Chances at Stanford, and some other Ivies Listed

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>How are my chances to get into colleges such as Stanford University, Columbia, UPenn, and Brown?
I'm currently a junior.</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.947
Weighted GPA (out of 5.00 scale): 4.182</p>

<p>Both GPAs are based off the QuestBridge Scale - QuestBridge</a> College Prep Scholarship - Frequently Asked Questions
I took only APs into consideration for 5.00 A/A+(weighted); other non-AP classes were based off 4.00 for weighted.</p>

<p>SAT Reasoning - 650 CR, 760 Math, 760 Writing >> 2170 Cumulative
(have yet to take Subject Tests)</p>

<p>APs (so far): APUSH: 5 </p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-Key Club
-Asian American Club
-Swim Team (next year's captain)
-Marching/Concert Band
-National Honor Society
-Various tutoring projects - Math & Swimming</p>

<p>Rank out of (about) 420: 5</p>

<p>Classes:</p>

<p>Freshmen Year - English Honors, U.S. History I, Honors , Biology Honors, Geometry Honors, Mandarin I, CP, Concert Band</p>

<p>Sophomore Year - English Honors, AP US History, Chemistry Honors, Precalculus and Trigonometry Honors, Italian 2 Honors, Concert Band</p>

<p>Junior Year - English Honors, World History Honors, AP Chemistry & Lab, AP Calculus BC, Italian 3 Honors, Computer Science II</p>

<p>Senior Year (tentative) - AP Lang and Comp, AP Physics B & Lab, AP Java, AP Italian, Concert Band</p>

<p>Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>First of all, it’s difficult to chance anyone for Ivies + Stanford, as I’m sure anyone will tell you. That being said, I think you could fix potential gaps in your application that would help make you more competitive in the applicant pool.</p>

<p>Firstly, I would definitely recommend you retake your SATs. 2170 isn’t a bad score, but it’s not ideal for the top-tier schools you listed. In some cases, scores such as yours reflect whether or not the student is better at reading/writing or math. In your situation, your poor CR score isn’t offset by a super math score. </p>

<p>In terms of ECs, you really need something that is going to help you stand out. From a initial glance, I can see that you’re missing an activity that demonstrates taking initiative and leadership. I see that you’re going to be next year’s swim captain, but you need more. Furthermore, your ECs aren’t particularly special. They’re pretty much standard for any Asian. There’s also no focus to your ECs. I can’t take a look at them and see what you’re particularly interested in. </p>

<p>You’r’e not a bad applicant by any means. But you’re also not a particularly competitive one at this stage. You need something that will set you apart from others (especially the Asians). You still have the rest of junior year and the beginning of senior year to sort this all out! Good luck!!! :)</p>

3

<p>Nothing jumps out from your application…
Almost everything listed is too typical (not bad, but not good enough for ivy leagues).</p>

4

<p>Sounds harsh to say it, but gloomysheep is right: your scores are a bit low, you’re Asian (anti-affirmative action), and the whole NHS and swim thing is a bit generic. Not today that you couldn’t rock other schools, but these seem like extremely long shots.</p>

5

<p>*not to say. Curse you, AutoCorrect!</p>

<p>Do me a solid and chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1118399-chance-theatre-acting-inclined-junior-ill-chance-you-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1118399-chance-theatre-acting-inclined-junior-ill-chance-you-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>I would get your SAT/ACT score up, develop some significant community-service project and not mark your ethnicity on your application.</p>

<p>Here’s a long thread that suggests the odds of you getting into Stanford or an Ivy are very long indeed:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1116437-story-my-3-asian-classmates-1-friend-my-area-including-myself.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1116437-story-my-3-asian-classmates-1-friend-my-area-including-myself.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>WHAT ? what’s wrong with being asian ? :expressionless: .</p>

8

<p>Nothing, per se, except that every highly achieving Asian and their brother applies to the Ivies. This includes people with 4.0+ and 2400s. If you wanna stand out you’ve got to do something that will set you apart from the legions of other applicants like you.</p>

9

<p>Amendment to StrangeBro ^:</p>

<p>Every Asian, their brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, and similarly Asian friend. Basically. Your scores are a bit low for Ivies, especially considering the Asian factor. Take the SAT Subject Tests–a lot of Ivies require them, and you don’t want to have to take a rash of them in November, or something like that.</p>

<p>Definitely more leadership–there’s some good stuff in your ECs, but nothing that displays personal initiative or focus.</p>

<p>That’s really all I can say–if you brush those areas up, you’ll have a fighting chance (insofar as Asian females get a fighting chance–speaking from the same boat).</p>

<p>Chance me back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1118635-heh-neurotic-asian-speaking-new-post.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1118635-heh-neurotic-asian-speaking-new-post.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>Your sophomore and junior years look solid. I suggest you spend time on your personal statements this summer and fall.</p>

11

<p>Thanks for the chances. I do realize that my ECs are a bit lacking</p>

<p>but I’m considering to tryout for Drum Major/Student Conductor for the band, as well as join the Chemistry Club, now that I have more time, and apply for a Chemistry internship for National Grid (still not too sure about this).</p>

12

<p>Ridiculous to say the OP has no chance. I’ve seen (on this very website, no less) people get into ivies with less. I’d say that the chances are very slim (as they are for anyone), but we have no idea if you’re absolutely in or out. If those are your dream schools, definitely apply and get some good safeties.</p>

13

<p>^ He has a chance, but colleges are probably shying away from the grinds now.</p>

14

<p>What are grinds?</p>

15

<p>I am beginning to wonder whether or not sat scores have as much as an impact on college admissions as people think. In my school, 2 seniors got accepted into both Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Yale. Their sat scores were below 2000 though. Their ECs were not particularily amazing either. In fact, from a competitive standpoint, they were actually quite dismal. The only thing they had going was their race: African American. Maybe it was this that offset their scores and ECs?</p>