Chances for HYPS, others...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Homeschooled student from California
Asian</p>

<p>Homeschooled GPA: 4.09</p>

<p>SAT (scores not reported on Common App, though they had to be sent to the schools anyways-boo) - 680 CR, 800 Math, 730 Writing, 11 Essay.
ACT - w/o writing (35 Comp, 35 E, 35 M, 35 R, 34 S), w/ writing (35 Comp, 35 E, 34 M, 35 R, 36 S)
SAT Subject Tests (800 Math 2, 790 Chinese w/ list, 780 Chem, 780 Physics, 710 US History - tried twice on Chem and history - original scores 720 and 710, respectively).</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: Lived in China for three years, Swam daily (basically) on swim team for those three years, took Web Design, Chinese Calligraphy and Go for half a year for two years.</p>

<p>Community Service - Coordinated, wrote lesson material for, and taught an English class to Elementary school kids over the summer in China (64 hours), taught junior high students in China (20 hours), coached a group of kids in basketball over two years (160 hours).</p>

<p>Essays: I think it is written well. Talked about my China experience, from the rumors about China I heard in the US, to my shock of some of the injustices in China. Mentioned that I got used to these injustices. Transitioned to how I started to enjoy the laid-back environment in China, and how a class in the works of CS Lewis woke me up - tied it back to my early beliefs Christianity- love God and love others. Then I started to love, talked about English class a little, and talked about my dreams for China and the people. Talked about how I thought the tormentors of others were the truly tormented, and how I believed education and love could bring China and the world back to a place of harmony.........</p>

<p>And the colleges I applied to (a lot, I know) - unless mentioned, I applied for the physics major.
Williams
MIT (Neuro)
Northwestern
Chicago
Middlebury (Chinese)
Cornell
Pomona (Asian studies)
Amherst
Stanford
Harvard
Vanderbilt
WUSTL
Hopkins (I submitted it a day late - booo)
Rice
Columbia
Yale (late..........)
Princeton (I messed up on the first sentence of my essay on the Pton app, sent a letter with a corrected essay - basically I added a "been" where it shouldn't have been, and I put a picture of Mr. Bean on the corrected essay, and put a little caption "Mr Been's in the wrong place, blablabla." Hopefully I didn't botch everything.)</p>

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<p>My thread is falling to the next page.... Anyone? Haha, after working through the entire Christmas break to get this done, it's only natural that I want to make some predictions, haha</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.!!!</p>

3

<p>You don't seem to have much going for you other than the fact that you are homeschooled, have good numbers (everyone has good numbers though) and that you lived in China for 3 years.</p>

<p>I like how you coached a basketball team of kids when you yourself have never played basketball. Kinda makes adcoms stop and think that maybe you did that just cuz it looks good on college apps rather than because you actually have a passion for it.</p>

<p>You won't get into MIT cuz you have nothing that shows your passion for or talent in science/mathematical stuff other than good scores.
Stanford and Columbia might take you just because they seem to like unique people from different backgrounds which you certainly are.
I doubt any of the other ivies will accept nor Amherst nor Chicago nor Pomona nor Northwestern nor Hopkins.
I think Rice, WUSTL, Vanderbilt, middlebury and Williams are good matches for you though.</p>

4

<p>Oooook, thanx!</p>

<p>I did play basketball on a team in 10th grade, and I did list it as a hobby for every grade, 5 hours a week, so it's not tooo bad. I'd be ecstatic if I got into Stanford or Columbia.... I think NW and Cornell will accept me - people with lower scores get in as a rule... (Discounting my SAT, but two 35 ACTs should do it...)</p>

<p>Other opinions?</p>

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<p>Anyone, please? Thanks!</p>

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<p>Bump..........</p>

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<p>Anyone? PLease?</p>

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<p>Wow, don't you have any safeties? Those are tough schools to get into, I hope you added some safeties.</p>

<p>Here is what I think:
MIT (Neuro)- reach (no science ECs)
Northwestern - reach/match
Chicago - reach/match
Cornell - reach
Stanford - high reach (little ECs hurt here)
Harvard - reach
WUSTL - match/reach
Hopkins (I submitted it a day late - booo) - match/reach
Rice - match/reach
Columbia - reach
Yale - reach
Princeton - reach</p>

<p>The lack of ECs is definitely going to hurt you, and though your test scores are good, they are typical for the Ivies. However, you sound like a creative person, and may win over the adcom with essays. It's just whether you get lucky.</p>

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<p>Yay, thanks! Haha, I applied to UCs, so I'm good with safeties. :) I do hope I can get into ONE of these schools, at least, haha, since I really don't like Berkeley (no offense), and it would be a little sad if I could only get into UCLA with the two 35 ACTs. I know, scores aren't everything, but motivation and perspective is, and hopefully I was able to show the colleges that my China experience helped me gain those. Thanks!</p>

<p>One more opinion!? :D</p>

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<p>Yes. I find your user name offensive. </p>

<p>Just kidding. However, I do think your ECs are a little weak and mostly agree with what people have said above. How do homeschooled people get a GPA? I've always wondered.</p>

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<p>I'd say you're a pretty solid match for UCLA. The rest are mostly reaches, though you might get into a few of them (Rice, Middlebury, perhaps some of the others like WUStL or Cornell, depending on how you portrayed yourself in the app, given that you're homeschooled).</p>

<p>Why do you really not like Berkeley but you do UCLA?</p>

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<p>I don't agree with what you guys have said. The OP obviously had some unique experiences. I'd say you've got a great chance, as long as you convey your full experiences in your essays.</p>

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<p>Sorry for the user name. Is there any way to change it now?</p>

<p>Homeschooling GPA is just.... determined by ourselves, so it doesn't really matter. We were honest though. I did write an additional letter about my homeschooling, and how my parents never taught me anything after I was eight, but how my autodidactism and passion to know everything behind the principles they teach as givens in textbooks makes me a very motivated student. I think that letter helped a lot.</p>

<p>Haha, I don't really like UCLA. It's just that the campus at Berkeley depresses me everytime I go. I suppose I'd get used to it. I LOVE the city of LA, though. :P I'd still go to Cal, but hopefully I have other choices. :)</p>

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<p>I think you are a shoe in at Middlebury, assuming you will major in Chinese. I think you are also a lock at Vanderbilt, since your scores are way over their median. Rice, WUSTL, Northwestern are good bets, although they are unpredictable about what they are looking for beyond high scores- a lot will depend on who they feel they need to balance out a class. as for my alma mater, Princeton, I think you are a strong candidate- they have a much loved Princeton in Asia initiative for which you would be a great asset. as for the other schools, i cannot comment beyond saying that you are strong and I think your extracurriculars are fine- not very many people will have had the experiences you have had for the past three years. Not everyone has to be a debate captain or athletic leader to show well- roundedness. Just my humble opinion. Good luck.</p>