Chances and help cutting down list please

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am a senior in a competitive high school in St Louis, MO. I moved there 2 months into my jr year from an audition only arts school in Toronto, Canada. I'm white and jewish, so no minority.</p>

<p>My stats are as follows:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.5 (I'm having it recalculated because of my move-some things got messed up...it should be higher)</p>

<p>PSAT: 204 (national merit something)
SAT: 1950 (taken once)
SAT II: I'm taking them in Oct</p>

<p>ACT: 29, 30, 32 (I took this again, will get results this week) got a 10 on my essay as the highest </p>

<p>Sr Year: Taking AP chem, ap bio, ap us hist, ap english lang, ap psychology, honors pre calc, some gym classes</p>

<p>Frechman-Jr years: took honors classes when i could- my shool in canada did not have them</p>

<p>ec: Varsity soccer-12, jv tennis-11, varsity mock trial team-11, 12 (ranked 1st in region), green club-12, PPP (new club just started-kinda like MADD)-12 (leadership role), student ambassador-12, school musical leads-9-12, musical theatre performance ec group-9-10, principal oboist in symph orchestra and concert band-9-10, head assistant director for $25000 school production -10</p>

<p>summers: ive worked in 3 labs, including one at umass med school (which my project was published in Blood (im a co author)), one at harvard/mgh (possible publication pending)</p>

<p>colleges that i am thinking about applying to still-i know this list needs to be cut down, so any advice is appreciated</p>

<p>umich (i will apply very soon, my status here will also help me cut down this list), yale (single choice e.a., legacy), harvard (legacy), UVA (legacy), Vanderbilt, Tufts, Brown, Boston College, American, Georgetown, Tulane, Colorado College, UC Boulder, U Denver, U Miami, Columbia, Case Western, Oberlin, Northwestern, Trinity College (CT), Brandeis, Washington U in STL, U Chicago, U Penn, U Wisconsin (g-father went there).</p>

<p>so, again i know my list is wayyyy too long, but i need help, that's why im here. thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Oh, and also: I will have really good recs from my lab jobs over the summers- head of onc/hem at VA hospital, head of onc/hem professor at umass med, professor at Harvard/MGH
teachers are different because i moved, but both are stong recs.</p>

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<p>how do you have legacy at harvard, UVA, and yale?</p>

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<p>My dad went to harvard undergrad and med school, my mom went to yale undergrad and UVA law.</p>

5

<p>grad schools dont count for legacy</p>

6

<ol>
<li><p>In general, you're a legacy at a school if your parents were undergrads at that school. Having a parent who went to graduate school at a particular school usually doesn't mean you're a legacy there.</p></li>
<li><p>Given your GPA, SAT, and ACT scores, it's highly unlikely you'll be accepted at Harvard or Yale, even as a legacy. It is even less likely you will be accepted at any other Ivy. All the Ivies are big reaches for you.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Your other schools:</p>

<p>UMich - High Match (Out of State)
UVA - Reach (Out of State)
Vanderbilt - High match/low reach
Tufts - High match/low reach
Boston College - High Match
American - Match
Georgetown - High match/low reach
Tulane - Match
Colorado College - Match
UC Boulder - Low Match/Safety
U Denver - Low Match/Safety
U Miami - Match
Case Western - Match
Oberlin - High Match
Northwestern - Reach
Trinity College (CT) - Match
Brandeis - High Match
Washington U in STL - Reach
U Chicago - Reach
U Wisconsin - Match</p>

<p>A comment:</p>

<p>Your list is all over the place. You need to limit it by criteria that are important to you. For example, do you want a large school or a small one? A school where sports are more important or where academics are more important? A school that has a thriving performing arts scene? A school in a city, in the suburbs, in the boonies, in the mountains? A school where it's warm all the time, etc. Once you've established your criteria - including a good reputation in the areas you may want to major in - then you can create a more targeted list.</p>

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<p>You have no shot at the ivies. You're a white, jewish kid with an average GPA, average SATs and good, but not exceptional ECs. There will be other white jewish kids applying with 2400's and 4.0s. It doesn't look as if you have any hooks to make up for that. </p>

<p>I'm not trying to be harsh, but I wouldn't waste the application fee for Harvard or Yale.</p>

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<p>The only shot at H and Y is if your parents have given millions. Legacies have average stats for those schools and your stats are not even close.</p>

<p>Amptron's assessment is correct.</p>

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<p>At UVA grad school gets you in state consideration-I've checked.
Thanks for everyones response.</p>

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<p>The reason my GPA is where it is is because in Canada (especially at an Arts school like I went to) grades do not count for college admissions until the fall semester of senior year, and even then they only take the top 5 grades. So, the attitude of the students and teachers is much different that it is here. My GPA since moving is actually much higher.
I'm not sure how much (if at all) that affects anything, but if anyone has anything to say about that I would appreciate it. </p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>Also, does anyone have any advice about the schools I am interested in besides just saying dont apply to ivies because I won't get in?
I am thinking probably medicine, but I would like a school with lots of opportunities because I have a lot of interests.</p>

12

<p>I'm Canadian, it won't matter. I didn't get into Harvard the first time I tried either.</p>

13

<p>"I didn't get into Harvard the first time I tried either."
does that mean that you tried again and then got in? What happened?</p>

14

<p>A year at McGill with a very high GPA and a major research breakthrough in a summer job.</p>

15

<p>And then you transfered? congrats.</p>

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<p>Oh. BTW, 3.5 is unweighted. if it were recalculated I'm sure it would be much higher- I have taken all honors/ap courses.</p>

17

<p>Could anyone else let me know what they think of my schools?
Thanks!</p>