Chances at Some Top Schools

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>What are my chances at some top schools? Thanks for the help.
Note that I am a Massachusetts Asian male attending a good public school (I assume this is a bad thing).</p>

<p>Year: Junior</p>

<p>Expected weighted GPA after this year: ~4.6 (school doesn't rank, but I have a legit shot at valedictorian; will go up senior year)</p>

<p>SAT I: 2320
Verbal: 800
Math: 750
Writing: 770 (essay 9)</p>

<p>PSAT: 237
Verbal: 80
Math: 77
Writing: 80</p>

<p>SAT II:
Math II: 800
Physics: 800 (expected)
Chemistry: 800 (expected)</p>

<p>AP Tests: (all expected)
Chem: 5
Euro: 4-5
Macroecon: 4-5
Microecon: 4-5</p>

<p>Classes:
Every year: all honors
Junior: 2 APs in school, 2 APs out of school
Senior: 5 APs (expected)</p>

<p>Academic Awards:
Honorable Mention (6th place), American Chemical Society Northeast Division
National Honor Society
President & chapter founder, Tri-M Music Honor Society</p>

<p>Music Awards:
Carnegie Hall performance
3rd prize, famous international piano competion in Spain (attended by Juilliard professors, etc)
2nd prize, 3 straight years, Massachusetts state piano competition</p>

<p>ECs:
President & founder, Tri-M Music Honor Society: organized musical activities for poor & ill around area, raised funds, etc
music festival in Spain (1 summer)
mentoring program for talented middle schoolers w/ financial difficulties
Mock Trial team
Student Leadership Council
Orchestra
technical theater stuff
volunteer at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1 summer)
created database & trained staff at nonprofit organization
created database & trained staff at hospital
Johns Hopkins CTY (2 summers)</p>

<p>I am trying to get an internship at an investment bank this summer. This seems to be not going well, so I will try to get a physics internship overseas.</p>

<p>I am interested in investment banking (probably major in econ or finance).</p>

<p>Schools that wish to go into (in order of preference; I realize these are reaches):
UPenn (Wharton)
Columbia
Stanford
Harvard
Princeton
Chicago
UC Berkeley (Haas)
Cornell
Northwestern</p>

<p>Again, thanks very much for the advice.</p>

2

<p>Just curious, but with all of those music ecs, why don't you want to major in music?</p>

3

<p>I will not pursue a career in music because of several reasons:
1. To "make it" in the music world, you need to be the absolute best. The most selective postsecondary institutions in the United States are...surprise!...NOT Harvard, Yale, etc., but rather the Curtis Institute for the Performing Arts and the Juilliard School. I personally know several Juilliard grads that are having trouble finding work. At best, they become high school music teachers. At worst, opera singers work at telephone companies as customer service (no joke).
2. Professional music, like sports, or chess, is an entirely consuming activity. As a musician, one would practice as much (or more than) a normal person goes to work. If I practice so much, I might lose my interest in music.
3. The music world is very corrupt (like many other professions). I won't elaborate further unless people really want to know.</p>

4

<p>I really don't think those schools are reaches, you should at least get into half of them (no joke).</p>

5

<p>well im with u citizen
majoring piano might make it especially difficult to find jobs, since u cant really be a regular member of an orchestra and whatnot</p>

<p>what do u want to major in/ or any careers in mind?
btw, ur scores totally kick butt, i wish i could have had them!</p>

6

<p>Your stats are fantastic, but your problem will be distinguishing yourself from all the other "asian music nerd" applicants-get yourself a unique hook-write an essay about politics, inject some humor into it-show the colleges you're different from every other "asian nerd", and you're golden. Good luck!</p>

7

<p>I think you have an awesome shot at all those universities. I won't quantify it, but I can def. see you getting in a lot of places. I don't think you're an AVERAGE asian music nerd. You seem pretty above average. And yes, above average asian music nerds do still get into those schools (like 90% of the ppl living in the dorm I stayed in at Stanford Admit Weekend played the piano...but only a couple played it incredibly well)! (i don't think you need a 'hook'...i don't know why everyone obsesses about the 'hook'...most times it's something u can't control anyway.)</p>

8

<p>Citizen:</p>

<p>UCB: Safe Match (out of state)</p>