Chances for HYP, Stanford, Dartmouth, Duke, Cornell, Bard, Oberlin, UConn

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Public High School
Rank: 14/218
Unweighted GPA: 3.92
Weight GPA: 4.753
SAT: 800M, 780CR, 750W
SAT IIs: 800 Math Level 2, 740 Chinese, 710 Literature
APs: Psych 5, CalcAB 5, US History 4, awaiting Chem, planning to take Bio, English, Stats, and CalcBC next year: 8 APs in total by end of senior year
Asian Female</p>

<p>Academic Prizes
2 local scholarships ($500 and $1000)
220 PSAT
Dartmouth Book Award
National Honor Society
AP Scholar</p>

<p>Website Manager for a local music club
Write for local newspaper
Track & Field: 9,10,11
Oboe: 8 years
*2nd chair, regional district orchestra auditions: 11
*1st chair, school concert band: 10,11
Piano: 11 years
*Honorable Mentions at two international piano competitions: 11
*Prizes at local/state competitions throughout past several years
*Attended and performed at an out-of-state international music festival with a merit scholarship: 10
*Piano Masterclass: 10
*Solo concerts in area: 10,11
*Chamber Music: 9,10,11
*Paid Choir/General Accompanist: 9,10,11</p>

<p>My extracurriculars are lacking in quantity, I know, but I have been able to focus on a few of them, particularly piano-related activities. Piano is definitely my main extracurricular, where I have the most potential for growth. However, I'm thinking of doing economics (even though I haven't taken any econ courses. My school doesn't offer any, and I haven't done any research, but from what I've read I find it all interesting) and maybe minoring/double majoring in piano. I may apply to conservatories, (Oberlin, Juilliard, NEC, Peabody, Hartt), but I would apply for the joint academic-music dual degree. I guess my weakness would be my relatively low class rank; it's still top 10%, but to be competitive I guess I need to be at least top 5%? My high school is just your run-of-the-mill public school, maybe a bit above average. Thing is, my class is extremely competitive, with at least 10 outstanding, very talented students. The fact that I'm Asian and that my parents both have advanced degrees probably doesn't help either. What are my chances?</p>

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<p>Other than your test scores, everything else is lackluster, especially for an Asian.
Plus, piano is a very cliche extracurricular, especially for Asians. Just work hard on that application!
Your best chances are at UConn, Oberlin, Bard, Duke, and Cornell. It will be mighty difficult for you to have any chance at the others.</p>

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<p>You’ll probably get into UCONN, I’d be surprised if you didn’t.</p>

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<p>HYPS- high reach (by virtue of their selectivity and you not giving them a reason to accept you over other piano-playing Asians)</p>

<p>Dartmouth, Duke- low reach</p>

<p>the rest- in</p>

5

<p>Test scores and GPA are solid, but, as others have previously stated, what you excel at the most is fitting the Asian stereotype. You don’t have enough to get into HYPS, while Duke and Dartmouth and to a lesser extent Cornell will still be reaches. Connecticut is safety.</p>

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<p>I agree with glassesarechic.</p>

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<p>From run of the mill high scchools, the vast majority getting into HYPSDD will be val or sal. Now if you’re truly a piano prodegy, find a way to show it.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the honest feedback, everyone. If I climb up the class rank ladder next semester before applying, would that improve my chances? Also, I actually played for one of the professors at Oberlin Conservatory this past year (he’s good friends with a past professor I had at a music festival), and he told me that he thinks I have enormous potential and could really excel if I fully committed myself to piano. Also, I almost performed solo at Carnegie Hall; I was off by one place in a competition (1st and 2nd performed at Weill Hall, I was third), if that makes any difference. I plan on sending recordings to the piano professors in the top schools, and see what they have to say. It’s possible that I may just do piano, but I really want to explore academic possibilities; I’m from a small rural town, and opportunities for research/academic competitions are few and far in between. </p>

<p>I chose a “typical” EC like piano as my main extracurricular, because I genuinely love music, and not because I wanted to pad my resume. IMO, piano is considered cliche because so many people do it, which makes it extremely competitive. However, shouldn’t the fact that I’m excelling at such a competitive EC count for at least something? I wasn’t trying to live up to the Asian stereotype, lol, but I guess that’s what I unintentionally did anyway. I don’t mean to sound so bitter, but I do despise how factors that I can’t control, such as my ethnicity, conspire against me in this process. I’ve always heard this from other people, but I think I’m beginning to realize for myself how arbitrary the admissions process is. It can be so inefficient and wasteful in terms of applicants’ academic potential/talents. </p>

<p>How so? Let’s say an applicant who wins international yodeling competitions beats out someone who wins international piano competitions simply because yodeling is more gimmicky, but honestly does it really matter once you’re in college (regardless of what that college is)? Even if the yodeler and the pianist decide to pursue their respective musical passions, the pianist would have a larger market than the yodeler (then again I’m biased because I personally can’t stand yodeling!). And being a good yodeler won’t get you into grad school, right? I feel like once you’re actually in college, only accomplishments related to your major matter, and everything else you do is for the sake of fun/income/etc…if that’s the case, then why do colleges make such a big deal out of “interesting” extracurriculars, especially if they aren’t going to serve any useful purpose for the applicant’s future? Sorry for the rant; in case you can’t tell, I’m bitter about college admissions, haha, but I do understand that this is simply how it all works and that there’s really not much I can do about it.</p>

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<p>And sorry for my essay-length post!</p>

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<p>As they stand, musical-orientated extracurriculars will only help if you plan on committing to that instrument or, like you said, if you intend to pursue the dual focus thing. Aside from that, piano proficiency, regardless of how prestigious you might think it may be, will indicate nothing more than dedication and compassion, two elements of one’s character that, frankly, will not guarantee admissions.</p>

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<p>They are trying to create an interesting community and trying to choose kids who will be notable post college. The problem is that there are sooooo many accomplished piano players and so few who yodel. Chances of being a piano standout if you’re not already are slim to none. And by standout at HYPS we mean you’re professional. People will pay to hear you at Carnegie Hall, not a solo given to a kid competition winner.</p>

<p>Unfortunately the game is getting in. Asian, piano, NJ…honestly, write your essay about something so outrageously unusual they can forget all that.</p>

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<p>Thanks, guys - I’m not an in-demand concert pianist by any means, but I may just end up pursuing a professional music degree as well by doing a dual major program. I’m adding Johns Hopkins/Peabody to the mix; what do you think my chances are? Also, Redroses, are you by any chance an alum/admissions officer at HYPS?</p>

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<p>bumpity bump</p>

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<p>“especially for asians”, you sound like a tape recorder Pranam. Frankly, not all asians are over achieving, cello playing, 2400 scoring students. You seem to be saying as though that’s the only direction they should be headed towards.</p>

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<p>Typical Asian.</p>

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<p>It will come down to your essays, they will decide whether you get in or not at this point.</p>

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<p>This is not true. Pianogirl55. I heard a girl from Canana get into princeton because of her piano
competition results, she does not have good grades. And my daughter’s friend got into Cornell early admission because of two state competition first prizes and playing at carneige hall recital. Nothing of her very special. It’s luck. </p>

<p>Do you have any good social work? If not, you can give a recital to local people, and raise some money to donate(I’ve seen ppl do that)… </p>

<p>True, asians all play pianos, but very few play real well. And winning international competitions means a lot. </p>

<p>There was a standford graduate(asian) sitting next to my husband on airplane, he said it’s full SAT score + social work get him in. </p>

<p>If you truly love music, apply conservatories. or music schools, NEC , oberlin, boston university yale… </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>^I sincerely doubt that anyone could get into those high reaches based solely off of “piano competition results.” </p>

<p>My advice to the OP would be to try to break away from what NewAccount deemed a “typical asian” image.</p>

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<p>^While she may fit an unfortunate “Asian stereotype”, I highly disagree with your proposal that she ought to steer away from her passion of piano playing just to increase her chances of getting accepted into HYPS (if that’s what you meant). It’s true that her EC is ordinary, but that doesn’t mean she ought to conform to the “HYPS standard”. </p>

<p>My advice to the OP: turn this “weakness” into a strength. I’ll be honest, you’re at a bit of a disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still stand out. If you’re truly passionate about piano and convey this to the admissions officers effectively enough, you have as good a shot as anyone to get in. Don’t compromise your passions.</p>

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<p>Uconn/Oberlin/Bard-In. If you don’t think you can’t get into these, you must have serious self esteem issues or you committed murder or something.
Cornell/Duke-Match
Dartmouth-High Match/Low Reach-ish?
HPYS-Most likely rejected</p>