<p>I am a student from Canada. What are my chances at schools like Harvard, CalTech, MIT, Stanford, UCB etc? I am planning to apply this December or next January. </p>
<p>No AP Exam results as I will take them in 2015 June which is after application. </p>
<p>GPA: 4.0
In Canada, we have percentage so I have a 99.375% average</p>
<p>ACT Math: 36</p>
<p>ECs
Almost certainly attending 2015 Olympiads, but that is after the application.
Engineering club
Helping students in Math and Science
Computer Programming
Topcoder
Codechef
Codeforces
Chess (online and winning local competitions)
Math club
Science club
SAT subject test scores
Biology 800
US History 800
Physics 800
Math Level 2 800
US History 800</p>
<p>I have several hours spare time in the day where I learn many things on my own.
For math
Calculus by Spivak, Apostle
Real Analysis by Rudin
Complex Analysis (Graduate Texts in Mathematics) by Serge Lang
Linear Algebra by Lang, Strang</p>
<p>For physics
Classical Mechanics by Kleppner, Morin
Electricity and magnetism by Griffiths, Purcell
Quantum Mechanics by Griffiths</p>
<p>For Biology
Biochemistry by Berg; Berg, Jeremy M.; Tymoczko, John L.; Stryer, Lubert<br>
Molecular Cell Biology by Lodish
Physical Chemistry by Robert</p>
<p>Did Chemistry, computer science and electrical engineering and few other subjects' learning outside of school too but I do not remember which books. </p>
<p>Admissions officers don’t know what Spivak’s Calculus is, and they don’t know that working through Baby Rudin implies you can write proofs. They need awards to estimate your ability.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure they would know what Spivak’s calculus is, lol. Anyways, the olympiads occur after I apply, so there is nothing I can do now. And also, now everyone who is admitted is a gold medalist (although I have fairly high chances of getting it, but after I apply anyway).</p>
<p>Harvard and MIT are a high reach for everyone. Your scores are very good but your our EC’s are pretty run of the mill. You need some match and safety schools. Since you’re Canadian, I’d add UToronto and McGill to the mix.</p>
<p>Thanks for your opinion.
Sorry, I meant as a general date. If UCB is in Nov, then I’ll apply then.
I realize how MIT and such schools are pretty difficult to get into, but I just wanted to see if I would be a good competitor or not. As for the AP exams, our schools only allows AP exams to be taken during the final year. As for my ECs. I somewhat disagree. Yes, the rest of my ECs are common but the amount I self-studied will surely be valued a lot? Learning Real Analysis from the same book an honors course at MIT uses while not even being in grade 12 is at least fairly good? </p>
For them to take that accomplishment seriously, you’d probably need some proof. I was like you a few years ago, then someone informed me that one cannot just “do what you love wholeheartedly, and then you can get in”; you need to do both what you love and ensure awards/distinctions can verify that love. Olympiads aren’t absolutely necessary, so you can still go to a prestigious university’s mathematics/CompSci/… competition and place first there, and that will suggest a sufficient amount of talent.</p>
<p>Thanks Daniel.
Unfortunately, olympiads cover no more then precalculus. How can I prove my knowledge of these subjects? Would it be sufficient to (maybe?) submit some solutions to some problems that I did? As I said, I am participating in the olympiads next year, but that’s after application dates. </p>
<p>Olympiads and university competitions may not be a vehicle to prove your Real Analysis skills, but they can be used to show mathematical problem solving ability. To that end, I advise finding somewhere to compete and show that ability (like at a university). I also think there are still programming competitions you can do over the summer online, but I’m not certain (I’m more of a maths guy than a CS guy).</p>
<p>
Even if they did believe you entirely (and I hope they’re more skeptical than that, because some people have no problem lying and copying some online solutions to Rudin), the admissions officer is unlikely to know how to weigh that. For example, some students will take Calculus III and offer proof; the adcom may not know better and treat Calculus III on the same level as Real Analysis. Even then, they don’t know how to compare you against other students well.</p>
<p>Ideas (don’t necessarily try all):
*try to do some research for a professor at a nearby university. I don’t know how privileged applicants arrange this, but they do. This would be a way of demonstrating Real Analysis ability. Your research mentor could verify it in her/his recommendation.
*try to compete in something and get an award. There are competitions out that that aren’t Olympiads that can demonstrate ability like those I aforementioned.
*If you have a 5 in AP Calculus BC (which you should be able to get after going through Spivak and Rudin; it may not be too late to signup for the AP exam), then you are enabled to use JHU CTY. I did this, and I self-studied Calc III, Lin Alg, and ODEs before the actual classes, and, since it’s self-paced, I got proof of those classes quickly. Thereafter, if you have the resources, you can use JHU CTY to take Intro to Abstract Maths or EPGY’s Real Analysis course (I think the non-lecture/cheaper version self-paced).
*MOOC certificates could offer some form of verification of knowledge, but I estimate classes you can transfer to your high school have more weight (e.g., those in JHU CTY or EPGY)
*If you have the wonderful opportunity, then take classes through a local college</p>
<p>Another thing: You’re interested in Maths and CompSci, so Princeton should also be a school for which you should aim. Princeton > CalTech, UCB, Stanford in maths, and Princeton > Harvard, CalTech in CompSci. Those comparisons are not complete. Princeton may be somewhat better or closely behind than Harvard in maths, for example; I just gave comparisons where it isn’t too unclear which school wins.</p>
<p>Ivy League Schools, UChicago, MIT, Caltech, etc. are reaches for everyone. Kids like you are rejected very commonly unfortunately. Your GPA and test scores are great but your extra-curricular activities are also common amongst those who apply to these universities.</p>
<p>@DanielHendrycks
The olympiads are gone for me now and I have no choice until next year.</p>
<p>MOOCs:
I have the following certificates from edx.org from MITx
Computer science and programming
Biology (secret of life)
Classical Mech
Circuits and Electronics</p>
<p>As for awards, I have a good rating on topcoder.com, codechef, codeforces and project eulerwhich are programming/CS/algorithm competition sites. I have several awards from them.</p>
<p>MIT is my dream university. However, I am planning to apply too:
MIT, Stanford, UCB, Princeton, Harvard and CalTech. I haven’t decided on safety schools yet. Maybe Carnegie Mellon or Cornell (Yale maybe)? </p>
<p>I made a very stupid decision listening to my school staff. I will try to register for the AP Exams this year (BC Calc, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Comp. sci). As for research, I would love to do so but I really don’t have much time. What my current schedule is solving math/science problems for about 4 hours a day and self-studying for about 4 hours. I am planning to start more advanced topology soon. Might I just clarify that I have approximately beginning 3rd year undergraduate level knowledge in mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. I also have done at least 2nd undergraduate level subjects in electrical engineering and computer science. My friend’s father who was an admissions officer at MIT predicted that they value this kind of self-study above olympiad medals. I can’t mark the accuracy of that statement, but I’m sure that this is a very uncommon thing. </p>
Do it immediately. My school doesn’t offer AP exams, so I’m arranging it through another school, and I have until this Friday to pay.
Maybe it’s uncommon for good reason. If self-studying (without strong ways of verification) provided a better chance at admissions than Olympiad awards, then more students would take the self-study route.
In some past MIT decisions thread here on CC, there was a student who effectively did all the courses in a typical 4 year undergraduate maths sequence mathematics at a local, good university (this doesn’t trump your accomplishments in itself, but with verification under his belt, his application may be strong than yours is). He was rejected.
Also, you don’t need to convince me of your prowess—you’re <em>leagues</em> better than most MIT admits, and anyone who suggests otherwise in this thread is likely a layman, or I’m just clueless. Note that you really shouldn’t optimize yourself for only MIT (I’m not claiming that you are, but you might be) because, for internationals, admissions is especially ridiculous; international applicants with IMO gold medals have been rejected. I’ve seen no evidence of other schools tipping the hat toward advanced self-study over Olympiads. (Hearsay shouldn’t have priority over a tried and true path.) I advise that you keep your college options reasonably more open by focusing on research or more awards.
I recommend you do Artin if you’re going to continue with the unverified self-study route. I’m only trying to help you get in because you deserve it much more than other admits if all you say is true.</p>
<p>@DanielHendrycks
Thanks a lot for your advice. I am not sure of my major yet, however mathematics is certainly one of them. I was considering doing my courses from a CC, but I have not enough time and they teach from nonsense books. I realize I don’t have verification apart from the certificates, but I think I’ll be able to convey it through my essay or my interview, I think. I really want to go to MIT, but I wouldn’t mind any of the other schools I mentioned. I am an international applicant, but I saw that they usually have a decent number of applicants from Canada. </p>
<p>I went through Ted Shifrin’s differential geometry notes but soon realized I needed a topology background to do it effectively. </p>