Chance me please! :)

<p>Please chance me!</p>

<p>Settled on the following schools (all RD)</p>

<p>UC App</p>

<p>1.UC Berkeley
2.UCLA
3.UCSD (sort of ish legacy, my cousin went here for grad)
4. UC Davis (my counsellor said it can be a safety....?)</p>

<p>Common App</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Yale-NUS College (not submitting SAT)</p></li>
<li><p>Cornell (Human Ecology, Major: Human Biology, Health and Society)
-OK SO A QUESTION! My uncle went here for some internship/study program like 15 years ago...should this be mentioned in my cornell app? Thanks! :)</p></li>
<li><p>Brown (Major: Health and Human Biology)
-currently my top choice</p></li>
<li><p>Duke (Biochemistry/Global Health)</p></li>
<li><p>USC (Biochemistry (Dornsife)/Disease Prevention Studies (Keck))</p></li>
<li><p>Claremont McKenna (Science with Management)
-my second choice (this place looks amazing)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Country: Singapore
Ethnicity: Half Indian Half Singaporean
Sex: Male
School: UWC
Hooks:
High income bracket (URM?)/no financial aid
Fluent in Chinese. Taught Chinese to chinese kids in Singapore
Not a stereotypical Asian - interest in writing, education along with science and history, education
UWC (is this true?)
Will probably be applying undecided or some really weird major like Biology with education, whereas most ppl in my school are interested in applying for engineering, economics or other heavily impacted majors.
Dad is Singaporean and Mom is Indian, so I guess that makes me half and half.</p>

<p>Grade 9 and 10 = IGCSE Course
Cannot be bothered to attach transcript because there are grades for 7 marking periods.
However in G10, I can say with conviction that I mainly had 7s/A* during my marking periods, a few 6s/As.</p>

<p>Here are my final scores on the IGCSE Exam</p>

<p>Grades can range from U- A*</p>

<p>English Language: A*
English Literature: A*
Cambridge International Mathematics: A
Co-ordinated Sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) Double Award: A<em>/A</em>
Economics: A*
History: A*
Foreign Language Chinese: A*
ICT: A</p>

<p>IB Subjects: At higher level (Biology, Chemistry and Economics)
At standard level (Chinese B, English Lang/Lit A and Mathematics)
With theory of knowledge (TOK) and Extended Essay (EE)</p>

<p>First Assessment:
Biology - 7
Chemistry - 6
Economics - 6
English - 6
Mathematics - 6
Chinese B - 7</p>

<p>Second Assessment:
Biology - 7
Chemistry - 6
Economics - 6
English - 6
Mathematics - 7
Chinese B - 7</p>

<p>TOK grades are not provided. Predicted grade is around 43-44 IB points.</p>

<p>SAT I Score:</p>

<p>2000</p>

<p>CR - 650
Math - 670
Writing - 680</p>

<p>SAT II Score:
Bio M - 760
Chem - 730</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendations:
1 from my Biology HL Teacher - She really likes me, I am one of the most dynamic student in the class. Only 2 students scored a 7 in the last marking period in my class, and I was one of them. She is also supervising my Biology extended essay, which is regarding plants and antibiotics, so she will be sure to write a great reccomendation.</p>

<p>1 from my Chinese B SL Teacher - Again, a class where I am super dynamic. Only 2 students scored a 7 and I was one of them. She really knows my strengths and weaknesses and enjoys teaching me. I think she is a great educator as well. Apparently she mentioned my strengths as an Indian speaking Chinese and mentioned I am one of the "many in thousands". Counsellor emailed me specially to tell me she had written me one of the best references he has ever seen xD</p>

<p>Will also be getting letters of reccomendation from medical internships (see below) from top nephrologists etc. One of the doctors I worked with is a visitor at the Rochester Medical Center and UCSD Medical Center. </p>

<p>ECAs:</p>

<p>In School</p>

<p>Founder and President of History Club (Grade 9 and 10)
Grade 9 History Award and Grade 10 History Award
Awarded "Most reputed tutee" award in class.
Vice Chair of Bombay Leprosy Project (helps fundraise for lepers in Bombay) (Grade 10)
Recently became Chairman of Bombay Leprosy Project (in school) (Grade 11-12)
Founder and President of School’s first Biology Society
Short term member of SHILPA GC (group supporting a school for the mentally disabled in India)
Selected for President position of the School Ambassador Committee (helps look after new students, organize school events, student body communications)
Selected on the school forum committee (helps organize forums regarding contemporary topics, world issues, economic problems in school)
Previously worked as a journalist for two school magazines.
Volunteering/volunteered for numerous charitable organizations
Singapore Airlines MINDS Center for mentally disabled
Helping organize activities for primary children at my school
Volunteering at a home run by the Red Cross
Selected as delegate to represent school at Harvard Model Congress Asia 2013. Part of Arab League Committee
Member of Ethics Society
Member of Medical Society
Travelled to Vietnam for a charity trip to teach street kids in Hanoi (Blue Dragon)</p>

<p>Internships:
-Shadowing my General Practitioner
-Internship with a Nephrologist at National University Hospital, Singapore
-Shadowing and observing radiology procedures and MRI procedures at a private hospital in Bombay
-Internship at Make-a-Wish Foundation (mainly administrative work)</p>

<p>Paid Employment:
-Running my own freelance tutions for science for low income families/children with disabilites like ADHD
-Also taught Chinese to chinese kids in Singapore</p>

<p>I have also undertaken the National Youth Achievement Award in Singapore - it is also offered by some other countries as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.</p>

<ol>
<li>NYAA Bronze Award</li>
<li>NYAA Silver Award</li>
<li>Will be getting NYAA Gold Award this year</li>
</ol>

<p>Expeditions:</p>

<p>NYAA Bronze trip: Pulao Ubin Island (Trekking on island)
NYAA Silver Trip: Hong Kong (Trekking in mountains)
NYAA Gold Trip: Perth (Trekking in mountains)
Discover Korea Expedition: Seoul (Trekking in mountains)
Chiang Mai (Thailand): White Water Rafting
Tioman (Indonesia): Kayaking</p>

<p>Outside of School:</p>

<ol>
<li>Tennis experience of almost 7 years (2 years on school team)</li>
<li>1st degree "full black" black belt in karate. 7 years of experience. Will be taking 2nd degree soon and also self taught Korean taekwondo (flying kicks).</li>
<li>Hindustani Classical Vocal Music training for 5-6 years. Also participated in group performances at cultural festivals in Singapore.</li>
<li>Learning Chinese outside of school. </li>
<li>I am fluent in 4 languages: English, Hindi, Marathi(Indian dialect) and Chinese</li>
</ol>

<p>International with 2000 SAT. That’s really going to hurt you when other students from China, India, and the like have perfect everything. I suggest you look into some safeties if you solely want to study in America (UC Davis is not a safety). And to answer your question, you don’t count a legacy. On the bright side, being able to pay tuition in full gives you a bit of a boost and your ECs are fab. But yeah, almost every school you listed is a reach…</p>

<p>You seem good for most of these colleges (yale is high reach…) ucb-usc-ucla(low reach-high match)</p>

<p>And yes ucd is a safety.
Ucsd =match</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>From what I’ve seen, the UC’s seem to value GPA much more than standardized testing. Besides, 2000 is more than enough for UCD and UCSD. I’d consider both as safeties.</p>

<p>Don’t mention the uncle thing for Cornell. It won’t help. And nope, not a legacy for UCSD. </p>

<p>All schools you mentioned except the UCs are reaches. Berkeley is a reach. UCLA is a high match-low reach.</p>

<p>Also, the UWC’s are highly respected. I know for a fact that the one in Pune, India sends almost all of their students to ivies, high tier UCs, top LACs etc. Almost every single one. I’m fairly certain going to a UWC can only help you.</p>

<p>Wow thank you so much, everyone!! :)</p>

<p>A few more suggestions. Four smaller schools came to mind. Tufts has a strong international, political and science presence and a Shotokan karate club. Wesleyan has the same academic strengths (not sure about karate there) plus a strong world music department. Trinity has strong science and a Shotokan karate club. Vassar has all of the above and a Karate club also. Maybe think about a few more applications to these schools. These seem more of a fit for you.</p>