Chances for a friend

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I almost got into an argument with my friend today about college. The only schools she plans on applying to are the top ten on the US News ranking. I told her that they were all reaches, and that she should add a few matches and safeties. However, she said that after almost four hard years of work, she wasn't go to waste her money on a school below the top ten. </p>

<p>She's a junior, and here are her stats so far. I think she's reaching way too far, though I didn't tell her that.</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 UW / 4.31 W
Rank: 11/507
9th grade classes: Four honors, four regular
10th grade classes: Five honors, 3 APs
11th grade classes: 8 APs
12th grade classes: Plans on taking 8 APs
SAT I: 550 verbal, 740 math
SAT II: 800 Japanese (she's a native speaker), 800 Biology, 790 Math IIC
Extracurriculars: Beta Club 10-11, National Honor Soceity 10-11, Science Club 9-11, hospital volunteer 9-11, science fair 9-11
Awards: She won various awards at regional and state level science fair.</p>

<p>What would her chances be at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, UPenn, Duke, MIT, Stanford, CalTech, Columbia, and Dartmouth?</p>

2

<p>SAT seem a little on the low side...with 550 verbal..ehh might fall short.</p>

<p>Weak EC, only couple show a solid 3-year commitment.</p>

<p>HYP-extreme, extreme reaches. Plus, its foolish to have no safeties.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the reply. Hopefully, she'll be convinced that she's reaching too far by the time she's a senior.</p>

<p>With more practice, she might be able to push that verbal into the 600s. Even though she made straight A's, I think her biggest mistake is taking all those AP classes, which leave no time for her to commit to extracurriculars. I take 6 APs, am often sleep deprived, and made a couple of B's. I would hate to imagine what she goes through to get straight A's in 8 APs.</p>