Chances at Top Notch Schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey,
I am just wondering what you think of my chances at the following universities:
1) Wharton Business School / UPenn
2) MIT/CIT
3) Harvard, Princeton, Stanford
4) Duke, UM, Cornell</p>

<p>Also, what you would recommend for me to do to maximize my chances.</p>

<p>Academics:
Race: White Male (Russian Jewish Ethnicity)
Region: Midwest
Unweighted GPA: 3.98, ~Top 5%
SAT: ~2200, 800 Math, 700 Writing, 700 Reading
SAT IIs: TBD ~750
Course Load: All IB Courses Taken (Math, Physics, Biology, History, Literature, Government, TOK)
School: Recently ranked #1 Public High School in America</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
~Clubs:
- President Young Democrats
- President Future Business Leaders of America
- NHS, Spanish Honor Society</p>

<pre><code> ~Summer Internship Moscow State University (MSU)
- MSU considered a best university in Russia
- Assisted professors in laser and fiber optics studies.
- Conducted MAJOR research project
- Published in two distinguished scientific journals
- Two patents pending based on findings
- Went on to present results at U.S. Science Fairs

~Science Fair Endeavors:
+ Regionals Competion
- First Place Physics Division
- Grand Award Overall
- Won all expense paid trip to International Science Fair
+ State Competion:
- First Place Overall
+ Other Awards:
- Herbert Hoover Young Engineer Award
- 1st Place - International Society for Optical Engineering
- 2nd Place - General Motors Research Chapter of Sigma XI
- 1st Place – Yale University Science and Engineering Society
- 1st Place - Mini/Micro Computer Applications
+ Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
- Awards: To Be Announced (Held in May)

  + Owner of Succesful Online Retail Business
     - Started an online retail business
     - Developed first in industry concept
     - Cash Flow ~$120,000, 20% increase per year
     - I am Featured in Young Biz 100

  + Other Stuff:
     - 2 Time Roller Hockey Champion (Bantam House)
     - Piano for 8 years (Non-competitive, I do it for myself)
     - Will play Soccer Varsity for School (Senior Year)

  + Future Plans:
        - Another Research Internship at US University (TBD)
        - Summer economics courses at UPenn

</code></pre>

<p>I will appreciate any comments you may have and your opinion on my resume so far. I understand my test scores aren't great, but I am curious whether my extracurriculars make up for it.</p>

<p>Thanks In Advance</p>

2

<p>I'm sure you are in dude</p>

3

<p>well even though with a low SAT ur EC's and awards look amazing...national competitions like that is big stuff. But one thing is whats with all the science awards and the business career?</p>

4

<p>Which state in the midwest? </p>

<p>I would say your best bets to maximize your chances at all of the schools on your list is to:</p>

<p>(1) invest in several books on writing college essays and start working now on good solid essays. Some of the parents here at CC are particularly helpful at reviewing essays so ask for help there when you have your essays done.</p>

<p>(2) talk with your guidance counselor and teachers about your recommendations. Download the forms for rec's for these schools and see what type of questions they ask of recommendation writers --- then figure out which teachers know you the best in order to answer those questions. It would also be useful for you to write up a short cheat sheet for them to use - not just the names of the clubs you've been but some actual concrete examples of things that you have accomplished in those clubs that they can use in their rec's.</p>

<p>(3) Talk to your parents about what they can afford and have them sit down and fill out one of the online financial aid programs to see what they might be expected to pay at all of these schools. Make sure that your choices are realistic from a money standpoint and don't assume that the answer is yes. If money will not be an issue, consider applying to your top choice EA/ED (but make sure you understand what this entails)</p>

<p>(4) you have a terrific list of schools but they are all "lottery schools" for even great kids like you. We have had too many stories of kids with stats like yours getting rejected or waitlisted at every school on the list. I hope you get into every single one of these schools, but just in case, find some very solid good bets where you are sure to get in and where you will be happy to attend. Unless you are sure that you will want to go to your state university, I'd recommend at least one more good bet school. If you need financial aid or your parents drop down in fear when they see your family's expected financial aid contribution, make sure you have solid financial safeties in there as well.</p>

<p>(5) Keep asking questions here on CC but don't take every thing you read here as the absolute truth, especially when it comes to betting on your chances. There are some incredibly informed people (especially on the parents board) who know what they are talking about and are very willing to help and guide kids through the process. If you're smart (and you are) you'll maximize this to your advantage.</p>

5

<p>AZC do u plan to take any SAT IIs or retake the SAT I?</p>

6

<p>I am from Metro-Detroit, Michigan.
I plan to take SATII's Physics, Math, Biolog</p>

7

<p>lol.</p>

<p>anywayyys...
i have similar SAT scores 800/700/730, and am applying to MIT. but BECAUSE OF YOUR FREAKING MATH COMPETITIONS AND SUCH youre going to beat my app. lol. good job. shoot me =)</p>

<p>seriuosly, you are getting into MIT. im 70% sure. harvard/stanford, 25-40%.. wharton 40%, CIT 70%... yeah.</p>

8

<p>The one issue about me getting into MIT is that I'm not taking Math HL (Higher Level), im doing Math SL. So basically I'll only be finished with Calc 1 by the time I graduate from high school rather than calc 2. Do you think this will be an issue?</p>

9

<p>You have some amazing stats, I think you will have a great chance at all your schools. You definitely have a well above average chance at the Ivy league schoosls. I think you are in UPENN and CIT with you stas, but you never know what can happen with theses schools. </p>

<p>P.S- What online retail bussiness do you own?</p>

10

<p>With respect to MIT, The Calc 1/2 and standardized testing issues are trivial given the science fair record.
As long there's not something really wrong with your recommendations/ essay/ interview, I'd guess that any tech school will accept you on the science research and any other colleges will accept you on the business startup. (except that a school like Cornell, which is aware some use it as a safety, could reject you on the basis of "overqualification.")</p>

11

<p>So you go to IA? Then we'll be having fun competing against you next year.</p>

12

<p>alex stop making up scores until you take hte real thing :P</p>