chances and getting list in shape

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey guys, what's up?</p>

<p>For my apps, I'd like some advice. I have applied to Penn SEAS ED, U of C EA, and Northeastern EA (safety). Since it's very possible that Penn rejects me, I'm thinking about the rest of my schools. I'm being hella aggressive, and I'm just wondering what suggestions you guys have, and what you think my chances might be. </p>

<p>Here are some of my stats
US citizen, Texas resident, but currently living in Morocco (American school). Been here since 9th grade, living on my own, in a hotel. </p>

<p>I do full IB now, with PCM + Econ HL, English SL, and French Ab initio. We had no advanced courses before 11th grade.
We don't do GPA, working on a 1-7 scale for trimester grades. Equivalent GPAs are:
9th grade: ~3.7
10th grade: ~3.7
11th grade: 4.0 UW, 4.6 W (assume +1 for HL, +0.5 for English SL, and unweighted for ToK and French)
12th (projected first trimester): Same as 11th</p>

<p>We don't do class rank, but in my counselor rec, she said she'll bring up how I'm basically one of the top students in the grade. </p>

<p>My SAT is 2240 superscored, (750 CR, 780 M, 710 W)
Highest sitting is 2200 (740 M)</p>

<p>SAT II: 730 Math IIC, 760 Chem, 800 Physics</p>

<p>ECs are:
Tech club founder and leader (12)
Debate club cofounder and copresident (11-12)
Chess club cofounder and copresident (11-12)
Tech/General Management consultant for IBA LLC. (9-12)
Amis Des Ecoles member (11-12)
NHS member (12, just opened the chapter)</p>

<p>Broad interests, though I really like STEM and Bus/Econ. I'm a bit of a nerd. I read Wikipedia articles/drool over university course lists in my free time. I'd like to think of myself as a good speaker. I prefer a more intimate environment where I can talk to my professors and not be in too many classes of 600+ students. Though I still like the opportunities and resources of a large school.</p>

<p>According to my college counselor, my two recs (Physics 10-12 teacher and Econ 11/ToK 12 teacher) were strong. Physics rec probably had some mention of my EE in quantum physics.</p>

<p>Counselor rec is probably strong, since I had her as a teacher before, and she knows me well. </p>

<p>My college list is currently as follows, not necessarily in descending order:
Penn SEAS ED (applied, had a good interview)
UChicago EA (applied)
NEU EA (safety, applied)
Stanford
MIT
Princeton
Harvard
Yale
Swarthmore
One of the Claremont schools, maybe Harvey Mudd
Rice
Duke
CMU
St. Louis
UNC
UT (maybe...)</p>

<p>Could you chance me and help me narrow the list down? What suggestions do you guys have to revise the list?
Also, if NEU doesn't take me, I'll apply to another safety. What would be a good one for me? If there are other colleges I should consider, please tell me. </p>

<p>Thank you all</p>

2

<p>You have great stats, the only thing I see holding you back is your GPA. However, I feel like you would be a strong candidate for any school, even the ivy leagues! Good luck to you! :)</p>

3

<p>Do you have any STEM related awards or competition records?</p>

4

<p>@daminark - You have some strong test scores (not SUPER great, but strong), and your GPA could be better, but it’s good that it has improved beginning with your junior year. I have a hard time telling anyone that they are a strong candidate for Ivy League schools as students with better stats than yours get rejected by all of them each year. I think your HOOK is that you have been living in a hotel on your own in Morocco since 9th grade. THAT is super interesting. You should steer your essay toward THAT.</p>

<p>If I were you, I would play up your living situation and apply to all the Ivy League schools you have listed plus Swarthmore. You already have one safety. Pick another 2-3 from the bottom of that list of yours and perhaps one more safety and be done. Good luck.</p>

5

<p>The only award I got was the Rensselaer Medal. The only local competitions I found were done completely in French, and we have no international competitions here.</p>

6

<p>As for my essay, I did the adult prompt, and geared it to the difficulties of being in Morocco, since I look Moroccan and have a Berber name, so the consideration foreigners get wouldn’t apply to me, and how my family couldn’t help much aside from giving a place to stay (a hotel, which works but isn’t the same) and transportation and all. Also mentioned identity (am I Moroccan, am I American, what am I at this point?) as a secondary thing. </p>

7

<p>Guys, thanks for your help. I’ve been taken by NEU, UofC, and Penn. I won’t apply elsewhere, Penn if the finaid is as good/better, Chicago if their aid is better. Thanks for all the help</p>

8

<p>I think colleges might suspect that your school is lax with starting new clubs since half of your ECs are clubs you started within the past 18 months. Otherwise you have a very solid application. I’m not familiar with Penn State but I don’t see why they would reject you. I’m not sure if your ECs can get you into a high tier Ivy though. Comparable schools might be a bit more reasonable but I would still call them far reaches. I hope your U Chicago essay was really great. Apparently, they care a lot about that.</p>

9

Hey Musktard, thanks for the help. I was referring to UPenn instead of Penn State, and I got in there, along with UChicago and NEU. I’m waiting on the aid at UPenn, but I got good aid at UChicago (albeit the price was still somewhat high). I applied to Harvard, Yale and Stanford just in case UPenn comes out with bad aid, so that I’ll have a way to negotiate UChicago down or, if it comes to it, go to wherever gives better aid. A few people read over and liked my essays, so maybe I have a shot. Though even if they all reject me and I don’t find a way to bring Chicago down a bit, I’m not worried too much, since it’s still affordable.

10

UPenn typically has great financial aid for students who need aid, so hopefully that will work out for you. Congrats on getting into those schools.