Chances at UChicago/Berkeley/Stanford?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Colleges:
UChicago (first choice, EA)
UC Berkeley
Stanford
Columbia
Harvey Mudd
Reed
Duke</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>I am a white male, junior, from North Carolina. I will be applying as a physics major. I go to a public, residential, competitive high school with selective admission for junior and senior year. All classes are at a minimum, honors level. GPA's are not given, nor are class ranks. I had a 4.0 GPA for freshman and sophomore years at my previous high school, and was ranked at 1. </p>

<p>SAT:
CR 720 M 750 W 680 = 2150 Total (superscored, going to be improved)</p>

<p>SAT II's:
Not taken yet, probably going to take Math II, Physics, Chemistry.</p>

<p>*AP's: *
Taking Chemistry, Physics B (kind of self-studying for it) and US History this year. Next year will be Calc BC, Physics C Mechanics & E&M, Bio, and probably some English ones. However, all of my classes next year will be college level. </p>

<p>*GPA: *
Weighted: 4.8 (but will go up after these next two trimesters)</p>

<p>Junior Schedule (we have a trimester schedule, so I'll just list the class I've taken):
A: Precalculus and Modeling (unfortunately, my school would not allow me to move up to a more advanced class) (year-long)
A-: Physics with Advanced Topics I (one trimester)
A: Physics with Advanced Topics II (one trimester)
B: AP Chemistry I (two trimesters)
A: AP Chemistry II (one trimester)
A: Neuroscience Seminar (doesn't affect GPA)
B+: American Studies (two trimesters)
B+: Hispanic Literature I (college-level) (one trimester)
A-: Hispanic Literature II (one trimester)
A: Hispanic Literature III (one trimester)
B, maybe A: APUSH (one trimester)
A: Classical Piano and Guitar (one trimester-long independent course, all three trimesters)
A: Introduction to the Research Experience in Physics (one trimester)
A: Leadership Seminar (doesn't affect GPA)</p>

<p>Also, during this (third) trimester, I'm "overloading," which means I am taking an extra core class, above the normal five core classes. I don't know how exactly that would figure in on my application, but I just wanted it to be known.</p>

<p>*Senior schedule: *
AP Biology (year-long)
AP Calc BC with Advanced Topics (year-long)
AP Physics C: Mechanics & E/M (year-long)
Astrophysics (college-level) (one trimester)
Galaxies and Cosmology (college-level) (one trimester)
Modern Physics (college-level) (one trimester)
Western European Cultural Studies (year-long)
Advanced Mathematical Problem Solving (one trimester-long course, all three trimesters)
Classical Piano and Guitar (one trimester-long independent course, all three trimesters)</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>ECs/Awards:
I have been a member of the Boy Scouts since the first grade, and I have my Eagle Scout award. I have served as Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, and now that I am at a residential high school on the other side of the state, webmaster. I was crew leader on a 100 mile backpacking trip through Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico.
My group, of which I am the team captain, was selected as semifinalists for the NASA BHALF competition. We get to go out to Ohio in May to compete in the finals. Last year, my school won in the finals.
This summer I will be interning with a professor at Duke University and her group, which studies data from the SuperK Neutrino Detector in Japan.
Based on my PSAT score, I should be qualifying for National Merit in September.</p>

<p>Previous School:
Science Academic Team- 2 years (captain as a sophomore- all other captains were seniors)
General Knowledge Academic Team- 2 years
Debate Team- 2 years
Book Club- 2 years
Crosby Scholars (college prep program, since middle school)
Student Government- 1 year</p>

<p>Current School:
Secular Student Alliance (president, founder)
SPECTRUM (Gay-straight alliance, hopefully president next year)
ScienceDays Volunteer (we go out to local elementary schools to teach them random things about science, from fingerprinting to anatomy)</p>

<p>Hooks:
I am a first-generation college student. Attend highly selective residential high school.</p>

<p>*Recommendations: *
Probably going to ask either American Studies or APUSH teacher and a physics teacher, in addition to my precalculus teacher. I've met with my guidance counselor several times so that she actually gets to know me. Also, I'll hopefully be getting an extra recommendation from a teacher at my school who is an alum of UChicago. I did work service for her for one trimester, and she is the sponsor for the SSA I founded. </p>

<p>Any advice on what to improve upon/focus on would be much appreciated!</p>

2

<p>First gen might get you in with better scores. I suspect Ivies give you a better chance for this than the LACs you list since the LAC admits are such a small pool.</p>

<p>You did not list a rank.</p>

<p>Your school sounds interesting. Can you elaborate the criteria for selection, when you get in etc? May have a great life experience essay in there.</p>

3

<p>Our school doesn’t rank, because it is essentially made up of would-be-valedictorians from across the state. A rank wouldn’t really tell a college anything- someone in the 50th percentile could easily be top of their class at most other high school in the state. It is essentially like a college- you submit an application for admission, which has a few essays and academic/extracurricular information. I believe that the acceptance rate is something like 10-15%, but I may be mistaken. It is certainly extremely low.
As for a life experience essay, I’m going to write about being gay in the Boy Scouts, and some other things. Essentially about how I don’t believe in letting obstacles overcome your success.</p>

4

<p>My son was rejected from Stanford. He had slightly better grades than you and a slightly better SAT score as well. He also was an Eagle and did the Philmont. However, to your advantage is that you are from the east coast (we are in California) and you are first generation college student. Basically what you can take from this is that you are not a shoe-in for Stanford. My son is at Berkeley now, but in that case, being in-state was probably his #1 advantage to getting in and your OOS status will hurt your chances for Berkeley.</p>

<p>That all said, you probably will get into at least 2 of the schools listed above. Your bigger worry should be if you can afford these schools. Too often on these Forums so much attention is placed on getting into these elite colleges and then the student realizes that the financial aid package was insufficient and/or the parents were not able or willing to pay the gap.</p>

5

<p>Are you openly gay with boy scouts? </p>

<p>Did nt supreme court rule that Boy Scouts are allowed to discriminate against gays?</p>

6

<p>@texaspg: the boy scouts can discriminate against gays, but I believe they only do so in the event of troop leaders or assistant leaders. However, its pretty messed up that the supreme court would actually rule in favor of discrimination in todays society in my opinion. </p>

<p>I think that is an excellent topic for your essay because few people can say they achieved the eagle scout, and nearly none are openly gay. This should really stand out to admissions in my opinion, it will be a topic they have probably not seen before on an applicants essays, it also shows great perseverance and handwork that you actually accomplished this rare task. Best of luck.</p>

7

<p>I hide my homosexuality in the Boy Scouts, but I plan on both returning my Eagle Scout award and making a speech to my troop about how I, a homosexual, was able to earn the rank of Eagle, serve as Senior Patrol Leader (highest scout rank in the troop), crew leader, etc., despite the fact that:
“We believe that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the requirements in the Scout Oath that a Scout be morally straight and in the Scout law that Scout be clean in word and deed, and that homosexuals do not prove a desirable role model for Scouts.”
-BSA</p>

<p>Also, I do not dispute the legal right of the BSA to discriminate as they wish, however, I do dispute the ethics of it.</p>

8

<p>@Luke2310:
Unfortunately, they discriminate against youths as well. The rule is:
“If a youth comes to a Scoutmaster and admits to doing wrong, like stealing, lying, cheating or vandalizing, the normal procedure is to counsel the youth privately and sympathetically… If the youth admits to being a homosexual, the Boy Scouts’ policy is to instantly terminate his association with Scouting.”</p>

9

<p>Oh I understand, any of your schools should be glad to have someone like you from what I’ve read, If I was homosexual I don’t know if I would have the bravery to stand in front of a troop of my high school age peers and speak on such a personal issue, and I think colleges will value this very much. Because while it is often hard to face your enemies, it is often much harder to stand up for yourself amongst your friends and the people who’s opinion you value the most.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for explaining the current rules. I think you should get some advice from admission counselors on what you plan to write about and also denouncing boy scouts will play out in the view of adcoms. On one hand you seem to have broken the code of boy scouts and on the other you plan to give up your eagle scout and so there is truly a conflicting personal story here that may play out to be highly controversial.</p>

<p>I want you to make sure you do not jeopardize your admissions process without some input from someone knowledgeable about how the controversy will play out.</p>

<p>Luke2310 - BYU kicked off one of their best players off of the basketball team for breaking a pledge not to have sex. Do I think that is right, no but if someone goes to supreme court about it, they are going to side with BYU in all probability. When I asked the question, I was only curious about whether something has changed since the last time I heard about it. There is an injustice in a lot of laws but ultimately they too shall pass at some point just like the don’t ask don’t tell.</p>

11

<p>Thanks for the input. I’ll definitely run it by them, assuming I do decide to write my essay on the topic. However, I by no means to simply hate on the Boy Scouts. I have been involved with them since the 1st grade, and the have certainly been a wonderful part of my life. The main point I want to get across in my essay is how I believe I am capable of accomplishing (within reason, of course) anything I set my mind to. I have always wanted to attain the rank of Eagle, and it means a great deal to me. I know that by outing myself as a homosexual, I will be breaking the rules of the BSA, which is why I will subsequently hand in my award, and I will be removed from any association with the Scouts. I wanted to prove to others in my community that despite the fact that I am homosexual, I am not a lesser person, and I am capable of the same accomplishments that they are. The BSA, on the whole, is a wonderful organization.</p>

12

<p>Agreed one hundred percent haha.</p>