Chances at selective universities? Please!!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Chances at selective universities? Please! Will chance you in return!</p>

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<p>I am at the end of my junior year and starting the college process. I am a unique candidate for a few reasons and I think I need some perspective on my chances at the top universities. Some of the schools I am looking at include:
The Ivys: Yale, UPenn, Harvard, Cornell, Brown
Others: Georgetown, UMich, Tufts, Johns Hopkins, etc...
Safties: Emory (?)</p>

<p>I need to know if I need to be more realistic with my selections and if I need to reevaluate where I'll be applying. Please help!</p>

<p>Here's a description of my credentials:</p>

<p>Gender: Female
Ethnicity: White
High School: A large public school (1500 people) in a middle class suburb in Connecticut</p>

<p>Course load/Grades:
Even though my class doesn't technically do the "ranking" system, I was just made aware that I have the highest GPA in my class of about 375 students. I have never gotten below an A-. </p>

<p>Ninth Grade:
Honors Geometry
Modern World History (Required class)
Spanish V Honors (I was accelerated two years in Spanish, most kids were at the III level)
Chinese I (No honors available)
Jazz Ensemble
Gym
Honors Earth Science
English 9 Honors (First semester) then I was skipped ahead a grade to English 10 Honors for the second semester</p>

<p>Tenth Grade:
AP English Language (Usually an 11th grade class)
AP Spanish Language (Usually a 12th grade class)
AP Modern European History
AP Biology
Algebra II Honors
Chinese II Honors
Gym
Concert Jazz Band (Honors level)</p>

<p>Eleventh Grade:
AP English Literature (Usually a 12th grade class)
AP US History
AP Environmental Science
Precalculus Honors
Film Studies (Semester 1), American Govt (Semester 2)--Required
Gym
Chinese III Honors
Concert Jazz Band</p>

<p>Twelfth Grade:
AP American Govt
AP Spanish Literature
AP Economics
AP Calculus BC
Chinese IV Honors
Concert Jazz Band
PE Strategies (A gym class working with special needs children)
English Independent Study: 19th and 20th Century Feminist Literature (I ran out of English classes at my school)</p>

<p>It's a little complicated because I was accelerated in English and Spanish. In addition to this, I have done four other Independent Studies, three in Social Studies (The Aenied, The Canterbury Tales, and The Divine Comedy), and one in Chinese.</p>

<p>Extras:
I basically have a really esoteric interest in Chinese. I have travelled there four times during high school so far, and I am graduating a semester early next year to spend four months in China. I take Chinese classes with native speakers on the weekends. It's weird, I know, but passions generally are!
I also am really involved with Unified programs at our school in which you are partnered with special needs students.
Sports: Varsity field hockey since sophmore year, All-Conference team, Varsity tennis freshmen year
Study flute, clarinet, and saxophone</p>

<p>Testing:
SATs: 2060 (I'm going to take it again), 700 CR, 680 math, 670 writing
AP exams: Mostly 3's and 4's so far
Bottom line with testing: I am a really creative and out of the box thinker, I have always had trouble with standardized tests and I am really concerned that this is going to hurt my application.</p>

<p>Please be brutally honest! My guidence counselor at school tends to be way to positive and I need a realistic third party perspective on my chances at the very top schools. And I also am a double-legacy at UPenn (both of my parents, my uncle, and my brother).</p>

<p>Basically, I am a creative and unique individual. I love to learn and I hope that comes across in my application!</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Your test scores seem to be just a tad low for the Ivy league schools and other top universities, but if you managed to get your SAT scores up about 100 or more points and do very well on your SAT II subject tests then you should have an average chance of admission. I mean most of these schools are simply a crapshoot for admission, but you have a very strong transcript, decent amount of ECs, and seem to have the ability to have creative essays and recommendations. My suggestions would be to focus on improving your test scores and continuing your grades throughout your senior year. Also, honestly I am not convinced that Emory would be considered a safety for with your current test scores and such.</p>

<p>chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/935287-chances-top-tier-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/935287-chances-top-tier-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>I think you have a great chance. Of course it is a crapshoot for anyone, and with your scores, slightly more so. But you are REALLY into quite a few things. Your academic record is crazy strong.
If it was me, I would go and get some of those books about “hidden ivies”. They tend to appreciate the people with more diverse applications. Have you looked at Reed?</p>

4

<p>I actually was considering Reed for a while, but I ultimately ruled it out. I’m not sure why. I think my parents were really skeptical of it and the “no grades” policy. I think I decided that it was one of those places that was good in theory but not in practice? But I am definitely open for people to change my mind. I also looked at Vassar and Amherst but I abhored both of them. If Reed is like that I doubt I would like it. But if it’s not…then maybe!</p>