<p>Hello. I am currently a junior. I intend to apply to Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, UPenn, Cornell and a few other top schools. Please tell me what you think my chances are, and where I could improve/ other schools I should be looking at.
Additionally, would I stand a chance SCEA Harvard?</p>
<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): 2240/1530 (790M 740CR 710W)
[</em>] SAT II: 800 Physics 790 Math II 770 US History
[<em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 (most rigorous schedule)
[</em>] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/340
[<em>] APs: AP Euro, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, AP Calculus AB, AP English Language, AP USH, AP Biology, AP Statistics (self study)
[</em>] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP French, AP US Government, AP Lit, AP Physics C, AP Art History + College Psychology, College Environmental Science and College Latin
[<em>] Major Awards (some of these are predicted): National Merit Commended, Science Congress 2 years (Merit+Chapter Award), Questbridge Finalist (hopefully), AP National Scholar. Additionally some local/school awards and I will enter Intel next year, not sure how well I will do.
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars:
-Science Club, Vice President 4 years
-Math Club, President 4 years
-Quiz Bowl Team, President/Captain 3 years
-Partners in Science program 4 years
-Local Biology Competition 2 years
-National Honor Society
-National French Honor Society
-National Latin Honor Society
-Research at a physics laboratory
Taking college class at a university campus
-Varsity Tennis 3 years
-Boys Varsity Tennis 3 Years (manager)
[<em>] Job/Work Experience: Tutoring in Latin.
[</em>] Volunteer/Community service: Helped start and carry out a recycling program at my school for 4 years. Historical Society research in 11th grade.
[<em>] Summer Activities: Simons Summer Research Program
[</em>] Essays: Going to be great, work on them during the summer.
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: Will be amazing.
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Not sure.
[<em>] Additional Rec: From scientist I work with.
[</em>] Interview: Planning to do one with every school.
[/ul]Other:[ul]
[<em>]State: NY
[</em>]School Type: Public
[<em>]Ethnicity: White (European, see below.)
[</em>]Gender: Female
[<em>]Income Bracket: <20,000
[</em>]Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Questbrige, woman in science. I am also a citizen of Belarus and lived there for 9 years.
[/ul]</p>
<p>Bump/Forgotten Info</p>
<p>I will probably be sending a supplement consisting of my physics research. Additionally, I may retake my SATs for a 2300+.</p>
<p>See if you can be matched to a college via Questbridge</p>
<p>Thanks for your response. :)</p>
<p>I don’t want to be bound to a college, even though QB partners are amazing. I will apply RD though QB. </p>
<p>As an alternative, I could rank Yale, Princeton and MIT for the match (as they are non binding) however, that means I couldn’t apply to my top choice - Harvard. </p>
<p>Please share any thoughts, my decisions are not set in stone and I welcome any and all ideas.</p>
<p>Well you have a slight hook. Your grades are good and your ECs relate to your major. I think the science and the foreign citizenship may push you over the edge at at least one of those schools. I have no idea about QB vs SCEA, so I will leave that to more informed CCers (I would like to know too 
)</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks, Metrical. It makes me feel a bit better. Although I am still not sure that I would have a decent chance at Harvard (I know it’s a long shot for everyone, but I mean not 6%), or at any ivy for that matter. </p>
<p>I am leaning towards SCEA at Harvard, but being able to rank Yale MIT Princeton and Stanford for the match round may help my chances a lot more. I think I would be happy at any of these places, but as I’ve said Harvard is my top choice. </p>
<p>I hope more people weigh in! :D</p>
<p>I did some research. If you don’t get matched ED to those non-binding schools, then you can reapply RD. Also, if you are matched, you can still apply to other schools via RD (QB and non QB schools). </p>
<p>I don’t know, it seems like if you do Harvard SCEA and then get deffered or rejected, you would have ‘wasted’ the EA process. Whereas even if you don’t get matched with the schools you ranked, you would be able to reapply. I think chance-wise, you have a better shot a QB. I am not sure what sort of chance you have at Harvard.</p>
<p>Being a female going into the sciences and with a good amount of research under your belt, you’ve got a decent shot. </p>
<p>Only place I can see room for improvement in your profile is the awards category. Not saying your awards are lacking, but they just aren’t particularly impressive (though I’m not sure how impressive questbridge is as an award). If you could get involved in any competitions that surpass the local level, that would be a reallly nice addition to your profile. Intel is a good example but it doesn’t even have to be that prestigious- just something that is more impressive than winning random events at school/local academic meets.</p>
<p>Thanks Pancaked. You have a fair point, but I am not sure what competitions I could get involved in. Do you have any suggestions? Can’t think of anything not prestigious that is also impressive. XD</p>
<p>Metrical: Thanks for doing the research! I am surprised that you can reapply if not matched (I guess I was over thinking it). It may be true that I’d have a better chance with QB, but EA Harvard has a significantly higher acceptance rate (I think, not 100% sure since it was just reinstated).</p>
<p>I am not sure you would get into Harvard, or have a chance above their published rate, even with EA. Even the QB schools are a bit out of reach imo. I would say aim a bit lower.</p>
<p>Could you be a bit more specific as to why?</p>
<p>I think you have a good shot at all of these colleges. But understand that the whole thing is a crapshoot.</p>
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<p>Haha, I’ve been hearing that so much lately, seems to be true too. I just hope I can get into at least one of my top choices, but then again, who doesn’t?</p>
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<p>Your SAT scores are a bit low. You don’t have outstanding awards and your ECs/Community service is nothing out of the ordinary or exciting. Sorry if it’s harsh, but that’s my honest opinion.</p>
<p>Make sure you have a safety - something like University of Buffalo or Binghamton. It is amazing how many great students just don’t get accepted to the schools you list. So I kinda agree with Fusion.</p>
<p>And you really can’t afford privates that don’t meet full need.</p>
<p>I also think you should look at Smith and Mt. Holyoke. With your income you would probably get a good financial aid package from them.</p>
<p>There seems to be many different opinions. I will definitely have a safety school, but it probably won’t be in NY state. Maybe BU or Boston College. </p>
<p>Thanks for your honest opinions guys. I may save some time by not applying to some of those ivies.</p>
<p>Honey I don’t mean to be blunt:</p>
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<p>You need to add something that you can definitely afford. It is doubtful that BU or Boston College will give you a package that you would be able to afford.</p>
<p>With your stats, you probably would be able to go to UB for free with additional scholarships. It might not be your first choice, but if you don’t get into a school that meets 100% of need, you just won’t be able to go to college. Check out this message board and see how many kids with stats like yours are posting that they got zero acceptances. These kids are not slackers. They just didn’t recognize the crapshoot that admission to the elite schools is.</p>
<p>I have been through 5 college application cycles with my kids, plus my own as a non-traditional student. My younger two both applied to ivies (with excellent stats as well), and didn’t get in. It is worth a shot, but there are no guarantees with the Ivies.</p>
<p>Oh wow you guys are being a bit harsh on her. The fact that she is a QB applicant kind of ensures that she will get good financial packages, at least at the non-ivy QB schools. </p>
<p>Besides I don’t understand the ‘no chance’ or ‘very very slim chance’ attitudes you guys have. I mean, okay she doesn’t have 2400 on her SATs and isn’t a URM, but also not the your run-of-the-mill unhooked applicant. I’d say she would at least get into Cornell, where she would have a full ride anyway. </p>
<p>Personally I wouldn’t suggest wasting time applying to a bunch of state schools. Maybe one as a worst case scenario back-up. I would seriously consider QB match over SCEA at Harvard though, as I’ve mentioned before.</p>
<p>susgeek, you have a good point. I am hoping it doesn’t come down to that, but I will add a school on my list that is a safety in a financial way. Thank you. </p>
<p>Metrical, thanks for the confidence in me, you seem to have more of it than I do. XD
I think they’re being truthful, even if it sounds harsh it’s better than finding out your senior year when you’re out of options.</p>
<p>I also have confidence in you <em>hugs</em> I think your chances at the ivies are as good as so many other kids. It is not that <em>you</em> have a slim chance - everyone that applies has a slim chance. I just want to make sure that an amazing young person such as yourself has all the options they need :)</p>