Chances at Harvard, Princeton, MIT, etc.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi guys. This is my first chances thread, so let's give it a shot.
I go to one of the top 20 private high schools in the USA. We send 20% of our class to Ivies every year, and the rest usually go to the top 20's anyways.
White male
Maryland
Upper-middle class</p>

<p>Here's my situation. I got all C's and B's freshman year due to the fact that my father had a stroke when I was in 8th grade and was still recuperating at that time. Then I really stepped it up Sophomore/Junior/Senior year. I'm in the top 10% of my class. Took the most classes possible.</p>

<p>Sophomore:
Algebra 2: A+/A+
AP Macroeconomics: A/NA (half-year course)
AP Computer Science A: A/A
Honors Chemistry: A/A
Spanish III: A/A
English II: A/A</p>

<p>Took the CS and Macro AP's got 5's on both.</p>

<p>Junior:
Honors Precalculus: A+/A
AP Chemistry: A/A
Physics: A-/B+
Spanish IV Honors: A/A
English III: A/A-
AP US History: A/A</p>

<p>Chem AP: 5
USH AP: 5</p>

<p>So far Senior Year:
AP Calculus: A
Creative Writing: A+
AP Environmental Science: A
Latin American Studies: A
MODD: A
AP Spanish: A
~~~
SAT: Math/CR/Essay - 780/740/800
SAT II's:
Math Level I: 800
Math Level II: 780
Chemistry: 800
US History: 750
~~~
Recs: Should be fantastic, a lot of these teachers I had throughout high school. They will probably speak to my motivation and change from freshman year to now.
~~~
Essays: Will speak about my trip to New Orleans and how it affected my life. I'm a good writer, so they should be fine.
~~~
Extras:
JETS Engineering Team: 10/11/12 (nationally ranked)
Math Team: 9/10/11/12
Voyageur program, which is an every day after-school sport.
Editor for one of our school newspapers 11/12
Writer for both of our school newspapers: 10
Chorale (Chorus): 10/11/12 - Went on several trips all across the US to perform. It's a huge time commitment.
Went to New Orleans to help in the rebuilding effort for 7 days.
Intern at NIH doing research on toxicology, published much of my research: 10/11/12
~~~
Awards:
National Merit Finalist
Most Improved Student (got this 10th grade)
Several Community Service awards
Honor Roll
AP scholar</p>

<p>I'm sure there's a ton I'm forgetting, so :/
~~~
They don't calculate our GPA's and don't release the exact rank you are, so I don't have those for you. I know I'm at least top 10%. What really worries me is my freshman year.</p>

<p>Calculate my chances at:
Harvard
MIT
Princeton
Cornell
WUSTL
NYU
Emory
Duke
UMich
UMD (safety)
GWU (safety)</p>

<p>Thanks for spending the time to read this.</p>

2

<p>If you can't do the math yourself, I guess you're going to have to settle for your safety ... GWU.</p>

3

<p>Haha okay I sense sarcasm, but why are you so sure that I can get into any of those schools?</p>

<p>edit: whoa how did this reply come before your post</p>

4

<p>I think you're fine... as far as your numbers and ECs go. Colleges will forgive your freshman year. I mean... come on... you were a freshman. :p Just make sure you don't write one of those cliche "How My Trip to New Orleans Changed My Life" essays.</p>

5

<p>I feel like my internship at NIH is a really strong hook for me. Am I correct in this assumption? NIH internships are very exclusive.</p>

6

<p>I disagree... I think that one of those "cliche" essays (with a new spin, of course) may help to cement the OP's appeal with the colleges because they provide some sort of calling card (or nickname generator, I like to call it). Often it is the most cliche essays that are the most appealing... I would really like to see the OP tackle one of those "life-changing moment" essays. It could be magic!!!</p>

<p>Great chances for HYP, and research will really help you with MIT. However, the only part of the app that is somewhat lackluster is the awards. If you can, work on that, b/c the other activities are fine.</p>

<p>EDIT: This is in response to Anniushka</p>

7

<p>While your school may not rank, colleges will know where you stand in your class. They have formulas for top schools and guess at the others.</p>

<p>Your rank will probably make H and P impossible. Mediocre ECs on top of that make the other top schools an uphill climb.</p>

<p>Maybe Cornell and Emory on the high end.</p>

8

<p><a href="http://www.lost.eu/1f919%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.lost.eu/1f919&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

9

<p>You said that your school sends 20% to Ivies.. you are top 10% (and the main reason for this is probably because of the fluke of a freshman year which the top schools will discount after seeing your Soph/Junior/Senior year grades) with great SATs and EC's. You have good shots at all the schools (not a shoe-in, but a good shot at the top).</p>

<p>Suze might try and read the entire post the next time..</p>

10

<p>Suze, an exclusive internship that was 9-5 5 days a week during the entire summer isn't exactly a mediocre EC.</p>

<p>You also didn't notice the fact that I go to a top 15 private high school which sends 20% to Ivies each year.</p>

11

<p>Suze is just a downer.. sometimes/usually it's called for, this time I think she just skimmed your post a little too quickly.</p>

12

<p>Thanks Windslicer. And you're correct that my freshman year really messed up my rank. However, my admissions counselor wrote each school a letter stating the reason for my subpar freshman year, which I feel was warranted. My dad had a stroke.</p>

13

<p>A top private schools it's not the top 20% that are the kids who get into the top colleges. A HUGE number are legacies, they have top URMs, development candidates and more than their share of recruited athletes. </p>

<p>Windslicer, read some books and some common data sets.</p>

14

<p>Agree with Suze, too many kids have 4 strong years. Also a little hard to understand how you're still top 10% with such a weak freshman year.</p>

<p>An NIH internship is not a hook unless you made a major discovery doing it. They draw for the local area, it's not like RSI.</p>

15

<p>Suze, could you tell me what makes my ECs mediocre?</p>

16

<p>As I said, my counselor is submitting a letter stating my reason for having such a bad freshman year. She's extremely experienced and told me that my freshman year won't hurt me at all.</p>

17

<p>That's a very unsupportable thing for a counselor to say.</p>

18

<p>Okay, well I disagree that my ECs are mediocre and would like an explanation to back that claim up.</p>

19

<p>Dude, you can't take this stuff personally.. what's done is done. Just gotta sit back and hope the cards turn out in your favor.</p>

<p>And suze, I'll leave the reading of those exciting data sets to you.</p>

20

<p>They're just opinions, which you can believe or not. But don't post for opinions and then argue with people.</p>

<p>The top schools are only going to take so many from your school. You're up against Senator's kids and the other well connected, legacies and other hooked candidates. You do the numbers.</p>