Chance me - Top LACs, NYU, Northwestern etc

<p>Where do you think I can get in with my stats, and maybe with a scholarship/financial need? I demonstrate full need.</p>

<p>My MAIN dilemma, please focus on this if not on anything else:</p>

<p>Amherst is my dream school. However, my SAT subjects proved to be awful. I have three choices, please give me your opinion on them:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Apply ED with these scores. Then take the November subject scores again and send new scores for Bio and Math IC one week after the app deadline. I talked to the admissions office and they said they still consider anything sent before Dec 15th.
Pros: dream school, good chance (if I get better subject scores), saves me A LOT of money.
Cons: a lot of pressure to study for the subject tests again (I can only study for them during October, too). I could focus on my essays and keeping up my grades.
Question: If I do this, should I retake both Bio M and Math IC, or only Bio? (Consider the fact that I have only 1 month, as well)</p></li>
<li><p>Apply ED with these scores. Don't retake anything and hope they accept me with 700Math IC and 670 Bio M.
Pros: dream school, better essays.
Cons: less of a chance because of the bad SAT II.</p></li>
<li><p>Just apply RD. I'll retake in December.
Pros: 2 month of studying for the subject test(s) that I'll retake.
Cons: Well... RD. Way lower chances.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>My brother got a BA @ Amherst and PhD @ Northwestern, if that counts as a legacy.</p>

<p>Schools:</p>

<p>Amherst College (Chance me both ED and RD, please):
Williams College:
Pomona College:
Lafayette College:
NYU Shanghai:
Yale-NUS:
Wesleyan University: (does not require SATs anymore, chance without)
Vanderbilt University:
Northwestern University:
Pepperdine University:
And I'll be sure to add safety school as well. I just haven't figured out which yet. </p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.83 UW (My Bs are: Physics 9th grade,PE 9th+10th grade, IT 9th grade, Bulgarian language 11th grade)
SAT I: approx ~2100 total - 700 each.
SAT II: Biology M 670, Math IC 700
Status: International student
Very good recs, the teachers and counsellor love me.
Common app essay about my transition from daddy's little girl to an strong woman after his death by facing my fear of not being able to swim. I wouldn't go into the water without holding my dad's hand, but I later faced my fear and learnt to swim on my own with the idea that learning that would be like... finally letting go and turning into the adult I'm supposed to be.
Family income <$10K per year.</p>

<p>ACADEMIC HONORS AND AWARDS
-3rd in national olympiad in English (10th grade)
-top 10 finalist for national olympiad (11th grade) but was unable to attend
-Top 16 (unranked) in national creative writing competition in English
-Distinction as best in school and municipality in English
-Single-handedly picked by politician/journalist for his merit scholarship
-Honorary mention by the European Commission as a runner up with an outstanding EN-BG translation in the Juvenes Translatores competition for secondary schools in Europe
-Won St. Valentine's Day themed English poetry contest</p>

<p>LEADERSHIP / EXTRACURRICULAR / VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES</p>

<p>People to People International (9-12) - Chapter Secretary [mostly organize and coordinate fund-raising events]
StudyUSA Club (11-12) - Founder and President [organize presentations about American education, history, economy, lit, etc,; got in contact with school alumni from US to host lectures; brought an American TA to school]
School Newspaper (9-12) - Treasurer and writer
Youth Red Cross (10-12) - Volunteer
English For the Talented Club (11) - [founded by the ministry of education after my achievement in the national olympiad]
Annually organize the school's alumni reunion (9-12)
Annually organize the school's chemistry fair (9-12)
Annually volunteer in the organization of the city's open nights of Museums and Galleries (10-12)
Throughout 11th grade: Wrote 50-page historical research about the tobacco-workers' outcry in 1940. Submitted it to a national research competition: results are due June 2014</p>

<p>WORK EXPERIENCE</p>

<p>Unpaid internship as a secretary in International Cooperative Alliance (summer before senior year) - organize transportation during their trips, translate to English, etc.</p>

<p>INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE</p>

<p>International cultural exchange in Germany through "Comenius" program
International cultural exchange in The Netherlands, through "Netherlands-Romania" foundation</p>

<p>You seem to have a pretty good chance at most of the schools. That being said, Yale is always a tough one to get into.</p>

<p>Amherst College (Chance me both ED and RD, please): ED: high match/match (legacy) RD: low reach
Williams College: low reach
Pomona College: low reach
Lafayette College: don’t know, sorry
NYU Shanghai: high match
Yale-NUS: reach
Wesleyan University: (does not require SATs anymore, chance without) it doesn’t? woah! high match
Vanderbilt University: high match/low reach
Northwestern University: high match/low reach
Pepperdine University: match</p>

<p>This seems a bit fake. How could you have a brother who has a PhD from Northwestern and a BA from Amherst, and still have a family income under $10,000 per year. That doesn’t really add up…</p>

<p>Northwestern is still a reach though. The average SAT score is about 2250</p>

<p>Are you considering Bowdoin?</p>

<p>@SugarBubbleTea It’s not fake, though. He got a full ride to Amherst, after which the school granted him a certain sum upon graduation for his achievements. He got into a combined MA + PhD program where he could pay some/most of his expenses by being a TA. I haven’t really asked in greater detail so I’m not sure beyond that. I do know that my dad used to help him out with his expenses when he was still alive, but he didn’t contribute to anything beyond money needed for standardized tests. I’ve put my family income as <10k$ because I’m in foster care with my grandmother. </p>

<p>@collegebound752 Bowdoin is on my list, yes. However, it’s not present in this topic because I decided my wall of text was enormous enough to scare most of the replies away, lol. I think my list consists of around 15 or so schools. :)</p>