Chance me, UCB, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a hispanic from California. My dad is an immigrant and my mother was born in California. I attend a public school that offers 12 AP classes and 8 honors classes. I've faced adversity and virtually have 0 volunteer hours. Income level would be low (18,000-30,000). Here it goes.</p>

<p>SAT: 1980, 2070 superscore
Math: 760
CR: 620
Writing: 690</p>

<p>SAT II: Math 790, Physics 670</p>

<p>AP Scores: 5 AP AB Calculus
3 AP US History
4 AP Statistics</p>

<p>GPA: Unweighted 3.8, Weighted 4.2
Rank: 25/257
total of 9 b's (while not an excuse, I was emotionally unstable at the time due to adversity)</p>

<p>Course Rigor:
Each year I took the hardest courses. Sophomore year I was one of six sophomores to take AP Calc. I load up on all honors/aps that are offered. Physics honors, American lit honors, etc.</p>

<p>EC:
Percussion Section Leader: Drumline, Concert Band, Marching Band, and Jazz Band. I also have my own band outside of school. Around 20-30 hours a week for all activities.
Model United Nations: Attend conferences and weekly meetings.
Debate Club: Attend weekly meetings to supplement MUN skills.
I have been babysitting and working for my mom since freshman year to help with the financial situation.</p>

<p>Going into senior year will be the Section Leader of the county youth symphony</p>

<p>Summer: started working as a busser at a restaurant. I currently work on average 30-40 hour workweeks. I plan to continue working during the school year (20 hours a week).</p>

<p>A huge accomplishment of mine would be losing 35 pounds and overall changing my work-ethic and confidence.</p>

<p>Next year schedule is as follows:
Semester 1:
AP English Composition
Calculus 2 (Community college)
Spanish 4
Jazz Ensemble
Varsity Band</p>

<p>Semester 2:
AP Spanish
Chemistry Honors
Government/Economics
Jazz Ensemble
Varsity Band</p>

<p>my total college application list is as follows.</p>

<p>Stanford, Harvard, Brown, MIT, Dartmouth, Yale, UCBerkeley, UCSD, UCLA, UCSB, UCDavis</p>

<p>I will be applying to a handful of other colleges as well.</p>

<p>I plan to do Questbridge and will hopefully be a finalist. Any questions, feel free to ask. Please chance me</p>

2

<p>Your SAT scores are too low for the ivies on your list. Try for a 2200+. UCB and UCLA might be tough as well.</p>

3

<p>^Agreed.</p>

<p>That said, I think that if you can boost your SAT score to a 2200 or higher you’ll have good shots.</p>

4

<p>bump…</p>

5

<p>Yeah, your SAT score is too low, but everything else is really good.</p>

6

<p>Bump, Please more people chance me</p>

7

<p>Personally, I think your SAT score is fine considering you have a 760 in math and a high math ll score. Instead of overly worrying about that I would try to focus on something that would help make you stand out and write great essays. At that point I think your school list will certainly become possible! Good luck! Stay positive! And please chance back. (: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=1364861[/URL]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=1364861&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>You can improve your chances by:</p>

<ol>
<li>Studying SAT test strategies and re-taking SAT.</li>
<li>Write very compelling essays.</li>
</ol>

<p>Good luck!</p>

9

<p>bump…</p>

10

<p>UCBerkeley, UCSD, UCLA: High Reach
UCSB, UCDavis: Medium Reach</p>

<p>You’re SAT is a little too low for the UCs. If you bump it up to a 2100/2200 you would have a way better shot. In all honesty, I think you ECs are mediocre for the UCs(I don’t want to sound mean!!!). However, you have the opportunity to write excellent and moving essays if you talk about whatever adversity you’ve faced or any of the special achievements you mentioned.</p>

<p>I would suggest you take subject tests, preferably Math II along with a hard science if you’re up to it. Definitely will improve your appeal to the UCs if you have a 700+.</p>

<p>Best of luck to you! :)</p>

<p>[Chance</a> me back?](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1369973-chance-me-san-diego-state-univ.html]Chance”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1369973-chance-me-san-diego-state-univ.html)</p>

11

<p>Maybe you glazed over it, but I did take subject tests and got a 790 on the Math II and 670 on Physics. I will be applying as an Applied Mathematics majors.</p>

12

<p>Unfortunately you think too highly of yourself. I got an 800 on the Math SAT1 and 800 on sat2 math level 2C. I also got an 800 on sat physics with 750 on sat Bio. My SAT is higher than yours and I’m still not even dreaming of applying to MIT, Harvard etc. You don’t have the scores. At those schools they throw out your application before even reading EC’s and stuff if you don’t have the scores. This is the reality man. You don’t want to waste your time applying to these schools just to get tons of rejection letters. You have a decent chance at UCLA if you write great essays. Most people would agree with me and I honestly don’t mean to offend you. UCSD is a great school as well and you’re a match there. If you have the time, please chance me back: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1369865-what-my-chances-ivy-league-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1369865-what-my-chances-ivy-league-school.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

13

<p>I’m so sorry. I’m stupid and I failed to read your background and realize you’re hispanic. In that case your chances are significantly increased at MIT, Dartmouth etc. don’t know about Harvard though… Once again Good luck!</p>

14

<p>I apologize, I completely missed your SAT II’s. Can you retake the physics SAT and bump it to a 700? Anything below might work against you. I agree, some of the schools on your list are too high of reaches, HOWEVER, I really encourage you to apply because these schools are somewhat random with who they accept. BUT, I do feel you are better suiited to a UC.</p>

<p>But for all the schools on your list, really try hard to bring your SAT up to a 2100/2200. And if you can, try to wrangle in some volunteer hours. But nothing too random, something that shows you have a common interest in something. Colleges will be able to tell if you are volunteering solely to boost your app appeal.</p>

15

<p>@mathmoneyman I think you’re generalizing too much here. I’m not saying that being Hispanic is not a little pro, but it can’t get you into Harvard or wherever. I also think that are not only scores that get you in. You need personality, to stand out, leadership positions, hard course load and great scores-- I said great, not perfect. </p>

<p>Going back to the OP, I think you didn’t take many AP classes… weren’t they offered or something? Or is this due your problem? In this case you’ll be fine.
Your GPA is fine for those schools, I assure you, even for Harvard and MIT, although your rank isn’t that great unfortunately. ECs aren’t so many and there is a lack of leadership that you can cover talking about your passion with those music activities in the space for the short EC’s essay and maybe sending them an art supplement. The big trouble here are SATs, math is very good in both SAT I and II, but you need to increase the others for the schools you mentioned, especially since you need to cover some things here and there in your application.
I don’t want to discourage you, I’m just saying the truth to make you improve and goal your dreams :slight_smile:
You need to fix those things before applying and write great essays ! Your story would be particularly touching so it’d be a great topic if you don’t try to explain your academic lacks (like Bs) with it because they will reject you immediately (even I know that it is true).
Good luck!
Here my chance:
Stanford, Harvard, Yale, MIT : very high reach
Brown, Dartmouth, Berkeley: high reach
UCLA: reach but still affordable
The others are okay. You need some safeties. </p>

<p>Chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1370677-please-chance-me-ivies-i-promise-ill-chance-anyone-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1370677-please-chance-me-ivies-i-promise-ill-chance-anyone-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

16

<p>Your chances at those schools are fine! These people aren’t paying attention to the little things, and, while I know you won’t, you should ignore much of the above.</p>

<p>You are doing Questbridge — that helps your chances for a top college a lot.</p>

<p>And a 2070 puts you in the acceptance range as a Hispanic. </p>

<p>However, your extracurriculars aren’t very special. And while your scores give you a chance, they aren’t amazing.</p>

<p>Your essay will need to be great and your recommendations will need to be great. Otherwise, you are just one hispanic of many. You aren’t a shoo-in. But you have a chance.</p>

17

<p>On average, an Asian has to score 170 points higher on the SAT to get into the same school as a Caucasian. The discrepancy would be even more drastic between an Asian and a Hispanic.
Despite this, I still do not think that you are qualified. Being Hispanic helps but you have no extracurriculars that stand out. On top of this, your scores arent stellar. If you write exceptional essays, you might have a chance albeit a slim one. Sorry but I’m sure you would want honesty rather than deception.
Chance me back?</p>

18

<p>Anymore chances? I keep getting varying responses.</p>

19

<p>Mathmoneyman–you’re clueless!</p>

<p>OP–your SAT score is fine. Don’t listen to all the people who think its too low. Work on telling your story in your essays and you’ll have as good a shot as anyone else with those great stats. I say in at the UC’s, everywhere else is worth applying to. Good Luck!</p>

20

<p>I think this board is over analyzing SATs, middle range=fine,not=problem. There was a URM in our school who had a 17-so,etching SAT 28 ACT, this URM got into one top 10 school, 2 top 20, wait listed at another top 20, and got into countless top 30 schools. My point: those who fall out of the middle range need a URM status or better hook. However unhooked applicants can fall into the middle range of the school and be fine. If you have good applications, your chances are as good as anyone’s good luck.</p>