Chance to get into an Ivy School

Parents Forum
1

<p>Wondering if anyone can help and evaluate the chance to get accepted to an Ivy school</p>

<ul>
<li>Just finished Junior year, Asian male</li>
<li>GPA unweighted 4.0, Weighted 4.88 (out of 5)</li>
<li>SAT I - 2,320 (780 math, 780 reading, 760 writing)</li>
<li>SAT II - 8 (US History - 780, Math I 800, Math II 790, Chem 780, Literature 750, Physics 790, Biology 790, Foreign Language 800)</li>
<li>AP taken by Junior year (11), all As and all 5s on the AP exam</li>
<li>AP to take in Senior year, 5</li>
<li>Took 2 math courses in University (As)</li>
</ul>

<p>School EC
- Class SGA officer
- School math team member, representing school in all county/state math comps.
- School Academic Quiz Competition member. Compete locally against other high schools
- Selected by math, chemistry and Physics teacher as the student tutor</p>

<p>Other EC
- Semi-professional level pianist. Won 1st place in many state and regional competitions. Performed at Kennedy Center twice. Selected as semi-finalist in several international competitions. Competition prizes cumulative since 7th grade - $13,000
- Practice 3+ hours per day, and 25+ hours per week</p>

<p>Community Service
- Over 150 hours in local retirement homes playing music or help them with other things
- Using the prize won at various competition, sponsors disadvantaged children learn music</p>

2

<p>1 in 10 if you apply. Zero if you don’t. Or who knows.</p>

<p>Any Ivy? Why would you want to do that? Figure out what you are looking for in a school. Write great essays about yourself. If you’ve picked the right schools they will want you. You know you have great grades and scores, there’s nothing wrong with your ECs. Everything is going to depend on what you have to say about yourself and what others have to say about you. You want someone to pick up your application and thing I’d love to have this kid as a roommate or classmate. The lists aren’t what is going to make them feel that way. The list just opens the door.</p>

3

<p>I normally don’t do “chances”. BUT here’s what I’ll say. Most of the Ivy League schools accept about 10% of applicants. That means they deny acceptance to roughly 90% of those who apply. In the 90% of those who do NOT get accepted, there are many, many well qualified applicants.</p>

<p>You have great stats, and great ECs it appears. Your chance of being accepted to an Ivy is about as good as anyone else who applies with those stats…you might be in the 10% accepted, and you might not.</p>

<p>Cast a wide net. If you are a competitive admit for the Ivies, you would be a very competitive admit for many, many other fine schools.</p>

4

<p>Parents aren’t too fond of chances threads…plus the Ivy League schools are all different and have different “personalities” and locations – they are not homogeneous and interchangeable…just like the Pac 10 and the Big 10 and any other conference of schools. Your chances are zero if you don’t apply. Make a good list of schools to apply that you are willing to attend including at least one that your family can afford and you should be in good shape come senior year. Most importantly think about who you are. Are you planning on majoring in music since you’ve highlighted that? What will be interesting to highly selective schools is who you are, what you are interested in and what you are interested in learning, and how you will be additive to a community of scholars. Do your research. At the level of selectivity you are contemplating the doors don’t generally open on stats alone. There are way more simply “smart kids” than seats available. All of which mathmom has said already…</p>

5

<p>You seem like a standard applicant. I would saw that you might get into Cornell due to the 18% acceptance rate. If you Ed, your chance goes higher, but you seem very cookie cutter</p>

6

<p>To the OP…you don’t mention whether finances play into your college choices. Remember that the Ivies give only need based aid based on THEIR calculations of your need.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all the responses. College app is a brand new “field” for our family so any advice is greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>My son’s passion has always been math, history and music. Not much in science so we know MIT is not a good fit. As to Ivy, he really wants to get in (in order) (1) Yale (2) Harvard, and (3) Princeton. He is always certain that he wants to minor in Music and Yale has a great music program, aside of everything else. As to Princeton, he likes their math and history programs…</p>

<p>Finance is not a problem. Does this help?</p>

<p>To jengajenga117, what do you mean about “If you Ed, your chance goes higher”? Also any suggestion so he looks less “cookie cutter?” He is not good in sports, that we know. Just loves music and that has taken tremendous amount of time, 365 days a year. Cornell is also an option since they also have a good music program, plus Ithaca College cross the street offers many performance opportunities.</p>

<p>Thanks again</p>

8

<p>When someone starts a thread as general as this, the appropriate thing to do is to respond with questions. I’m editing my post, because I see you just responded, and it’s about your son. (You are not the student.)</p>

<p>~Why is it important to you that your son attend “an Ivy?”
~What other colleges besides these 8 are you interested in his attending?
~What will happen, or what will you think will happen, if he does not attend one of these 8 colleges, which are all very different from each other?
~What do you think he would bring to any or all of these colleges that another student with similar accomplishments might not bring?</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon is another greater University which attracts students who have dual passions for music and other fields.</p>

9

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<p>Are you aware that many other colleges besides Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are strong in math, history, and/or music?</p>

<p>So on his own, he told you that those were his 3 favorite choices, and did he say WHY those were his first choices?</p>

<p>Have you examined the curricula and reputation of any other colleges in math, history, and music?</p>

10

<p>What kind of music does he want to minor IN. At Yale, anything performance related is for grad students.</p>

11

<p>I’m sorry but for an Asian male it’s a complete toss up. He has an awesome resume but there are so many applicants with similar stats.</p>

12

<p>Those delectable reach schools are the easiest ones to pick. OK, you like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Cornell. Now, leave the Ivy League and find 5-10 schools that are matches or low reaches for a candidate with your son’s scores. He will have a good chance at many schools, so this part of the search focuses on where he can find colleges with the kind of program that excites him, will give him performance opportunities with his music, and where he feels comfortable socially.</p>

13

<p>First thing to keep in mind when dealing with Ivies is that their statistics are deceiving–sure you fit into their criteria, or perhaps well beyond their median scores, but they still might not admit you. </p>

<p>With Ivies like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, you might get in, you might not. It’s all about what they’re looking for and the advisor who looks at your file personally. </p>

<p>With schools like Cornell, Dartmouth, and Brown, I’d say you have a much greater chance of getting in. </p>

<p>The key, however, is not to be just a list on a page. You need to be a person to the admissions advisor for your state–they need to want to admit you. Find out who that person is for your area and contact them, not asking to get in, but show interest and a passion for the school. </p>

<p>I go to Boston College and couldn’t be happier–no, it’s not an Ivy but there are plenty of “might as well be Ivies” like Georgetown, Emory, Tufts, etc. They’re fantastic schools and often don’t get thought of with grades like you have. </p>

<p>Of course, try your hardest to get in. Everyone applying to those Ivies have those grades–you need to stand out. Everyone has community service, extracurriculars, what makes you special and different? You need to explain that in your essays–my essay was very particular and creative–it wasn’t just “this is a time a showed leadership” type of essay. In fact my admissions counselor told me it was one of the best he’d ever seen–I sent him additional letters later with why I really wanted to go to BC, etc. and he really clicked with me. </p>

<p>Ivy students are exceptional–internationally known musicians, kids doing cancer research, painters who have literally the best IP studio art score in the world (not an exaggeration) and are often fantastic athletes as well. </p>

<p>That doesn’t mean you won’t get in, you just have to give the admissions advisor more than just what’s on the page–you have to have those stellar grades and then some. </p>

<p>Just don’t count out Ivy look alikes like Georgetown–they’re often just as prestigious and sometimes its not the degree that counts but the networking and experience that you gain during college that will get you the job. </p>

<p>And, finally, definitely apply to the likes of Dartmouth and Cornell–I think those are definitely good fits if not definites. I wish you all the luck in the world!</p>

14

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<p>Just for the record…not ALL Ivy students are well reknowned as listed above. But all are great students who the schools feel will help complete the entering class, and who will achieve at the school.</p>

15

<p>I think your son has a good chance at some Ivies, not necessarily in the order you want since no one knows who might like him. However, If he does a good music supplement, it might work.</p>

<p>As an Asian though, it is not a very outstanding resume compared to other Asians.</p>

16

<p>You’re starting out with the entirely wrong question - Can my son get into an Ivy?</p>

<p>You need to start out with the question - What does my son want in a college? What What is he looking for, what excites him? What environments will he thrive in?&lt;/p>

<p>And my question for you is - Why are you focusing only on Ivies, when there are so many excellent schools in the country that your son might love and thrive at? What is your source for what are “good colleges”? Because I do suspect you are hearing from sources who don’t realize that the Ivies are merely 8 of the top schools in this country. And there is no student in the country - NONE - who should focus only or exclusively on Ivies in a college search, given their admittance rates.</p>

17

<p>Thank you all!</p>

<p>To thumper1, he doesn’t want to major in music performance and that’s why he doesn’t want to apply to any conservatory. But he still likes music and wants to get deeper, like theory, conducting, composing, etc.</p>

<p>To epiphany, he particularly likes Yale since he attended a music summer camp and was greatly inspired by faculties from Yale… That summer changed him, musically. Princeton is because of their strong math and history programs. Honestly, as parents, we know prestigious name carries lots of weight. And that’s why I am asking around for opinions.</p>

<p>We will be perfectly fine if he doesn’t get in one of these schools. Both my husband and I were international students who went to state schools in the US (due to financial constraints) and we are doing just fine. </p>

<p>He also plans to apply to our alma mater, Indiana U (has great music program), Maryland U (where he has received a full merit scholarship), UVA…</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

18

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<p>There are a lot of prestigious names, though. I think you’re a little overly impressed by HY and P. Lots of colleges with great math and history and music programs.</p>

19

<p>Rice has a great music school.</p>

20

<p>OK great, now the OP has the 3 reaches…Midwesterner is correct, what will be harder is to find those match schools that are strong in music, history, etc. Look at UofChicago, Sarah Lawrence, University of Michigan and for contrast St. Olaf for starters to get a feel for what’s out there. There are many more if you can get a sense of what interests your son eg big, small, performance or not, rural, urban etc. etc.</p>