Chances at Cornell, Chi, Wisc, Wash, and Mich

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm a California HS senior and I'm looking to get into Cornell University, University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, or University of Michigan. I want to major in physics and/or astronomy.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.5 (UW), 3.8 (W)
SAT: 2160: 780 (M), 720 (V), 660 (W)
SAT II: 800 (Math II), 770 (Physics)</p>

<p>I have taken 8 AP/honors courses and am going to take 2 more my senior year. Also, my school offers accelled math that counts for college credit and is not on my HS transcript. I got a 4.0 in that.</p>

<p>I'm going to take one more SAT II (Bio) in sept.
My extracurricular activities are underwhelming, maybe 120 hours of CS and no awards. I attend a top 100 ranked school in the nation.</p>

<p>I realize Cornell and Chicago are probably reaches for me, but oh well...</p>

<p>Anyways, let me know what you think my chances are.</p>

2

<p>Try bringing up your GPA and participate in more ECs. You may have to jump a little, but nothing is ever out of reach.</p>

3

<p>Reject at Cornell, reject at Chicago, and in at the rest.</p>

4

<p>It's a little late in the game to be really getting into ECs. You have a pretty good chance at Wisconsin and Washington, maybe Michigan as well. You don't show enough personality in your application, unless you write an AMAZING essay. Reject at Cornell and Chicago. </p>

<p>Why don't you consider the UCs?</p>

5

<p>This is easy--</p>

<p>Cornell--Reach (GPA/Rank and ECs are weak)
Chicago--Slight Reach to Reach
Wisconsin--Match
Washington--Match
Michigan--Waitlisted</p>

<p>Whether you get into Michigan depends on what you do to get in off the waitlist--you should start lining up the people who will call on your behalf, anyone you worked for, the teacher that sees something special in your work, that group you worked extra hard for on a voluntary basis because you really believe in their cause. (Whatever you do, don't do anything corny--like sending pictures of you visiting the school--or a pop-up card with you poping out in a Michigan outfit--or like writing a poem about you going to the school--these are all quick ways to make that "waitlist" a "rejection".)</p>

<p>Best of success.</p>

6

<p>I agree with the above chances. Michigan will be tough, but Washington and Wisconsin should be good.</p>

7

<p>Thanks a lot for all the repliesQ</p>

8

<p>Bad gpa, good test scores, bad ecs</p>

<p>Cornell - Reject
Chicago - Reach
Wisconsin - Match
Washington - Match
Michigan - Reach</p>

9

<p>You are way too critical. A 3.5 GPA is not "bad." And how is Chicago a 'slight reach' when Cornell is a reach? Last I checked, Chicago was more selective.</p>

<p>To the OP: don't give up -- still apply, and maybe you'll get in. Make your essays for Chicago really awesome, 'cause that could be what gets you in.</p>

10

<p>kyledavid,</p>

<p>I agree that Chicago is more selective than Cornell, but I personally placed Chicago in the "Slight Reach to Reach" category and Cornell in the "Reach" category since, as you also point out, Chicago relies a lot more on the essay than almost any other school.</p>

<p>A great essay could possibly get the OP in at Chicago--but would not do so at Cornell--something your comments also appear to support.</p>

11

<p>cornell and chicago are going to be hard for you but on the other hand, you are probably going to get into everything else. good luck anyways!</p>

12

<p>If you're serious about being a physics major, make sure that you also want to tackle Chicago's core curriculum:</p>

<p><a href="http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level2.asp?id=7%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level2.asp?id=7&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>If this excites you, and you are able to explain why you think that Chicago is the right school for you, I would say you're heading in the right direction.</p>