<p>User Name: newheights
College Class Year: 2015</p>
<p>Academics: 4.00 (unweighted) 4.4 (weighted)
5 AP's each in Junior, Senior years
1 AP and 1 weighted class Sophomore Year
Honors otherwise
Top 5% of 260 student class</p>
<p>Scores: Math 800, Reading 730, Writing 740 (first try)</p>
<p>Math II 800, Biology M 800, US History 800</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
Marching Band (9-12)
Quiz Bowl (11-12)
Math Team (10-12)
Science Team (11)
Church Handbells
NHS
Summer Internship at college biomedical engineering lab (before Junior year)
Summer Internship at college systems biology lab (before Senior year)</p>
<p>Leadership:
Chess Club Treasurer (11); President (12)
Marching Band Trumpet Co-Section Leader (11-12)
Math Team Captain (12)</p>
<p>Volunteer Work:
Local Hospital (150+ hrs)
Mission Trip to NY
Performing in Brass Quintet at local community events
Play in Church Band for Chinese Church</p>
<p>Honors:All-District Band (9-11)
All-State Band (11)
Laurel Chain
All-A Honor Roll (9-11)</p>
<p>Interested in:
Duke (ED)
Brown
Cornell
Penn
UVA
JHU</p>
<p>I see your point, my profile doesn’t appear to have a particularly noteworthy aspect. Do you think my package is too weak for admission into top notch colleges like the ones I’ve listed?</p>
<p>My statistics profile seems to pale in comparison to those of many others using this site. I know that opportunities at my school are scarcer than those at much larger, urban-area schools. Hopefully college admissions officers will understand this and take this into consideration.</p>
<p>No, that is not what I am saying in the least. They will get lots of applicants with top notch numbers. The ones who get admitted will be the ones that stand out. They can articulately explain the science they have done on their internships, and how they want to continue it during college and/or their subsequent careers. Or they can talk powerfully and passionately about what their musical ECs mean to them. Or they can talk about the impact they have had on their HS through their clubs, or about the impact they have had on their community through their volunteer efforts.</p>
<p>There is no one right way to stand out. It must be what is authentic to you. The adcoms are trying to create a community of interested and interesting people, not merely an accumulation of numbers. What about you goes beyond the numbers? Find that, communicate it in your application and you will be a compelling candidate that they will have to take very seriously. That is all anyone can ask for.</p>
<p>CC is the haven for uber-acheivers. Don’t let that undermine your self-confidence.</p>
<p>But I will warn you about one thing: don’t be surprised if you are waitlisted at a portion of the schools you are applying to. The reality that top students are applying to so many places has created a “waitlist chain reaction.” When students decline admission, then it creates openings, so schools are relying more and more on their waiting lists. I know a student from last year, whose credentials and list of schools had a lot of overlap with yours, who got 7 WL, and 1 admit, and 0 denies. He ultimately got off 3 of the waitlists.</p>
<p>But the more important message is that you are a credible candidate at the schools you have listed, doubly so if you can find a compelling way to stand out.</p>
<p>You are an average viable candidate at these schools. Now you need to give them something that makes you stand out from the other viable candidates, most of whom they will have to reject because of lack of space.</p>
<p>Very good SAT’s. First try gives you a plus. You’re pretty much perfect in terms of SATs.
Pretty solid school stats. I think you have good shot in all of those schools, while JH and Penn may be small reaches</p>