT also, lot easier and more logical (D scored 36 one sitting).
How competitive your HS and the classes offered makes a difference also. If offered you must take the upper division classes and get A’s there also because they will pit you against your classmates.
Go to the web sites of the schools your interested in and check out their accepted students profile and compare yourself to them…that will give you an idea of where you stand. Good luck.
@IBBer3466633
The cutoffs are likely increasing across the nation for the PSAT. There will be some exceptions, but do not count on semifinalist if your cutoff is the same as the one for last year.
I’ve read that many universities like the IB curriculum too, so I am counting on that as a part of my academic profile. And I have actually taken the ACT twice, but I found the SAT easier especially since I have only taken the SAT once, I still have room to improve.
I would say that Stanford, Duke, Chicago, and Yale are definitely reaches (for basically everyone, not just you). Even if you improve your SAT significantly, those schools will be really tough. The others are probably matches, with Georgetown being a higher match and Michigan and Boston College being low matches. That being said, I would add other safer schools. Someone from by school had basically a perfect GPA and like a 1520 or something SAT and didn’t get into BC. Not trying to scare you or anything, I still think you’ll get in, just know that even at schools with relatively high acceptance rates (compared to the others on your list) it is very competitive and there are no guarantees. Good luck