Chances at Ivies and Other Top Schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Indian-American male from Cali</p>

<p>GPA: 3.78 UW (going to a very competitive HS, one of top 30 for admissions in top 10 most selective universities according to the Wall Street Journal)
4.08 UC Weighted
Have taken 12 APs cumulatively (second highest in school)</p>

<p>SAT Is
Composite
Critical Reading - 800
Math - 800
Writing - 730
Total - 2330</p>

<p>SAT IIs
Biology-M - 800
Math Level 2 - 780
Chemistry - 780
US History - 770</p>

<p>APs
AP Computer Science A 5
AP Computer Science AB 4
AP US History 5
AP European History 5
AP Spanish Language 4
AP Biology 5
AP Calculus BC/AB Subscore 5/5
AP Chemistry 5 (self studied)
AP Statistics 5
AP Physics B
AP English Literature
AP Spanish Literature</p>

<p>ECs
Research Intern at the Children’s Hospital of Oakland Research Institute (11-12) </p>

<p>India Literacy Project (9-12) - Sold T-Shirts, Raised $1000, designed website, wrote and published articles in India West newspaper, Went to India and developed child profiles of kids at the project sites; Donated Dupont Winnings ($1500) to ILP, which was used to build flush toilets and benches </p>

<p>Democracy Matters (10-12) - Treasurer; Raised money through Club Fairs and various events. Hosted a workshop on the different kinds of elections in our democracy</p>

<p>Debate (11-12)
Varsity Tennis (9,11-12)
Band - (9-10,12)
Tutored 2nd graders in math
Taught lower schoolers tennis</p>

<p>Honors and Awards</p>

<li>First Place, Senior Division, Dupont Challenge Essay Contest 2005 (out of 5,000 contestants)- (11) </li>
<li>Siemens Westinghouse Competition Semifinalist (one of 335 nationwide, from a contestant pool of 1684) - (12) </li>
<li>AP National Scholar - (11)</li>
<li>National Merit Semifinalist - (12) </li>
<li>Awarded $3000 grant from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for Summer research at Children’s Hospital - (11)</li>
<li>Prudential “Spirit of Community” Award: Distinguished State Finalist, one of top 10 in state of CA, out of 20,000 nationwide for my work in the India Literacy Project - (11) </li>
<li>President’s Volunteer Service Award: Based on over 1.2 yrs of involvement with ILP - (11) </li>
<li>Cal Service Corps. Office of Governor. Service and Volunteer Star: Based on Distinguished Finalist recognition - (11) </li>
<li>Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition: Honored as a top youth volunteer in state by U.S. Representative Pete Stark for my involvement with ILP - (11) </li>
<li>Public Policy Debate at California High Tournament - 2nd Place - (11) </li>
<li>Certificate of Merit (CA music teachers association) Level 5 Alto Saxophone - (9)</li>
</ol>

<p>Good Teacher Recs, Good essays</p>

<p>Yale SCEA
Harvard
Stanford
Princeton
UPenn
MIT
Duke
Cornell
JHU
UC Berkeley
UCLA
UCSD
UCD</p>

2

<p>I think you have a very good shot, as your EC's are both impressive and interesting. The GPA might cause a bit of trouble, but your scores are so high so it should be OK.</p>

<p>Yale SCEA: 50%
HSPM: 30%
Penn: 45% (more into grades)
Duke: 55% (more into scores)
Cornell: 65%
JHU: 65%
UC's: safe matches and safeties</p>

<p>As I'm sure you know it's a bit of a crapshoot. And I wouldn't be too surprised if you got into Harvard and were rejected from Cornell...but that's how it goes.</p>

<p>Good luck to you! You will end up somewhere good.</p>

3

<p>wrathofgod64:</p>

<p>UCB/UCLA: Match
UCSD: Safety
UCD: Super Safety</p>

4

<p>thanks for the responses. anyone else?</p>

5

<p>I'd love to know how stambliark came up with those percentages lol. Your chances are Duke are better than 55%. :rolleyes:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Good Teacher Recs, Good essays

[/quote]

This is the only thing that worries me. For HYPSM (your reaches) you don't need good essays; you need excellent essays. </p>

<p>Other than that, your application is very impressive, and I'm willing to bet you'll get into many of the schools on your list.</p>

6

<p>Thanks warbler, i feel my essays were pretty good, each one shows a different side of me. Any other comments?</p>

7

<p>bump...anyone else?</p>

8

<p>Well, I would like to know your class rank. If it is top 5%, I'd say you are overall one of the best candidates on this board and thus have an excellent chance at every school on your list.</p>

9

<p>Hm, I am surprised at some of the replies.</p>

<p>Yale SCEA: 50%
HSPM: 30% </p>

<p>?????</p>

<p>Aren't these percentages a bit too high?
I mean, the OP is a great candidate, but I don't really see anything special in his/her stats that many people claim Harvard seeks. </p>

<p>I would think that OP is an above average applicant, but not "excellent".
Am I being too harsh/pessimistic?</p>

10

<p>You are a lock everywhere but HYPS. Harvard is tougher than Yale from California and other big IVY feeder states, because they go for the big fish in the little pond people. You are a big fish in a big pond, and are awesome.</p>

11

<p>rookie- SCEA has a relatively large admit rate- around 20-22%. That said, a 50% chance at Yale does seem a bit much. All of the #'s seemed off, to be honest. And yes, the OP is an excellent applicant- Siemens Westinghouse alone is very impressive.</p>

12

<p>"I mean, the OP is a great candidate, but I don't really see anything special in his/her stats that many people claim Harvard seeks."</p>

<p>She got a 1600</p>

13

<p>our school doesn't rank, but i think that there are 17 people within the 3.76-3.99 UW GPA bracket</p>

14

<p>You are awesomw, and despite what they say, a 1600 is an eye-opener.</p>

15

<p>Cal/UCLA: Match
UCSD: Safety</p>

16

<p>wrathofgod64, your GPA is quite low. I'm not too sure about your ECs either--they seem like the kind of things kids do just to get into college. I mean, who enters competitions like the Dupont Challenege with any other motivation other than wanting something to put on their transcript? I think things like the Dupont Challenge and Siemmens Westinghouse may lead admissions officers to question your other ECs, such as the India Literacy project. Did this student actually care about these causes or did they want to beef up their record?</p>

<p>Your Match Level 2 score is also a problem, especially for an Indian male. Everyone knows Indian males all get 800s, so what's wrong with you? ;) I think these are your chances:</p>

<p>Yale SCEA 42.69865%
Harvard 24.6958343%
Stanford 26.69123%
Princeton 27.6921893%
UPenn 45.69364289%
MIT 30.6923829%
Duke 40.692438928%
Cornell 50.6934903%
JHU 60.6934908398%
UC Berkeley 63.69394389%
UCLA 69.6930942%
UCSD 90.6934289%
UCD 101.6942398298%</p>

17

<p>gmman,</p>

<p>How on earth did you come up with those silly percentages? (Other than pulling them out of your...err...)</p>

18

<p>Wow! "Calculate my chances" indeed! :p</p>

19

<p>gmman, I find it amusing that after every single decimal point comes "69" lol</p>

20

<p>:) It's a coincidence, I swear!</p>