Chances for a very unusual girl?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>I know this is long, but if anyone could help give me an idea of where I stand, I would LOVE it~~</p>

<p>I’m currently a freshman at the University of Wisconsin. I didn’t go to college out of state b/c of my parents asked me to stay near home to help w/ the family (I have 3 younger sisters and a grandfather living with me). I’m planning on applying as a transfer to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, Dart, and Columbia. I want to apply because Wisco doesn’t have my intended majors (Asian American studies or Gender Studies). Here are my stats:</p>

<p>-Asian American girl
-fluent in Japanese
-competant in Russian
-competant in French
-competant in Korean
-can speak/write Danish
-SAT 1400 (will take again)
-planning on taking 3 SATII’s…probably 2 English and a Japanese</p>

<p>-Homeschooled my entire life, straight A’s, taught by my dad, a Phd professor at Wisconsin. B/c I’ve been homeschooled there really is no “concrete” way of judging these classes…but I’ll list them anyways:</p>

<p>FRESHMAN
Algebra I
English Grammar/Syntax
Expository Writing I
French I
World History
Russian I
American Lit
Biology
Bible</p>

<p>SOPH
Chemistry
Expository Writing II
Creative Writing Workshop
U.S History
French II
Russian II
Geometry
Contemporary/Modern Lit
Quantitative Logic
Health
Bible</p>

<p>JUNIOR
Advanced Algebra
Anatomy and Physiology
Graphic Art
Japanese I
Japanese II
AP. English Writing
AP English Lit
British Lit
Existential Authors</p>

<p>SENIOR
8 months abroad in Tokyo, Japan w/ AFS (July 02-March 03). Studied Japanese econ, Japanese history, Genetics, and Japanese; recieved all A’s, instruction all in Japanese
3 classes at U-Wisconsin (09/03-12/03) GPA 3.2 (I know its bad, but I started classes 2 days after returning from Japan, and it was too much of a reverse culture shock for me. Also it’s counted as my senior year, so…
Japanese III (A-)
Korean I (B-) I know!
History of Science (A-)
Microbiology (at home, got an A)</p>

<p>I took off the spring semester 2004 to return to Japan where I taught English and worked with missionary English translators and literary translators from Feb-June.</p>

<p>This semester I’m back at U-Wisconsin taking 16 cr. hours of: Chemistry, Women’s Studies, South Asian Studies, Anthropology, and Asian American Studies. I’m expecting a 3.9-4.0 GPA for the semester.</p>

<p>SOME ECs:
HIGH SCHOOL: 1000+ voulunteer hrs.
-Three time Featured poet in Poetry.com’s annual published magazine
-National merit finalist
-Founder and president of WI Homeschool film appreciation club
-Founder and president of WI Homeschool Japanese club
-Co-founder of CARES, a volunteer tutoring organization for WI homeschoolers
-Co-founder and vice-president of local High School’s Japanese Film Club
-Founder and president of local High School’s Japanese Club
-English and ESL tutor with Waukesha Literacy Council</p>

<p>COLLEGE:
-U-Wisco tutor: English and ESL tutoring for underrepresented minorities 04’
-U-Wisco GUTS (greater university tutoring service) English writing, English comp, ESL and Japanese tutor 04’
-Developing a high school curriculum w/ my Sociology professor to promote Asian American history awareness
-Founder and president of WISE, a student group to combat Asian American invisibility in the media, sports and government
-ESL Tutor to Chinese community in Milwaukee County (summer 04’)
-ESL tutor to Japanese GE employees in Wisconsin (summer 04’)</p>

<p>MUSIC:
Played piano for 12 years and won many awards.</p>

<p>THEATER/ROLES:
-Acting and Playwright awards from First Stage Milwaukee for Best New Play: Wrote, acted and directed new play “This Is Us” 02’
-Young Playwright Honorary Mention from First Stage Milwaukee for New Play, “Working Title” Summer Classical Workshop 02’
-Talent Scholarship awards from Milwaukee Repetoiary Theater 01’ and 02’
-Scholarship awards from First Stage Milwaukee 01’-03’
-Intern for First Stage Milwaukee 99’-03’
-Talent scholarship recipient for First Stage Milwaukee Summer Classical Workshop 02’
-Milwaukee Repetoiry Theater production of “Miracle Worker” -Helen 99’
-First Stage Milwaukee production of “Diary of Anne Frank” -Anne 00’
-American Theater Company of Chicago and Milwaukee Repetoiry Theater production of “A Christmas Carol”-Ensemble 00’
-First Stage Milwaukee New Play Showcase of “August Snow” -Taw 01’
-First Stage Milwaukee New Play Showcase of “Even Steven Goes To War”-Xiong 01’
-Acacia Theatre production of “Much Ado About Nothing” - Benedick 01’
-First Stage Milwaukee production of “Little Women”-Beth 02’
-First Stage Summer Classical Workshop production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”-Puck 02’
-Milwaukee Repitoiry Theater Shakespeare Festival: “Macbeth”-Lady Macbeth 02’
-First Stage Milwaukee production of “The Hobbit”-Gollum 03’
-First Stage Milwaukee production of “A Wrinkle In Time”-Meg 03’</p>

<p>*Bit role in 2000 film “What Women Want” starring Mel Gibson
*Bit role in 2004 film “Mr. 3000” starring Bernie Mac</p>

<p>TAE KWON DO:
-1st degree black belt
-Gold Medal 01’, 02’, 03’, Tae Kwon Do Midwest Championships (sparring)
-Teaching recognition awards, 02’ and 03’</p>

<p>CHURCH:

  • Co-founder of The Altar, a youth music ministry outreach in WI
    -Summer 02, summer 03’: AIDS World Relief trip to Malawi: working with children orphaned by AIDS</p>

<p><em>sigh</em> I know its alot to slog through. Chances please? You have NO idea how much it wouold be appreciated…</p>

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<p>Well you certainly are unusual =) In an interesting way. I hope we both make it in so I could meet you. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone we wanted to get in could? ah well. </p>

<p>Objectively I think you score high on the 'diversity' and 'multiculturalism' areas that colleges seem to love so much, except that it's not the right kind of diversity (ie underprivileged etc). Not a liability per se but less of an asset, I think. Personally I think diversity and the whole ethnic identity thing is a sham. It's important, but not <em>that</em> important. </p>

<p>You also score high on 'community service', another thing that's politically correct nowadays. That's a good asset.</p>

<p>Your standardized testing is your greatest liability. Fortunately that's more workable than the other stuff. </p>

<p>I think you stand a better chance than most applicants, for what it's worth. If it's part of God's plan, it will be.</p>

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<p>Thanks invictus~! If its part of God's plan, then we'll both be there in the fall. :)</p>

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<p>anyone else? there are alot of views but no posts...</p>

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<p>For your intended majors, I would give Cornell a good look.</p>

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<p>Something I forgot to mention...I also took trig and pre-calc in Japan. And For Cornell, they don't have ethnic studies, asian-american studies, asian languages or gender psychology, any of the things I'm interested in. Maybe I've overlooked something, but Cornell hasn't seemed like a good fit.</p>

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<p>I will give you some links. Cornell has the first Chinese major in the country, for example, which includes study in China as part of its core.</p>

<p><a href="http://lrc.cornell.edu/asian/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://lrc.cornell.edu/asian/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>And gender studies:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.arts.cornell.edu/fgss/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.arts.cornell.edu/fgss/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>thanks a bunch! anyone else have critiques/comments? I'd really appreciate the feedback!!</p>

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<p>im also being realistic about my chances at harvard, so im also applying to dart, columbia, brown, duke and stanford. does anyone know how my chances would be at those schools as opposed to harvard? better/same??</p>

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<p>nattiebee -</p>

<p>All those schools you list are very selective - with low acceptance rates. You might be wise to include some firmer matches and safeties on your list</p>

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<p>i am applying to safeties -- but i know i'll get into those, which is why i'm only enquiring about the toughies. :)</p>

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<p>would nc-chapel hill and georgetown be considered safeties?</p>

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<p>At most a match.</p>

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<p>anyone else...? critiques/commets?? I'm just trying to get a perspective here on where its wise to apply...$75 per app is quite alot after all...<em>offers cookies</em></p>

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<p>You have pretty good stats, but one thing to remember is that you will applying as a transfer and not as an incoming freshman. This puts you in a somewhat different category. Highly selective schools, such as the Ivies, use transfers to fill holes in their class. And some years they don't have any holes and so admit only a small handful or even zero transfer students. On the other hand, if Harvard happens to be looking for someone who can speak Japanese, French, Korean, Russian, and Danish, you will sail right in.</p>

<p>So the answer to where do you stand is "it depends".</p>

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<p>brown's website says that they admit from 200-400 transfers a year...that must be a TON of holes...</p>

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<p>Yeah, and Harvard took 55 transfers last year and Princeton took zero...that's not very many holes.</p>

<p>Like I said: it depends.</p>

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<p>on 'safeties':
this is just me but i wouldn't apply anywhere unless i think i would be happy getting it. that said all of this is such a lottery that i don't think i can emotionally invest any more into any particular school (especially one in cambridge massachusetts) without being horribly disappointed.</p>

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<p>that's very true...for me i think if i get into any of the schools i plan to apply to, i'll just be over the moon...especially if i get accepted to an ivy league. harvard, yale, brown, whatever. i mean, getting accepted to an ivy league is such an honor, an unbelievable honor, and speaking for myself, i won't find myself crushed in the least if i have to "resort" to attending an ivy league other than a "certain one in cambridge, MA"...</p>