Chance to HYPM and Duke? I'll Chance Back!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey guys, I have asked for a chance before, but I have narrowed/improved my college list down and would appreciate another "chance." I'm kind of afraid that I don't have enough "match" schools and too many reach schools so please let me know what you think.</p>

<p>Thanks for reading/replying!</p>

<p>Gender: M
Race: Asian
Income: About 150,000
State: Massachusetts
College Class Year: 2016
High School: Public
High School Type: Sends a couple people to MIT/ivies every year (2-3)
Major: Pre-Med (Maybe Chem Engineering)</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>GPA - Unweighted: 4.00
GPA - Weighted: 4.27
Class Rank- 1
Class Size- 380</p>

<p>Scores:</p>

<p>SAT- 2270 (800 CR, 790 Math, 680 Writing)- Retake to improve Writing?
Superscore: 2290 (800 CR, 790 Math, 700 Writing)
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC)- 800
SAT II Chem- 800
SAT II US History- 790
AP US History – 5
AP Chemistry – 5
AP Physics B - 5</p>

<p>Took two science classes (Biology and Chemistry) sophomore year and three science classes (AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Honors Anatomy and Physiology) junior year</p>

<p>Senior Schedule:</p>

<p>AP English
AP US Govt
AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
AP Biology
Independent Study Physics</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>-National Honor Society: 11, 12
-Quality of Character Chairperson</p>

<p>-Class Representatives (Student Council club): 10, 11, 12</p>

<ul>
<li>Math Team: 9, 10, 11, 12</li>
<li><p>Captain: 11, 12</p></li>
<li><p>Science Team: 10, 11, 12
-Treasurer: 12</p></li>
<li><p>Yearbook Business Editor: 11, 12</p></li>
<li><p>French Honor Society: 11, 12</p></li>
<li><p>Peer Tutoring: 9, 10, 11, 12</p></li>
<li><p>Freshman Mentoring: 11, 12</p></li>
<li><p>Student Representative to the School Committee: 11,12
-An elected position. Provides weekly reports to the Town School Committee about the state of things at the high school and also comments on new ideas</p></li>
<li><p>Harvard-MIT Math Competition: 9, 11</p></li>
<li><p>American Regional Mathematics League (Eastern Massachusetts Team): 10</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Work Experience:</p>

<p>-Kumon Learning Center: 9, 10, 11, 12
-Work with young children on their homework and explain new concepts to them</p>

<ul>
<li><p>CYBL Referee: 10, 11, 12
-Referee youth basketball games</p></li>
<li><p>Paid Internship at the University of Massachusetts Lowell: 11</p></li>
<li><p>Research in the ability of curcumin, a potential natural anti-cancer drug, to co-crystalize with other compounds. This is in hopes of making curcumin a potential pharmaceutical drug.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Volunteer Experience: About 100 hours at the moment</p>

<ul>
<li>Chinese Language School: 9, 10, 11</li>
<li><p>Help teachers create lesson materials and also organize the mid-year and year-end parties</p></li>
<li><p>Tutoring at local middle school: 10, 11
-Assist kids with homework and help them study for tests and quizzes</p></li>
<li><p>CYBL 3v3 Tournament: 10</p></li>
<li><p>Referee</p></li>
<li><p>CYBL Summer Basketball Coach: 10
-Won the summer basketball championship that year</p></li>
<li><p>Chelmsford High School Parent Night: 2011
-Helped lead guided tours around the high school for parents of incoming freshmen</p></li>
</ul>

<p>-Volunteer at a local hospital in the fall.</p>

<p>Awards/ Other:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Yale Book Club of Boston Award- Ranked 2nd in the class at the end of Junior Year</p></li>
<li><p>University of Rochester Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award
-Recognition of outstanding academic achievement and superior intellectual promise in the field of science</p></li>
<li><p>$7,500 scholarship if I attend</p></li>
<li><p>Advanced Proficiency in Chinese Language and Culture
-1st place- Earned a free trip to China for 3 weeks during the summer</p></li>
<li><p>1 of 5 students selected to take the Avery Ashdown Chemistry Exam</p></li>
<li><p>Scored highest in the school</p></li>
<li><p>Fluent in Chinese and can speak conversational French</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Interested in:
- Harvard
- MIT
- Duke
- Cornell
- Columbia
- Yale
- BU 7-Year Medical Program
- Tufts
- University of Massachusetts (Safety)</p>

<p>Please let me know what you think are matches here and what you think my chances are at the reaches. Thanks!</p>

<p>P.S. Leave a link at the end of your post if you want a chance back</p>

2

<p>You look very qualified. Your UMass Lowell thing sticks out, the other stuff is common but it definitely still helps you as you seem involved in and dedicated to a lot of things. Your SATs are very good, but many HYPM applicants will have these. </p>

<p>I’d say HYPMC are reaches (they really are for everyone, but you should get into 2-3ish, maybe more) with Duke a lower reach (definitely obtainable). Cornell is a high match, and Tufts can be weird (look up Tufts Syndrome- basically denying overqualified applicants). BU and UMASS are safeties, maybe consider BC or one or two other matches?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1189548-please-chance-bad-freshman-year-duke-nd.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1189548-please-chance-bad-freshman-year-duke-nd.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>You definitely have the qualifications covered. You couldn’t have done much more. I’d look at it like this: you are applying to a lot of top-notch schools who often deny completely qualified applicants. So chances are, you will not get into all of them simply because of chance. But i’d put a safe bet on 2-4 of them. UMass is a good safety, maybe consider one more safety school?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1190338-chance-johns-hopkins-will-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1190338-chance-johns-hopkins-will-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Thanks guys, I’m hoping for at least one of the ivies, and if not Duke. What other match schools do you think would be a good fit for me?</p>

5

<p>Clever bump</p>

6

<p>Probably in for a few ivies! Retake your SAT’s though because you can get higher on that writing.</p>

7

<p>yeah try to improve writing to 730+. You have a solid shot at like MIT, even with your current scores, since the writing isn’t counted there. Your research really stands out. Remember to submit a research supplement. HYPSM are still mid/high reaches, since you’re an asian male like me. Columbia looks like a mid reach. Cornell is a low reach. Tufts has that “tufts syndrome” thing, so who knows. BU-7 year medical looks like a definite possibility. I would recommend shadowing a doctor or getting some form of experience in a hospital to show that you are committed to medicine and not just biological research.
Chance me back?</p>

8

<p>I was hoping not to take the SATs again because I don’t think I could pull off another 800 CR 790 Math thing. What do you think my chances are for Duke?</p>

9

<p>bump please</p>

10

<p>You’re definitely gonna get in for a few ivies! Have you considered Brown? Brown seems like it’d be a great match for you! Your internship at UMASss really makes you stand out and it’s really cool. I think you have a really great shot at Cornell and a solid chance for Duke (A bunch of people get in from my school every year). Dont take the SAT again - your score is already great enough. No need to retake. Don’t stress - you’ll definitely get into some TOP Schools!! Good luck with the whole application process!! :]</p>

<p>Chance back? Appreciate it!!! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1196513-chances-will-chance-back-promise.html?highlight=chances+will+chance+back+promise[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1196513-chances-will-chance-back-promise.html?highlight=chances+will+chance+back+promise&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>mostly generic (harvard applicants are academically excellent) - but true, your research stands out. write great essays, and cornell, duke will come easily, and all ivies reach, but doable (except Harvard because truly crapshoot process. chance me with the russel peters line!</p>

12

<p>It seems like it all comes down to essays, any other opinions?</p>

13

<p>Meh… you’re pretty much like me… so I would say that HPYM are high reach or “lottery schools.” Duke is either a high reach or normal reach. </p>

<p>BU 7 year med: reach
Columbia: reach
Cornell: high match or low reach
Tufts: match</p>

<p>Your volunteer experiences are too spread out and don’t show commitment considering you only have about 100 hours (which isn’t bad… just something to advertise to colleges). IMO you shouldn’t volunteer at the hospital for your senior year unless if you really want to because colleges will think your cramming up your resume and won’t think much of it (I heard it’s pretty boring anyways). It would be better to focus on something you already doing.</p>

<p>Your ECs are decent, but not amazing and you don’t have any state or national awards, which may hurt you. The schools you get expected to will depend on your essays and a bit of luck.</p>

14

<p>I was hoping that wasn’t going to be the concensus, although I do see where you are coming from. Hopefully I get into at least one of the HYM or Duke. Does anyone have an opinion on what applying SCEA for Yale would do or if its even worth it?</p>

15

<p>I would apply to Penn Brown Duke and Cornell.
You should get into one of them (Cornell especially)
Maybe think of applying ED to Duke you sound like you really want to go there.</p>