Chances at Elite Schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey guys, chance me. I'm a junior in a noncompetitive NJ public high.</p>

<p>I either want to major in biophysics, math or physics; so I'm mostly undecided.</p>

<p>I'd like to hear your opinions about my chances at:</p>

<p>Princeton
University of Chicago
Stanford
Harvard
Yale
MIT
Oxford</p>

<p>Also, I'd like it if you offer me suggestions for safeties. As of now I am thinking Rutgers U.</p>

<p>SAT: 2320
SAT Math Level 2: 800
SAT Biology-M: 800
SAT something, prob. Chemistry - to be taken
AP's: Biology* - 5, This year- Calculus BC, Statistics, Chemistry (self-study), Government, El Espanol</p>

<p>*I never took AP Biology, just first year lab bio.</p>

<p>GPA: Probably 4.0 unweighted as of now, I'm probably valedictorian as of now as well.
-Toughest course-load</p>

<p>Knowledge Bowl - Captain
Mathematics Club/Society - Founder
Jazz ensemble
Project 540
Philosophy Club
X-Country
Spring Tennis</p>

<p>I've also played guitar for a bit more than 3 years now and play in a garage band.
I'm also quite daft in digital art/design and photography.</p>

<p>Spanish Honor Society
American Technology Honor Society</p>

<p>-Merck Scholar, 1st Place in Biology at Merck State Science Day
-Paid research internship in neuroscience over the summer at a respected university and facility
~100 hours hospital volunteer (helping out with patient care)</p>

<p>Next year I'm probably taking both parts of AP Physics C off of Stanford EPGY and multivariable calc/differential equations from somewhere. I may also take an introductory abstract algebra course if schedule/opportunity permits. I'm also thinking about going to elementary schools weekly to teach the little ones Spanish, 'cause next year seems quite lax as I've exhausted all my school offers minus AP english and modern world history for next year</p>

2

<p>You've got a chance at any of those, but you don't have any really good EC's until Junior year. Seems like you didn't really care and then all of a sudden decided to do all this stuff, which colleges don't really like.</p>

<p>But I'd say you have a good chance.</p>

3

<p>My bad for the ambiguity; I've been doing most of this stuff since freshmen or sophomore year.</p>

4

<p>Speed bump.</p>

5

<p>i'd say you have a shot at all of them ... oxford is mostly interested in how your interview goes & how the written test for whatever subject you want to study goes. for uchicago all i can say is you need to make sure your essays are really strong. </p>

<p>good luck</p>

6

<p>Jazz, photography, philosophy, math, sport...
I'd say those are pretty good EC's.
It's important to distinguish between various AP exams. Taking stats and calculus a year early is quite rare and impressive. So is self-studying chemistry.</p>

7

<p>Well, I'm guessing from the Merck 1st in bio thing that you must be from Holmdel? Anyways, you have nice shots at each of HYPMS, and you're def. in at Chicago.</p>

8

<p>I would not advise you to apply to Oxford if you are undecided. You have to apply for a specific subject and stick with it. no extra classes outside your subject, no minors.</p>

9

<p>Hey thanks all for all the input.</p>

<p>cupcake, I think that is good advice. I'll probably only apply if I feel I have a good sense of what I want to study. At the moment I have quite a strong penchant for maths. Ideally I'd like to enroll in some sort of math/physics major, which I know Cambridge has.</p>

<p>foolonthehill161, I'm actually from Camden county.</p>