Chances at various Ivies, Georgetown, etc

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi. I am a high school sophomore and am really starting to worry about my college admissions.</p>

<p>I go to one of the best private schools in the US (we ranked #5 last year for SATS) . This year, I took all honors courses and an AP as a sophomore.
Next year, I am planning on taking all AP courses, and will do the same for senior year.</p>

<p>My weighted GPA for sophomore year is 4.3.</p>

<p>Class Rank: top 15%</p>

<p>On the new SAT, my scores are:
Writing- 780
Critical Reading-710
Math-690 </p>

<p>As far as activities: voice lessons at a college prep program, art classes, 2 school choirs, writing tutor, peer counselor, new student mentor, Key Club, children's tutor at YWCA, firehouse shelter volunteer, Bible camp counselor, Sunday School program developer and teacher</p>

<p>By the time I graduate, I also hope to be a National Merit scholar and Yearbook Editor in Chief</p>

<p>What do you think my chances are for...
Yale
Princeton
Brown
Georgetown</p>

<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Your SAT scores will make it unlikely for you to get into yale or princeton, but Georgetown might be within reach</p>

3

<p>echo sup w/ standardized tests...</p>

<p>ur a sophomore, i dunno why ur stressing</p>

<p>as advice, DON'T TAKE ALL APs!!! unless you are a crazy genius (and even if you are so) you will not survive!!! (unless APs at your school are easy...then, go ahead)...you'd rather take less APs and save your GPA - and by less, I don't mean like cut them all, just cut 2. Take 4. Big deal. </p>

<p>class rank is also bad - ivies like to take the top 1% if not the top 3 people at a certain school unless they have a v. good hook - i.e. got recruited already for sports, etc. so yeah, if you're having this much trouble w/ rank (which ivies rely heavily on), i'd ask you to weigh out - would you climb rank if you took more APs but got Bs or took less and got As? </p>

<p>"By the time I graduate, I also hope to be a National Merit scholar and Yearbook Editor in Chief" You can't hope in your app. Besides, National Merit Scholar doesn't come until AFTER apps are sent and decisions come back, so that doesn't really matter. </p>

<p>"As far as activities: voice lessons at a college prep program, art classes, 2 school choirs, writing tutor, peer counselor, new student mentor, Key Club, children's tutor at YWCA, firehouse shelter volunteer, Bible camp counselor, Sunday School program developer and teacher"</p>

<p>you have to be unique. i've posted this about a billion times, but it all comes down to ECs. why does the college want you? this is not a meritocracy, this is CAPITALISM at work. They want to assemble the best group of students to form a cohesive student body that gives them the chance at excelling at everything as a university - if you do rowing or track or sports, when they look at you they want to see awards in the future. Because that means more money for them, more reputation, more publicity...and then more great people, and the cycle continues. They want you to have a skill you can take to uni and suceed in - so that they get to look good too. Do your ECs reflect this? You volunteer a lot - maybe organize a volunteer project to reflect your giving back to community - colleges like that. But otherwise, not very unique. You don't stand out that much...so colleges don't see money from you in the future (not only as alumni, but you suceeding while IN college and them getting more endowment from current alumni/corporations/govt./etc.)...so they don't need to have you. just my advice. :)</p>

4

<p>Ok....everyone thinks Ivies are crazy places with only top 1% students...this is simply not the case at all.</p>

<p>My school doesn't rank and I got into Columbia, so let's stop with all this top 1% stuff.</p>

<p>For the OP, you definately have a shot. A 2180 (1400 SAT I on the old scale and 780 writing) is in the ballpark for pretty much every school in the nation. While it may be at the low end, it is still there and SAT's really arent all that important.</p>

<p>I would truly say find a passion, demonstrate it heavily and apply in a few years. Best of luck to you.</p>

5

<p>Hi, with what I see so far I think you stand a decent chance a Brown and Georgetown-it's hard to say with H and Y. Brown is full need FA so you may want to consider applying ED there, IF it's your first choice. RE: SAT scores, my son scored 1450 on the old SAT (750V and 700M) and 720 on the Writing SATII (equivalent 2170 on new SAT) and he got into Columbia ED. Rank is a little low for ivies (my son is top 4% at his school), as most of their accepteds are in the top decile, but your GPA high and a lot depends on your type of HS, course taken, recs and ESSAY-very important. Re: ECs-I echo juag1-they want to see passion, joy, and true dedication in one or two key areas. They seemed impressed, for example that my son founded his school lit mag and was EIC for 4 years, 1 of 2 student reps on School Leadership Team (that's a NYC public school thing), and did tons of theatre (both performance and tech) in and outside of school, plus community service through the arts. There was a congruence in his app-from courses taken, essay questions, recs, ECs and interview, that I think helped highlight his passions. I'd say continue, expand and build upon the very solid ecs you have now, plus may be add one or two things that truly inspire and excite you. Best of luck to you. BTW-why not consider Columbia?</p>

6

<p>Schedule a re-take of your SAT for late Jr. year. Plan your SAT II schedule according to your strengths (you want 3 over 750) and when you are taking the supporting course work. There is a June testing date so you can take them just as you finish the courses. You will have one more shot at the SAT in Oct of your SR. year if you need it. You need to pull into the top 10% if at all possible. Your GPA is solid, maintain it with APs. Aim for leadership positions in your ECs and be prepared to answer the question, "what impact did your leadership have in this area". You are on track to go to a very good school, but always remember that HYPS are a crap shoot for even the proverbial 'perfect student'. Find some match and safety schools where you can be happy in case your reach schools don't come through. For women, Wellesley, Smith, Mt Holyoke offer a top notch education and access to grad and professional programs, but they are not as hard to get into.</p>

7

<p>You are doubtful for Princeton and Yale, due to rank. Jaug is wrong, I know, I am an interviewer. The biggest benefit private school kids get is they don't rank so schools have to guess. Because colleges only submit to USNEWS the schools that give rank (usually public high schools) they are picky, most top schools have upwards of 85% of the kids in the top 10%. </p>

<p>Ususally outside of top 10% you need a strong hook or SAT scores. </p>

<p>Luckily you go to a top school, and colleges continue to let in kids from places like yours to maintain relationships. I think MAYBE you might get into one of Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Penn, but that will be tough. You are in better shape for Georgetown, Northwestern, Cornell, etc. Make sure you have a good range of schools, add Emory, WUSTL, also to be safe. PLEASE dont make the biggest mistake in college admissions, which is only applying to unrealistic reaches and then safeties. Have some solid matches, and try to get in the top 10%, it really matters.</p>

8

<p>Hello, Thank you for your post, and for identifying yourself as an interviewer. If you would be willing to share a little, I am very curious to know what it is you look for in an applicant?</p>

9

<p>The school is primarly looking to create an academically strong class with its own institutional needs satisfied. </p>

<p>Certain factors are critical: diversity, athletic needs, legacies, professor's kids, etc (i.e. "hooks). </p>

<p>First and foremost is academic strength, although at the Harvard level it is not nearly enough to ensure admission. There are plenty of 1600 valedictiorians rejected every year. At the Penn, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown level they are much more likely to let a candidate like this in.</p>

<p>ECs have significant value in distinuishing between the acadmically talented students. A kid with a 1300 and top 15% isnt going to get into Penn regardless of how much volunteering they do, but the same kid with top 5% and a 1450 will get a much needed boost for the same volunteering.</p>

<p>The interviewer's job is too seek out whether or not this person will be a contributor to the college, i.e. sense of humor, intellectual curiosity, making the best of a certain environment, creativity, etc. This is an important factor in admissions and like essays, serves to distinguish between acadmically viable candidates. Remember, most of these schools let in about 1/7 people and many of these applicants are in a viable academic range.</p>

10

<p>Thank you for your forthrightness-my son (who by coincidence had a 1450 SAT and a top 4% class rank) interviewed for Columbia (ED) in November, and about all he shared with me was that the interviewer was "cool" and that it "went well"-he was accepted ED, so I guess it did. Your info is helpful for when my daughter (now a HS freshman) goes through the process, although hopefully son will be a bit more forthcoming with her!</p>

11

<p>thanks for your help. about the class rank thing...i go to a very small (but extremely competitive) private school. there are only 60 in my grade and they do not class rank to my knowledge. i was just estimating my rank to help determine college chances. i'm sure the school determines it for college applications since most colleges do ask it. if i could get myself into the top 10% by the time i graduate, would that greatly increase my likelihood at the Ivies (specifically Brown, Princeton, and Yale)?</p>

<p>thanks so much for your info.</p>

12

<p>thanks for the suggestion about Columbia. I've just never really considered it...dunno why. I've hear good things about it though. What do you know of their journalism program?</p>

13

<p>You're so welcome-I think that of course the higher your rank the better, but if your school truly does not rank, it will be your actual GPA and grades in courses taken they will look at. My son's hs does rank, but on the GC;s form tright next to his rank and his GPA was the question: "What is the highest GPA in the class?" So, maybe they'll use that. Of the schools you mentioned, I think Brown is your best bet,. esp. if you apply ED. Brown was my son's very close second choice after Columbia-he has a good friend who is a freshman there now (she applied and got in ED), and LOVES it there. But you must follow your heart-just make sure you have safety or 2-my son had 3, just in case...</p>

14

<p>The journalism is a Master's program-one of the best, if not the best, in the country.</p>

15

<p>But it has no real contact with the undergrads. You should make sure to add Medill at Northwestern, its the top undergrad journalism program in the country and its atmosphere is very much like the others on your list.</p>

<p>As for Columbia, beware, its a very unique experience. If you are looking for a strong community atmosphere, you wont find it. I actually went there and transferred out to Dartmouth. Its a great school, but be sure you are the type who is willing to sacrifice some of the community to be in the city. </p>

<p>I would look into Duke and Dartmouth. Both are in range and are also very similar to the others on your list, with the exception that they arent in a city. Emory is probably a good match/ safety for you and its also a 6000 person school in a beautiful suburban environment.</p>