<p>@AnnieBeats Knows what’s up. </p>
<p>@bluberaptor Instead of being defensive just appreciate that people are taking the time to respond. We can’t change your pretentious attitude, but you don’t have to challenge everyone for not agreeing with you. Also no need for the false modesty (see your last post then look at the thread title). Just chill out and appreciate the feedback. You can’t always be right.</p>
<p>Do you know how many juniors around the country are driving brand new cars? Is this supposed to be humility? </p>
<p>CHECK YOUR PRIVILEGE.</p>
<p>@picklechicken37 You guys barely know who I am, and from that, you’re able to conclude that it’s appropriate to curse at me? I never said I’m always right, I’m just arguing against some of the chances.</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats I’m done talking to you.</p>
<p>OP: “Hai guise, cud u chance me? I wanna no wut u think!”
CC: <em>reasonable chances</em>
OP: “u srs right now? NDT is my bff ur all so wrong HYP4lyfe”</p>
<p>@immasenior So true! What is the point of this thread if you are going to reject everything we tell you? Is the OP just trying to brag about his income? </p>
<p>@bluberraptor I may not know you, but I have read a 10 page thread (yes I read it all) you started in searching for chances. When you received responses you didn’t agree with you shot them down, told the person they were wrong, and just started an argument. You asked for honest chances, and you won’t get honesty if you force people to say what you want to hear. Chill out, listen to what people say, and accept that you might not be as awesome as you think you are. </p>
<p>OP:
Posters may not know you personally, but they are judging you based on your posts. Same thing with college app. Admission officers will judge you based on your essays, LOR’s and how you answer the questions in common app. Listen and learn.</p>
<p>@bluberaptor i am not the one saying u r wat u r, cuz of ur parents, i get that ur not. Plz don’t write working at kumon is a big thing, i worked there, all u do is mark kids’ homework from a book, and maybe help kids woth their work. Not a great thing to write about</p>
<p>super impressed by your stats. if the ivies look for one thing in particular, it’s passion, from what I understand. You don’t need a laundry-list of clubs that don’t really matter to you to get in, and if you had put one together, they’d know you only were a part of those things so you could look good for them. They aren’t into that, they just want bright kids who can make a difference in the world. Your HS academics are giving you a good foundation, I’d say you have a good shot at any college you wanted. But we all know there are thousands of qualified applicants that get turned away… Like previous posters said, the ivies are a reach for anyone, but I wish you the best of luck! 
</p>
<p>@bluberaptor: Yes, you do have academic achievements, but please don’t be deceived by thinking that having high test scores is reason for being prideful. It’s clear that you want (understandably, as do we all) to make yourself seem as impressive as possible to adcoms. However, one must understand what being impressive actually means. </p>
<p>Here’s an article about impressiveness that you may find either encouraging or discouraging:
<a href=“How to Get Into Stanford with B's on Your Transcript: Failed Simulations & the Surprising Psychology of Impressiveness - Cal Newport”>http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/03/26/how-to-get-into-stanford-with-bs-on-your-transcript-failed-simulations-the-surprising-psychology-of-impressiveness/</a></p>
<p>In summary, the article mentions the “Failed Simulation Effect,” where people subconsciously decide on another’s “impressiveness” by imagining whether or not THEY could achieve said person’s accomplishments. </p>
<p>Please realize that your 2-week internship with NDT is unique, but doesn’t inherently seem like much of an accomplishment on your part (before you start flaming me, YES I have read this entire thread, and already know about how you got the internship). If only the internship had lasted longer (like at least over the entire summer, or for a semester), then people on this thread might be singing a different tune. However, its brevity makes it seem like nothing more than a cursory episode of exploring your interests rather than a full-on pursuit of your passions. </p>
<p>In the context of the article I linked above, most others on this thread (including myself) could quite easily “simulate” ourselves getting a 2-week internship with NDT, and therefore, it doesn’t seem very impressive to us. To me, I am not shocked or very “wowed” by anything you’ve achieved so far – the only way you might seem impressive is if you’ve done something that seems impossible: that is the philosophy of impressiveness. With your above-average test scores and other stats, don’t expect anything more than a pat on the back. </p>
<p>Lastly, my advice would be to NOT get a rec from NDT. While tempting, I believe doing so would be a fatal mistake. The most compelling letters can only come from someone who has known you for a long period of time, and has witnessed your maturation and growth as an academic and as an individual of character. Not to judge, but based on some of your posts, I’d strongly caution you about coming across as arrogant and snobbish. I wish you all the best, but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that you are nowhere NEAR as competitive as you seem to think you are. </p>
<p>@cjwu382 I really appreciate your post the most. The immaturity and ignorance of the other posters bugs me a tad bit. I’m going to get a letter of rec from my APUSH teacher, APES teacher, and AP Spanish teacher.</p>
<p>Something I’m doing this summer to convey my passion: Working at 3 hospitals, flying out to Utah to shadow the World’s youngest doctor and a top notch neurosurgeon, and a paid internship at a Pediatric Office.</p>
<p>Okay I’ll admit that I was upset with the “chances” because multiple kids at my school got into great schools (JHU, Cal Tech, Cornell etc.) and their stats were way below mine, EC’s more lackluster (except for 2 people, one who was an LTG for Key Club and did a ton of other cool stuff), and essays as “meh”.</p>
<p>OP, I think the reason so many people are telling you not to be so confident is because you seem to think that the fact that multiple kids at your school get into great schools with lesser stats than yours, as well as the fact that that one kid from Ghana got into every Ivy, somehow means that you are guaranteed to get into at least one of your chosen schools. This simply isn’t the case. If you were reading this forum back in April, you must have seen several threads devoted to the stories of various students who were rejected from every reach and match school they applied to, and only accepted at their safeties. Is this bound to happen to you? Of course not. But nobody knows why this happened to those students, which means that nobody knows how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you. Again, and as others have said, none of the Top 20 schools are a true “match” for anybody – they’re all reaches, for everybody. </p>
<p>About that internship . . . what I notice about it is that you don’t seem to have LEARNED anything from it. Maybe it was impressive that you got it, but now that it’s over, if you’re asked about it during an interview, what are you going to say? That you’re really good friends now with NDT and you can prove it because you know that he likes mac&cheese? You had better think about what that internship actually did for you in terms of accomplishments – what new skills you learned, what significant contributions you made to NDT’s research – or it’s just going to sound like a fun summer camp.</p>
<p>Finally: get some safeties! How will you feel next year if you’ve been rejected or waitlisted from every school except UC Irvine? Since you’re lucky enough not to have to worry about financial aid, you should be looking at private schools that are comparable to UC Irvine in selectivity but that you’ll actually be happy to attend if it works out that way. I’m assuming you’re interested in physics or math? There are many posters on CC who could recommend some good schools for you that are strong in those subjects but easier to get into than the Ivys you have on your list right now.</p>
<p>@bluberaptor ok, seems you’re on the right track, then.</p>
<p>Most people here have no idea what they are talking about. Just a few things: First, get a job-colleges will evaluate you on a much higher standard if they see that your privileged. Now, the best way to dispel such a notion is to get a job in my opinion. Next, don’t get a letter from NDT. He knew you for 2 weeks which is not enough time to get to know you well. Finally realize that your stats make you competitive for every school but so are most applicants. Your essays and LORs will have a big impact. Make sure they convey a passion for science/math/whatever and dispel the notion of privilege. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Harvard - Reach
Yale - Reach
Princeton - Reach
Stanford - Reach
CalTech - Reach
Berkeley - Match
Vandy - Match
UCLA - Match
UCI - Safety
UCSD- Safety
Brown - Reach
Cornell - Low Reach
Amherst - Mid Reach
USC - Match</p>
<p>Harvard - Reach
Yale - Reach
Princeton - Reach
Stanford - Reach
CalTech - Reach
Berkeley - Low Reach
Vandy - Low Reach
UCLA - Match
UCI - Safety
UCSD- Low Match
Brown - Mid Reach
Cornell - Low Reach
Amherst - Mid Reach
USC - Match</p>
<p>Chance me back
<a href=“Cornell, UC Berk, CMU, UMich, Georgia Tech - #32 by Muzzyhoss - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums”>Cornell, UC Berk, CMU, UMich, Georgia Tech - #32 by Muzzyhoss - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums;
<p>Here are my thoughts:</p>
<p>•Working with Neil deGrasse Tyson is pretty cool. It’ll help your chances, but not as much as you seem to think. Write about what you learned from it, and consider getting a LoR from Tyson. Remember, with the Common App, you can always send his LoR as an additional recommendation to two or three schools and see if it holds any weight.</p>
<p>•“Something I’m doing this summer to convey my passion” reeks of insincerity. If it were your passion, you would be doing it because you love medicine, not because you want colleges to think you love medicine. Sounds like a great opportunity, though.</p>
<p>•Don’t ignore your other ECs. You posted some things a while back that looked fairly impressive (e.g. 400+ volunteer hours, etc.), but you ignored them in favor of Neil deGrasse Tyson in your initial post. Make sure you don’t underestimate your other ECs in your college applications.</p>
<p>•Stop taking standardized tests. All of your scores are excellent, and colleges don’t care about the difference between a 2350 and a 2400. At this point, your time could be better spent on ECs.</p>
<p>•Being a non-native speaker is an interesting angle. Have you considered including that in your essays?</p>
<p>•Do try to avoid sounding privileged in your essays, though. It might be a good idea to let someone on CC read a few of them (people in your income bracket may not be able to judge objectively.</p>
<p>•Don’t forget to keep in touch with NDT! You might want to send him a thank-you note after you are accepted into college to let him know about your future plans and the impact he has made on your life. (Say “you inspired me to study astrophysics” not “my internship with you got me into college,” though. ;))</p>
<p>Harvard - Reach
Yale - Reach
Princeton - Reach
Stanford - Reach
CalTech - Reach
Berkeley - Match/Low Reach
Vandy - Slight Reach
UCLA - Match
UCI - Safety
UCSD- Match/Safety
Brown - Mid Reach
Cornell - Low Reach
Amherst - Mid Reach
USC - Match</p>
<p>It’s strange. I have friends who have been accepted to Stanford and Wharton while being rejected/wait listed by Berkeley. I suppose it’s just because when you have such spectacular grades and ecs, it seems blatantly obvious that you will pick a top 10 school. Universities usually want to increase their yield rate.</p>
<p>@bluberaptor don’t take what @Anniebeats has to say with that a great deal of legitimacy, you are a qualified applicant that seems to have earned what they own and its extremely messed up for someone to turn this into a privilege argument. AnnieBeats has gone on many threads and given “advice” about college applications and literally every time she says something about only people with a 2400, 4.7 W, 4.0 W, all AP’s taken, 36 ACT, 800 on Subject Tests, RSI/Similar Internships will get in. TBH its a complete crapshoot for the Ivy league schools, just make sure you have a story to tell and that its a good one. Don’t listen to others on this forum saying something about your privilege automatically means you are spoiled. </p>
<p>I have been in a similar situation, my parents are rich and due to that I was given some opportunities which I did not squander. Freshman year I made an app that was popular on the App Store for awhile and due to ad revenue I’ve saved up enough to pay for my own education and have a nest-egg for the future. The money that I spend is still mine, money that I earned through hard work, and my parents are still very rich. So when people tell me to “check my privilege” all I can do be disappointed that while life is not fair for everyone, people have to mark out your failures for a feeling of self gratification(?). </p>
<p>You are a qualified applicant for those schools, but they are very hard to get into so they are reaches for everyone, don’t worry just apply and whatever happens happens. </p>