Chances at Stanford, Harvard, etc.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>SAT: 2060 Math: 760 Writing: 700 Reading: 600 - Note: Will re-take, superscore minimum will be 2100 (going to study reading over summer), most likely 2120+ aiming for 2200
SAT II: Bad// 700 math level 1// 640 chemistry - will re-take math level 1 possibly.
GPA: 3.74 unweighted
No class rank (school doesn't rank)
AP Scores: Will not submit any.</p>

<p>Took: 3 AP's junior year (chemistry, econ, and stat) // rest are all "honors" lol</p>

<p>Focus Major: Business although Stanford doesn't "directly" offer a business major. May also do computer science.</p>

<p>Volunteer hours: 200 hours+ from working at local children's library and some random hours from NHS and this church program (25 hours -- i'm not even religious, it was a Philadelphia Philabundence program).</p>

<p>Summers: Interned with business professor at university - paid $300 to create professional website (9th grade) // Accepted into PA Governors School (10th grade) + Interned // This summer I am a paid intern/consultant at an marine aquatics/equipment company (it's a popular one, like the Apple of Reef/Saltwater Aquarium products, started by innovative college students, only 15-20 employees)</p>

<p>E.C.s: Run/founded/owner of a professional e-sports gaming team for a competitive PC game, considered among the top teams in North America, dealing with big name sponsors and over 50 competitive players. </p>

<p>*Run/Managing Director/Founded an online business that is in the same niche with online PC gaming.. started recently, already generated over $2500 in revenue in the past month. Serious investors and large viewer base ... approximately 30,000 viewers of the advertising thread alone.</p>

<p>*Run popular stream that streams the game live every day, thousands of views, hundreds of viewers, should get big this summer. (just started recently -- not as big as the other 2 e.c.s)</p>

<p>Essays: Going to discuss what its like dealing with CEOs and large management from companies a like, as well as manage a group of people and be relied on to make company-changing decisions. Worked with President of Das Keyboard, owners of OriginPC, and will be working with more companies soon for sponsorship purposes.</p>

<p>Going to also talk about failure in the field of entrepreneurship, and how one should never give up if they are truly passionate. I have personally failed (significant loss of over $2000 and ~6 months of time), but got back up after a depressing month. </p>

<p>Will focus on business and e-sports gaming team, leadership, management, the pressure of making risks, etc.</p>

<p>E.C.s (in school): Robotics, vice president for two years, helped lead team to national level for the first time in 6 years. (Rank 1st state, 24th nationally). Fundraised a couple grand with annual sponsors such as 3M dyneon (might not be even worth mentioning)</p>

<p>President of Badminton club (This is big stuff guys... lol) past 3 years.
Vice-president of Economics Club (started this year, junior)
General member of choral group for past 3 years.
Principals advisory board past 2 years
National Bull.S society oops I mean honor society (started this year, junior)</p>

<p>High-School: Pretty decent public school.
Brother attended Harvard. Chinese.</p>

<p>Note: If its not already obvious, I am going to put 100% emphasis on my work outside of school because it's exactly what I want to do in my future. The only thing that is even worthy of mentioning from school is Robotics. I b.s. my way in school; I simply don't have the time. I work very hard every day, sleep biphasic to work with international time zones as well. </p>

<p>Also, I do not live in a rich family whatsoever. I built myself up with 0$.</p>

2

<p>Your GPA and SAT scores are low for the Ivies. Bring those up and you might have a chance. Having a brother that went to Harvard helps a lot. However, you need to increase your GPA. Then, you’d be competitive. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1173642-new-member-chance-me-please.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1173642-new-member-chance-me-please.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Impossible to tell. In terms of your numeric profile, you have no chance. Your ability to be accepted will depend entirely upon how the adcoms view your ECs.</p>

4

<p>Also, will be the following as of this summer:
*Producer of a large tournament league (will have 10s of thousands of viewers), running live-stream networking as well as commentating/running a group of commentators. — VERY LIKELY
Founder/Manager of PA E-sports Association, will be open soon. Will have a communication/database tool for those who want to find tournaments and players locally in PA.</p>

5

<p>By first semester Senior year, for regular decision:
My gpa will be: 3.78 - 3.8 (unweight, 2-4 Aps senior year)
SAT: 2100 minimally, 2200-2300 hopefully.</p>

<p>However, I plan on E.D.ing at Stanford, so chance me on that one first. (therefore my current stats besides SAT scores will stay the same)</p>

6

<p>Stanford doesn’t have ED, only REA</p>

7

<p>my bad, REA :slight_smile: I think I will E.D. Cornell actually.</p>

8

<p>any other chancers out there? :slight_smile: just testing the waters out</p>

9

<p>Your ECs look awesome and they definitely show commitment / connection with your future goals! Really competitive schools are always looking for the complete package, so working on raising your gpa and test scores during the beginning of senior year will only help! Good luck! (:</p>

10

<p>Just curious, but what game do you happen to play?</p>

<p>You actually do have a chance considering your ECs are really focused as others said. But if you don’t get your SAT to a 2150, your chances are slim.</p>

11

<p>Starcraft II.</p>

<p>Expanding to LoL and some other games soon.</p>

12

<p>From what I’m gathering, you seem to be ‘twitchy’ in which school you are going to apply to.
Stanford ED (obviously you need to research the school more, not in a bad way but when you apply REA/Early to any school you need to be SURE you want to go there, and show that in your essays) and then on a whim to Cornell ED.</p>

<p>Furthermore, your numbers are low for any top tier school and being Asian it’s even tougher, so even a 2100 wouldn’t help at Harvard/Stanford, please note that hundreds of students there have amazing ECs as well with 200 points higher scores.</p>

13

<p>Sure, but I’m also a lot damn smarter than many of those applicants. In just a few weeks, I’m going to be releasing a new web application that might change the whole gaming industry. Perhaps you can waste time looking at numbers, but when it comes to getting a job and a career in the real world, I guarantee you that the person with the business and the real-world experience is going to get the job over the 2400 SAT score student.
I’m going to be honest with you guys, I don’t care about college. I care about the name.
Stanford has been an interesting school for a long time to me, but honestly, just like high School, I’ve always been focused on developing character, experience, and intelligence.</p>

<p>Right now, for example, I’m living in my own apartment as a hired consultant for one of the fastest growing college-start-ups while running one of the biggest gaming teams in the USA, which not only is being sponsored by big name companies, but is opening a gaming HOUSE soon. </p>

<p>Furthermore, my other “small business,” is continually growing while I multi-task marketing as well as internal management within each of my projects.</p>

<p>Tell me, do you really think my 2100 means anything? ROFL
If I cared enough, I would have gotten perfect scores. I used to be straight A/A+ student 9/10th grade. Then I stopped caring as much, because I realized what actually mattered, pursuing my true passion. Any not-■■■■■■■■ admissions officer should see this pretty easily.</p>

<p>Sorry to sound like such a prick, but it’s only true.</p>

<p>Also, regarding being asian and whatnot, I feel like this issue is way exaggerated. Schools like Harvard look for the best. They don’t care if your asian, hispanic, black, etc. If you are going to innovate and change the world, become the next world’s billionare, or do something amazing, then your getting in, asian or not. So stop wasting time dwelling on the stupid points that really don’t mean anything. I’m here to show that i’m smart and I will be the next industry-changing entrepreneur.</p>

14

<p>Why are you asking for our opinions? Showing off?
Some kids actually care about their education, not just $ in the “real world.”
In the real world, scores matter, and not all universities will think you are the next Mark Zuckerberg.
Clearly you are above all of us, and nothing on a normal application applies to you like scores, GPA, you should have just skipped high school altogether…
Good luck to you.</p>

15

<p>I’m going to be straight up with you. It takes balls to study hard, and get good grades. Its not easy by any means. </p>

<p>But your essentially insulting my grades and saying that I lack in this, therefore Colleges won’t accept me – this is the problem. Colleges like Harvard don’t look at straight numbers, and its been proven; thousands of applicants have 4.0 gpas. So theres something else, the “X factor.”</p>

<p>To be more specific, this X factor is a factor that contributes to a persons’s characteristics, qualities, and more, as a whole. This X factor, in essence, proves more than just intelligence - it proves importance in society as a whole. </p>

<p>We already know of 2400 students and 4.0 gpa, but do we know about entrepreneur’s who are ready to pursue something so in depth, ambitious, and risky?</p>

<p>Please don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not trying to bring myself up with this post. I’m trying to give another opinion, one that perhaps even some admission officers might agree with.</p>

16

<p>If you come in with that attitude in ANY interview, you’ll be flat out rejected.
Of course your ECs are great but there are many variables to college admissions. You have a good chance, better than most at Harvard, purely because of ECs and brother connection. At Stanford you have a lower chance. You have to understand that there are other people like you around the world. You think you’re the only one who’s create a website?
Plus, if you think you’re a shoe-in why did you even post on this forum?</p>

17

<p>I don’t think i’m a shoe-in by any means! Its Harvard. But i’m trying to emphasize the importance of any E.C.s, not just mine. In my other post, I explained the point about this “X Factor.” Its a psychological factor - the admissions officer asks: could I do this?</p>

<p>I’m not trying to brag, nothing like that. I want to know A) which schools I’d be better applicants for (which, thankfully, you just answered), as well as my chances for each school. </p>

<p>Take my points as something interesting, don’t think of them as insulting or offensive – because that’s definitely not my goal! :)</p>

18

<p>True, he’d have a lot easier time if he weren’t asian, but:</p>

<p>The SAT score really depends on the distribution. Colleges will basically expect around a 800 in math because… well it’s trivial. I am a senior at UNC Chapel Hill / got 2370 on my SAT so maybe I’m being biased or maybe the SAT has dramatically changed since. </p>

<p>The English section doesn’t really say much imo. I know plenty of really smart people who score 600s in English because they really don’t give a damn. These people are at places like CMU/Berkeley/MIT etc so maybe admissions people don’t really care much either.</p>

<p>I’m no admissions person, but I think the drive to succeed is valued quite highly - so I have gathered from talking to people who do recruiting and interviews for companies. There is a basic tool set required, but beyond that drive is measured. What do colleges expect out of high school students? I’d imagine that the student is expected to have begun moving towards some path in life and have made noteworthy developments towards their goals, however ill-defined they may be. This may involve creating interesting research projects in the Siemens competition, or perhaps a budding mathematician might have placed into USAMO or higher, and so on. </p>

<p>Since RevSam has clearly decided to be an entrepreneur, the business goals he has already set for himself and his achievements to date should speak loudly to admissions - at least, they would to the corporate recruiters I have talked to.</p>

<p>It’s no secret that creating and running businesses takes a LOT of time, and he’s got more than 1 running concurrently. This is a time sink that should be expected to impact other things, and I think his GPA might not be too low given these considerations. It would certainly look good if his SAT got boosted into the 2200-2300 range (there’s something that just looks wrong with 2000s), but I don’t think he’s in that bad of a condition.</p>

<p>Recruiters do like verifiable, quantifiable results - so maybe more numbers should be included in the ECs. User retention rate, traffic, revenue, etc. Something that the recruiters can see and not just hear.</p>

<p>also @ moonman676: business != website. The latter involves more vision, planning, and management. Gotta have a plan and good expected ROI, things that one doesn’t need to worry about for generic websites (which I have made many of for fun, and not for business). Though you are correct in saying that one should not have grandeurs of uniqueness, at least not until the numbers speak for themselves.</p>

19

<p>I wasn’t insulting your grades, but right now you are just flaunting your insecurity with said grades. My SATs aren’t nearly Harvard level either but we all have to accept that. 1 quarter of their class has a 2350 or above, and another quarter to a half has connections through private schools, then a fifth have sports etc.
I’m just trying to help your application, saying that in order to be really competitive at any of these amazing schools, you need the grades.
Watch what you say on this site, colleges read it (I hope lol) and your app seems pretty… unique in that people may recognize it. Your derision of a college education for the prestige will come off the wrong way to a lot of people.
And when you curse/attack the system by saying scores don’t matter, you will ALWAYS come off as offensive to at least 1 person lol. I personally don’t mind but you have to realize that you aren’t a shoe in, and they may not view your business as importantly as you view it, so be ready for that. The scores are always something to fall back on/help your application.</p>

20

<p>“. During his admissions interview for Harvard Business School, he stated that he was asked if he was smart, to which he supposedly replied, “I’m f**** smart.”[5] Skilling earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1979.” - Probably a rather exaggerated example, but moonman, being just a tad bit cocky can’t hurt :)</p>