<p>Stats
Competitive, top 100 high school.
GPA (UW): 3.91
Top 5%</p>
<p>SAT: 2320
Critical Reading: 780
Math: 770
Writing: 770</p>
<p>Prospective national merit semifinalist.
IB diploma candidate.</p>
<p>AP Exams
US History: 5
Computer Science AB: 5
Awaiting scores for Calculus BC, European History, Physics B, English Language and Spanish Language.</p>
<p>Extracurriculars
-Nationally competitive debater with various awards.
-Competitive chess player that has had regional success.
-NHS, NSHS</p>
<p>Volunteer experience
-Spent two weeks as a counselor at a camp for the disabled.
-Directed chess tournaments.
-Judged at debate competitions.</p>
<p>What are my chances at:</p>
<p>MIT
Stanford
Cornell
Rice
Northwestern </p>
<p>I have safety schools where I am assured admittance.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>What are the biggest problems with my application and how could I remedy them in the following year?</p></li>
<li><p>Is it worth applying to HYPSM given mediocre ECs?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sorry about the pictures, you will have to look elsewhere.</p>
<p>I think your chances are pretty good. But I do want to say this: Ivy League schools are crazy competitive and almost impossible to predict. Our valedictorian had the same SAT score, national merit, lots of EC’s, the whole sh-bang. And he graduated at the age of 16. Stanford didn’t accept him but they took our #3 and #5. I’m not sure if they didn’t take him just because he was young, I don’t know, but his entire resume screamed “responsible genius” so I don’t know. He ended up going to Rice on a half scholarship. Someone else in our school with a rank in the teens is going to Duke on a full scholarship. Someone else with a rank in the twenties/late teens (I don’t remember) is going to Johns Hopkins on a full scholarship. Yet, someone else with a rank in the twenties, national merit scholar, lots of EC’s but not as many as some, didn’t get into Rice. :/</p>
<p>So as you can see, there doesn’t seem to be a real pattern at times. Grades or EC’s? I’m going to go with both. I don’t want to scare you or anything, but I just want you to understand that Ivy’s aren’t only intense but may seem unpredictable. (PS: In case you didn’t know, Rice is considered the Ivy League of the South. In my head, it’s pretty much an Ivy, lol). </p>
<p>ANYWAY, good luck! Keep up your grades and try to kick up the EC’s. That’s what I would focus on if I were you for now - try more extracurriculars or focus on a particular passion. And go ahead and apply to HYPSM. I think you’ve got a good chance and you might as well.</p>