Chances at MIT, Caltech, etc.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi everybody. I would like feedback about my chances at MIT, Caltech, Stanford, and Cornell. I don't want to apply to HYP, but my parents will probably make me anyway. I'm a junior at a decent suburban public school in Upstate New York.</p>

<p>PSAT (last year): 78M, 70CR, 74W. I don't know how I did this year.</p>

<p>I haven't taken any SATs in a while, so I don't know how well I'll do on those. I plan to take the old-format SAT in December and possibly the new format one sometime next year. I haven't taken any SATs II, but I think I'll take Physics, Math II, Writing, and World History.</p>

<p>APs: I have taken Calc BC, Computer Science AB, World History, and Stats, and I got 5s on all of these. I'm taking AP English Language, Physics B, Physics C, US History, and Chemistry. I'm also teaching myself AP Euro. I should be able to get 5 on all of these except for English. I plan to have 15-17 APs by the time I graduate.</p>

<p>grades:
I get 97+ in most of my classes. English isn't going very well for me, though. I have an 88 in AP English :(.</p>

<p>I should be in the top 5 of my 350-400 person class. Unfortunately, my school doesn't weight GPAs. If they did, I would probably be the valedictorian.</p>

<p>Miscellaneous scores:
highest AMC-12 score: 116, but I have been getting 125-130 on practice ones.</p>

<p>highest AIME score: 5</p>

<p>I shouldn't have too much problem making USAMO this year.</p>

<p>EC:
Science Olympiad, since seventh grade; only failed to make states once, in eighth grade... I mostly do physics stuff.</p>

<p>founder of Redundant Redundancy, a math team... I think we did okay on AHSIMC (around 78). Hopefully, we'll do well at HMMT.</p>

<h1>1 Freshman and Sophomore in Monroe County Math League</h1>

<p>Monroe County 'A' team, a NYSML team, since 9th grade</p>

<p>no research yet, but hopefully I'll make RSI. If not, I should be able to do stuff at the University of Rochester Lab for Laser Energetics.</p>

<p>I think I have around 50 hours of community service, mostly math tutoring and stuff. I'm also in the Rotary Interact club at my school.</p>

<p>I assume it doesn't help that I'm an Asian male. Should I leave the race thing blank on my applications?</p>

2

<p>You have nice, solid stats. It's good that you're applying to MIT and Caltech with Calculus BC and Physics C already under your belt.</p>

3

<p>You have a good chance, but Caltech is a super-reach if you don't have research, but it's good you're doing those math competitions, hopefully you will qualify for rsi, I'd give you a 55.7-65.4% chance at Caltech w/ rsi or other research, 50.1-55.2% chance w/o research, 65% chance at MIT w/o research, 70% chance w/ research</p>

4

<p>Celebrian25, where do you get these probabilities?</p>

<p>Also, does anyone think I can get into RSI?</p>

<p>More random info:
I play the violin, although I'm rather bad at it.
I'll hopefully play varsity tennis this year.
I'm the captain of my school's Masterminds (kids' version of College Bowl) team.
I'm on my school's chess team, but I'm quite bad at chess (I'm fifth board).
My school's math team doesn't have a captain, but I run the practice sessions for it. I might also run a sort of class for AMC.</p>

5

<p>Also, I thought Caltech is easier to get into than MIT.</p>

6

<p>i'd say you have pretty good chances into caltech, your SATs are high and so is your gpa.<br>
hey, good luck on making it to usamo! I'm hoping on making it also and bringing some of my classmates with me. we have a math team at our school also.</p>

7

<p>Good job thus far! Try to schedule your SAT II's so you don't have to take more than 2 at a time, and prep for them. World History in particular covers a lot of information. More on Africa than in the Real SAT II's, for example. You will want to have your SAT II's as close to perfect as possible.</p>

<p>Try to visit your schools - Caltech will be quite different from Stanford, for example. Its not just getting in - its getting in somewhere you really like.</p>

8

<p>USAMO-I should definitely practice AIME more. Last year, I concentrated on practicing for AIME, and I got 98.5 on the AMC. I think I was a bit overconfident. I visited Harvard and MIT this summer and Princeton the summer before. About 4 years ago, I went to CTY at Stanford. I plan to visit Caltech this year.</p>

9

<p>Caltech might be easier based on selectivity, but I think those who apply are of a higher caliber, I mean you have a chance at MIT without research, but at Caltech, it really decreases your chances</p>

10

<p>Does anyone have any advice regarding Early Action, Decision, etc? I'm thinking about doing EA at MIT. I REALLY want to go there.</p>

11

<p>I feel like bumping this.</p>

12

<p>Please don't make me bump again.</p>

13

<p>A senior friend of mine applied EA to MIT last year. He was deferred, then rejected.</p>

<p>Even though he made fives on Chemistry and US History and had nice SAT scores and ECs, he had to compete against guys who applied to MIT EA having taken ten to fifteen APs, all with fives. Moreover, he did not finish Calculus and Physics when he applied.</p>

<p>You already took and made a five on BC Calculus. This is good. You're in Physics now, which is also good.</p>

<p>I know Caltech has a "suggested course requirement" list on their website. Look at it.</p>

14

<p>I have seen those suggestions. They aren't too bad. I should have ten APs at the end of this year, 12 if you count BC and Physics C as two.</p>

15

<p>well if ur hs offers it, try to take college courses instead of just plain old IB or AP classes if its not too late.They are pretty much ranked from degree of difficulty from:</p>

<p>Honors
AP
IB
Cl - College Level</p>

<p>A large percentage at caltech took college level classes. Since AP credit is pretty much worthless, if you are accepted, because u will need to take a placement test to get a pass on certain credits. </p>

<p>1500 Sat is good, with a 800 in math.
32 Act is good, with a 36 in math.</p>

16

<p>I'm teaching myself multivariable calc and linear algebra.</p>

17

<p>cool, just make sure you take the class and pass it to get the credit you deserve</p>