Chances at Princeton and Dartmouth?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

State: Iowa
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Income: <18K
GPA: 4.84 W/3.88 UW
Top 10%
SAT: 2290 (800 CR, 720 M, 770 W E:11)

Coursework:
IB HL Philosophy
IB HL English
IB HL Biology
IB HL Spanish (I’m actually not a native speaker, so this is pretty difficult for me.)
IB SL Math Studies (I took Calculus junior year, but got stuck in this senior year because of a conflict…)
IB SL World History
IB Theory of Knowledge

Awards:
1st place TSA State 2014 (same event both years)
1st place TSA State 2013

8th in nation at FBLA Nationals 2014
2nd place FBLA State 2014
3rd place FBLA State 2015

3rd in nation at national journalism competition 2014 [team]
10th in nation at national journalism competition 2013 [team]

2nd place in a pretty unknown national-level essay contest

ECs:

Boys State

  • Elected State Treasurer
  • Elected to State Political Platform

Some relatively selective summer camps.

FBLA Treasurer (9, 10, 11, 12)

  • I’ve been pretty involved in this throughout the years. I’ll keep this short since I’m writing on a phone, but I’ve helped to organized a lot of different fundraisers, community events, made videos, etc.

Entrepreneurship Club Vice President (10, 11, 12)

Journalism Team Editor

Economics Club Co-Founder (10, 11, 12)

  • Helped to organize several stock market games in which proceeds went to local charities.

I take a college class on entrepreneurship, and pitched my idea to a local business financing hub with a calculated business plan that ended up being one of the best presented, out of attending adults as well. They invited me to a special event where I present my business plan again among more professional people in a couple months to get financing for the idea. I don’t know what’ll come from this, but I might talk about it in my essays.

I don’t want to explain this in very good detail so as to remain anonymous, but I started a program to spread knowledge of how to create a business that ended up being somewhat successful.

I also started an organization sophomore year to help at-risk youth at my old middle school, but this has been pretty much abandoned at this point so I won’t bother mentioning it.

Varsity XC (10, 11, 12)

  • Attended several 5Ks and a half-marathon, and I might talk about running in my essays.
    Track & Field (11, 12)

I’m probably forgetting about some other extra-curricular activities, but these are the main ones. I’m applying to either Princeton SCEA or Dartmouth ED, and if I go with the former then I’ll likely apply to UVA in the early round too.

How are my chances? Also, generally how competitive is the Hispanic pool?

2

I think Princeton and Dartmouth are definitely reaches, but they are for everyone. It really will come down to what will make you stand out for the admissions committee. You can’t just go off the fact that you are Hispanic, there are many Hispanics with just as good of scores if not better that are applying to these schools.

Chance me back please!
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1823550-chance-me-upenn-and-cornell.html

3

I would not call Dartmouth a reach. I think you have a very good chance. The program and ther upcoming presentation you mention could be game changers.

4

The early deadline is November 1st, which is roughly a week from now. If you are just beginning to think about what to put in your essays, you’ll be in quite a rush.

5

Well, I already have my Common App essay done, and the supplemental essay, also pretty much complete, fits for both schools. @manwiththeplan

Anyways, it’s good to hear that I’m at least competitive.

I suppose it doesn’t make sense to deliberate between two schools that are enormously hard to get into before I even get admission results, so I think I’ll go with SCEA to keep my options open… But part of me really wants to apply to Dartmouth in the early round, especially for the ED boost, since I feel like it’s a really good fit, in terms of culture, social life, general laid-back atmosphere, etc. Any advice in this regard? :confused: