Chances at Ivies and "New Ivies"

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello :) I've asked for chances once before, but with some updated information I'd like to ask again, if that's ok.</p>

<p>Gender: F
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Location: Long Island
High School: Public
High School Type: sends some grads to top schools
Will apply for financial aid: Questionable, probably not--not cause we couldn't use it, but because the financial aid system works against middle-class families such as my own</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA - Unweighted: 3.98
GPA - Weighted: 4.23
Class Rank: School doesn't rank anymore, but I was 1/500 as of freshman year and should still be. Hopefully guidance counselor will mention this in her letter of rec.
APs: World History (5), US History (5), Physics B (5). Next year: Physics C, Italian, Computer Science, Government, Calc BC, English
I've taken all honors/aps whenever available, with the exception of required courses, chorus, and a pre-AP computer science class</p>

<p>Scores:
SAT I Math: 800
SAT I Critical Reading: 800
SAT I Writing: 800
SAT II U.S. History: 800
SAT II Physics: 770
SAT II Math Level 1 (IC): 720
^Will take the Math Level 2 to try to compensate for that score, I shouldn't have taken it as a sophomore.
PSAT: 222, should be NM</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Model UN (9-12)--my "passion" EC. Hours are hard to count--during the "prime" season, I'd often spend 10, 15 hours a week + trips. But the rest of the year, from like February on, its only 1 hr/week. Through the club, I'll have taken part in 11 conferences by graduation, and I've served as a mentor/head delegate on numerous occasions. Also, my MUN team is excellent, we consistently place in the top 5 of the country. HOWEVER--I did not receive a leadership position, much to my dismay. Stupid popularity-based votes....
Mathletes (9-12)--1-2 hr/week, Secretary (11), VP (12)
World Language Honor Society (11-12, only grades available)--1 hr/week, Treasurer (11), hopefully VP or President next year if everything works out...
Key Club (10-12)--unsure of hours, not much though. My only volunteer work... :/ Only a total of maybe 20 hours overall, should I even bother including it...?
All-Star Mathletes Team (11, hopefully 12 as well): 3 hr/week for 8 weeks + ARML and NYSML competitions
National Honor Society (12, only grade available)</p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
Practically nonexistant :/. About 20 hours through Key Club, and a few hours of peer SAT tutoring.
Also, does 7 hr/week of unpaid babysitting for my younger brother count...?</p>

<p>Jobs/Summers:
Camp counselor every summer
Babysitting
Math Tutor
Also, during the summer I help my dad prep for classes (he's a professor), about 1-2hr/week. Again, probably not worth mentioning...</p>

<p>Awards:
Model UN:
Outstanding Delegate (2nd place) Rutgers Model UN
Outstanding Delegate (2nd place) Harvard Model UN
Outstandng Delegate (1st place)/Verbal Recognition (3rd place), U of Chicago Model UN
Whole club won Best Large Delegation at Rutgers Model UN for 2 years
Math:
Gold Medalist Long Island Math Fair, Grades 9+10 (no room in schedule to continue afterwards)
AMC 10 School High Scorer
AMC 12 3rd in School
Qualified for All-Star Team (top 50 in county)
Etc:
National Italian Exam Honorable Mention, Grades 9-11
Dartmouth Book Award, St. Michael's Book Award
Team High Scorer in ARML (ok, I was on the B-team, but I'll take it)
School Choral Award, various school math awards</p>

<p>Hooks are nonexistant, and I'm well aware my lack of research/volunteer work is going to be a negative.
Recs should be good, essays will be gramatically and structurally excellent but uninspired. I'll certainly try my hardest, but expect them to be run-of-the-mill for ivies, nothing outstanding.</p>

<p>Schools (will be narrowed down, MM means merit money):
Ivies (except Brown/Columbia), possibly Wharton
Duke
UVA
Carnegie Mellon
Wash U (MM?)
? Johns Hopkins (MM?)
? UNC Chapel Hill (MM?)
? U Rochester (MM?)
? UMich Honors (MM?)
? Northwestern
? U Chicago (MM?)
SUNY Binghamton as a safety</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>The only place where you'd really be eligible for merit money would probably be URochester. Otherwise money would be nonforthcoming or given to instate students.</p>

<p>And for all the mail that WashU sends out, they really don't give out that much merit money. A place like NYU would be much for forthcoming.</p>

<p>And 20 hours of volunteer work is depressingly bad.</p>

3

<p>And the rest of his ECs are great..</p>

4

<p>nice SAT I i'm jealous. but ECs...okay, nothing that stands out. medium/high avg i would say.</p>

5

<p>Her MUN EC is really good..</p>

6

<p>you definitely have chances at ivies :)</p>

7

<p>Yeah his MUN ECs do stand out. Good Luck :)</p>

8

<p>How is NYU more forthcoming with merit money? They are practically the worst school in the country in giving out merit money? NYU gave out about $13,000 on average in frosh grants the last few years when their tuition was around $30,000--and almost all of that was need-based aid.</p>

<p>Washington Univ is much more lenient in this regard--the average frosh grant was around $25,000 the last few years when tuition was $31,000.</p>

<p>Decent merit money is a possibility at Chicago, John Hopkins, Rochester and WUSTL (as noted above). Michigan, UVA and UNC give okay amounts--but mostly just to in-state students. Carnegie-Mellon's numbers are closer to, but not as bad, as NYU's.</p>

9

<p>Fellow MUN-er! Although I'm in India...</p>

<p>And I think you have a nice chance.</p>

10

<p>bumpity bump. Thanks so far, but any more specific ideas?</p>

11

<p>hmm....bumpity doesn't work...bump=bring up my post...i cant possibly think of what bumpity would stand for...be patient..</p>

12

<p>You will get "almost" everywhere. As for merit money:
Duke - slim chance
Carnegie Mellon - OK chance
Wash U - no doubts, at least half-tuition, good chance for full tuition, write good essays, show interest
Johns Hopkins - in, MM questionable
UNC Chapel Hill - in MM questionable
U Rochester with MM
UMich Honors in with 20K/year (if LSA)
Northwestern -in they don't have MM
U Chicago -in, no MM</p>

13

<p>Wondering why you don't have interest in Columbia or Brown.</p>

14

<p>Why the heck are you even asking? You have a perfect GPA, perfect SAT, and great extra-curriculars.
Lol, yeah you're gonna be in the top run for all these schools.</p>

15

<p>^ because the poster is wondering about merit money possibilities.</p>

16

<p>No interest in Columbia because its too close, no interest in Brown because I visited it with MUN and could just tell it wasn't for me. Thanks for the responses so far, by the way!</p>

<p>Oh, and what is LSA?</p>

17

<p>For UVA, make sure your high school nominates you for a Jefferson</a> Scholarship.</p>

<p>It's a full ride plus leadership activities/workshops, public service fellowships, and free foreign study at Jefferson Scholars Programs in England, Italy, China, Tibet or Japan.</p>