Chance URM with great scores and ECs

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>This is my first post so hopefully, if I'm doing this wrong, someone will tell me. I'd like to see realistically what the chances are of the following colleges for my son, a junior:</p>

<p>Princeton
Harvard??
Penn
Harvey Mudd
Caltech
Stanford??
Univ. of Texas, Dallas (great chess program)
Northwestern??
UCSD<br>
Vanderbilt</p>

<p>He is also considering some Christian colleges (Grove City, Taylor) but academics might not be strong enough.</p>

<p>SAT I: 2320 (Math 800, CR 790)
SAT II: Math II (taken in 8th grade; will take again in May) 760
Physics 800
Literature (will take in January)
PSAT: 225
AP: 5 APs with three 5s, a 4, and a 3 in stats, which he took freshman year and I might encourage him to take it again this spring. He'll take just one more AP this spring, literature.
GPA: 4.0, 4.65</p>

<p>He's taken math through differential equations and will take real analysis in the spring. He's taken 5 college physics classes and will take another one in the spring. He's taken Arabic and will take 2 more semesters at the community college. Has 4.0 in about 49 units of community college courses. Wil probably take a few UC classes next year.</p>

<p>ECs: physics olympiad semi finalist last year and will try again this year
AIME last year; will try to improve on his score and make USAMO
Nationally ranked chess player for his age (maybe 37th in nation?)
Lots of chess tournament wins
physics research award at local community college
might be doing some physics research at local state univ. this summer (though he's applying to RSI)
varsity baseball catcher with high batting average
Violinist/musician: recording a CD; teaches private violin and teaches violin at a local elementary school; has done professional work, only one competition, though.<br>
Very active in church youth and music; worship leader for youth
Works at mathnasium</p>

<p>He's 1/2 Puerto Rican but we're middle income and white. I don't want to make a big deal of his ethnicity but he looks ethnic, so schools will know. I graduated from college, my husband didn't.</p>

<p>Well, I'd love feedback on whether it is realistic that he should apply to Ivies. We want to visit all colleges because he might not even like the schools, so we want to see them first. He visited U of Chicago and decided not to apply there.</p>

<p>Thanks again for being gentle for my first post.</p>

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<p>So I am new at this and am not sure how to get real responses as to whether or not it is worthwhile for my son to apply at schools like Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Stanford based on his real stats as stated above. Finances will be a big issue unless he does some serious scholarship hunting this coming summer. We don’t want him to apply to any schools that don’t offer either full rides for things like NMF (he’ll be a semi-finalist for sure) or great aid based on our income (in the 70-80K range).</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

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<p>Hmm, guess I’ll look elsewhere…</p>

4

<p>Sure he should apply,but you might do better leaving out the “chances” and the URM part. Try the parents forum, and/or make it a financial aid question.</p>

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<p>Thanks, Shrinkrap. I wasn’t sure where to post since I am curious to know what his chances might be at any of the colleges listed. (I already know he will most likely be in at UTD) I will hunt around for the parent’s forum.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1059901-why-so-hard-someone-get-chanced.html#post1066151958[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1059901-why-so-hard-someone-get-chanced.html#post1066151958&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Financial Aid /scholarships
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;