<p>And I have stories like this from my school that verify my point for the unhooked applicant. As much as people want to say that it is a special circumstance, it repeats itself all to often with my school to be special.</p>
<p>Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Yale - very high reach
Brown, Dartmouth - high reach
UCLA/Cal - Low Reach
SD- High Match
Davis & SB - match</p>
<p>I think SD and Davis and SB are matches (with SB and Davis in the lower end of
Match). I think Brown and Dartmouth are reaches, but attainable ones. I see UCLA and Cal as low reaches maybe matches and the others are tough and I don’t even bother chancing them, I have no idea what they look for.</p>
<p>So you’re saying being Mexican is the only reason I have a chance?</p>
<p>Timid applicant, this is not meant to be offensive. But if an Asian student with those stats applied to Harvard, Yale and the other ridiculously tough schools you’re aiming at-they would look foolish and get rejected everywhere. You’ve definitely had it tougher growing up than most individuals with you’re parents income level and I can’t believe that you’ve still managed to put up such competitive scores. That says a lot about YOU as a person and it means you’re a sincere individual. Colleges will take that into account as well. That’s why I said you have a better shot at MIT, Dartmouth, and Brown once I read you’re background. It’s not just because you’re Mexican, but because of you as a person. These schools love diversity and you’re a good fit. Early to Dartmouth-you’ll probably get in. Sorry if I sound harsh but as rocnation951 said I really think you would prefer honesty.</p>
<p>Be a good sport and chance me back will ya? <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</a></p>
<p>Not to sound harsh, but yes being hispanic is the only reason you’d have a remote shot at some of these schools. If you were Asian/Caucasian I would say you would have zero chance. However, your chances are still virtually none at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and MIT. Your GPA/rank and test scores are on the low side for these schools, but they are not the main problem. It’s your lack of ECs or major accomplishments that really diminishes your chances, and even makes it difficult for you to get into some of the other ‘lesser’ schools you listed. </p>
<p>At this point, there are a few things that you could do that might help. Getting your SAT score to 2200+ would be a small boost if you felt like burning a few hours on a Saturday, although your score is decent enough as it is. Maybe retaking your Physics SAT II to a 750+, but again that may not make much a difference. Your UW and W GPA is respectable and you are technically top 10% (albeit barely), so I wouldn’t worry about that too much (but keep in mind that most of the applicants to a lot of the top schools have UW GPA of 3.9+ and are in atleast top 5%).</p>
<p>Volunteering or joining clubs won’t matter at this point, but the fact that you have to work so much may be a slight boost. Possible essay topics may be the fact that you have to work all the time due to your financial situation, or maybe talk about you losing the weight and changing who you are as a person. Essays can really make it or break it, so I would say focus on writing them and making it creative. Also make sure to get a couple of great letters or recommendation from your teachers. But again, your ECs and lack of major accomplishments/leadership may hurt your chances quite a bit. Yes, you are a Section Leader, but I don’t see much else that would be significant enough to mention. All the schools that you mentioned are extremely competitive, so I would make sure to get a few matches/safeties just in case. Good luck!</p>