Chances for Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>SAT: 2260 (740 CR/800 W/720 M) [single sitting]
I'm going to retake this before regular decision, as I took two practice tests recently and scored in the 2300+ range.
SAT II: taking Bio M and World History soon
Ethnicity: Hispanic (Spain)
My GPA is 3.9 unweighted, or something like 4.85 or 4.87 weighted on a 5.0 scale. I'm not sure about my class rank, but it's at least in the top 6-7% at a competitive public magnet.
State: Iowa</p>

<p>I'm in a low-income, single parent household; this probably isn't really a benefit, but it does show that I'm a little socioeconomically disadvantaged.</p>

<p>I've also worked jobs every summer (I sanded tables as a woodworker for my uncle, and tutored at a learning center.)</p>

<p>I'm a full IB candidate, and we aren't allowed to take more than three HLs at my school.
HL Biology
HL Philosophy
HL Economics
SL Spanish/Spanish 5 (my school doesn't offer HL Spanish)
SL Math
SL English
Theory of Knowledge
Study Hall (this is a required class at my high school for some reason, and many clubs meet during this period)</p>

<p>Major awards:
NMSF (probable)
FBLA Nationals Top 10
National qualifier for a medical club
Some national- and state-level journalism awards
DECA and FBLA state-level awards</p>

<p>ECs:</p>

<ul>
<li>Future Business Leaders of America (Secretary, national recognition)</li>
<li>Entrepreneurship Club (Co-Founder)</li>
<li>DECA (Secretary, state recognition)</li>
<li>Started web hosting business</li>
<li>Varsity Debate (Special Distinction)</li>
<li>Taught myself American Sign Language, ardent supporter/volunteer at local deaf center (I'm going to expand on this a lot in my essays)</li>
<li>Varsity Cross Country and Varsity Track (co-captain) (also received medals at a lot of races and other various 5Ks or half-marathons, but just local)</li>
<li>School Magazine Team (Reporter, Head of Social Media Relations - national recognition)</li>
<li>Medical Club (Historian, state recognition)</li>
<li>Environmental Club (Community Service Planner) </li>
<li>Started organization to help at-risk youth (not going to say name to keep anonymity) </li>
</ul>

<p>I think that's about it. I'm involved in a few other things, but these are the activities I really became involved in. This might look like a little bit of a cursory list, but I can definitely expand on all of my ECs. Anyways, what are my chances at top schools? I'm interested in business, and I tried to involve myself in relevant ECs. I think my SAT score is good, but I'm going to retake it before RD. Thanks in advanced. </p>

2

<p>So what do you guys think?</p>

3

<p>Grades: Check
Standardized Tests: Check
Ethnic/Geographic Diversity: Check
ECs: Uncheck. You have a mish-mosh of ECs all without much focus. Do any of these have any relationship to a prospective major? You need to have at least one EC which shows some national/international prominence, which also is externally validated.</p>

<p>So your chances are pretty good, but without presenting the ECs in a better manner, I think your chances are REACH for all.</p>

4

<p>@sgopal2 - the OP clearly stated an interested in business and has ECs to match. National prominence is not required to get into these schools. They are looking for potential. Awards are one way to demonstrate potential, but there are many other paths. None of the kids I know who got into HYPSM last year had anything that would suggest national/international prominence at the time they applied - most of them were simply really strong students with interesting ECs and local/state level awards.</p>

<p>@CandyPants16 - your odds of being accepted to at least one of these schools are good, assuming you make a effort to submit the best applications possible. These schools do not have undergraduate business majors, but I assume you already know that. Choose one and apply SCEA. Good luck!</p>

5

<p>Suggestions:</p>

<p>Take Math Level II -> implies high level of logic</p>

<p>Others seem fine. You do need to expand on your ECs, simply presenting in this manner is not going to help anyone predict/give suggestion correctly.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the advice everyone. I’ll definitely consider Math Level II, also. And yeah, I realize a lot of these schools don’t have business majors; I’ll probably opt for Economics or something similar. </p>

<p>@sgopal2 The first four ECs I mentioned are all tied into business, and I have two ECs that show national recognition… Anyways, I agree that I should have expanded on my ECs a bit, as I was in a hurry when writing the original thread. </p>

7

<p>Future Business Leaders of America (Secretary, national recognition)

  • put together a program to increase business literacy, led a March of Dimes walk, BAA awards, helped increase membership by 25% through social media</p>

<p>DECA (Secretary, state recognition)

  • led an effort to create a school store, currently in charge of managing it</p>

<p>Started web hosting business

  • started an innovative web hosting site for experience, not for profit perse. its revenue is about 120 dollars annually, but a lot of hours went into its creation</p>

<p>Entrepreneurship Club (Co-Founder)

  • won a product-pitching game that was judged by teachers</p>

<p>Varsity Debate (Special Distinction, 500 pts.)

  • just local and district awards, I do PuF and OO</p>

<p>Taught myself American Sign Language, ardent supporter/volunteer at local deaf center

  • I taught myself ASL in order to talk to my deaf friend, and I’ll expand on this a lot in essays </p>

<p>School Magazine Team (Reporter, Head of Social Media Relations - national recognition)

  • I’m not going to go into too much detail to remain anonymous, but I’ve won lots of state and national recognition for my own stories and for the entire magazine itself that I helped work on</p>

<ul>
<li>Environmental Club (Community Service Planner)</li>
<li>organized an event where our club got a parade float at a parade, organized many community service activities for local organization and led a program to adopt streets and clean them up around our school</li>
</ul>

<p>Varsity Cross Country (co-captain) and Varsity Track (co-captain of distance)

  • received medals at a lot of races and other various 5Ks or half-marathons, but just local</p>

<p>Medical Club (Historian, state recognition)

  • helped organize walks and fundraisers, editor of club newsletter</p>

<p>Started organization to help at-risk youth (not going to say name to keep anonymity)

  • it’s an organization that works directly with the youth of our city to help at-risk youth and provide them with counsel from peers</p>
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<p>Any other opinions? </p>

9

<p>Too many kids do FBLA, DECA, and JA. Unfortunately, these activities won’t help you stand out. The only ones that catch my attention are the sign language one and the organization helping youth. Most of the kids I know who got into HYPSM had much more focused and interesting ecs, so I would have to say reaches for all your schools.</p>

<p>And yes, you don’t need national awards for HYPSM. But OPs activities list is not special enough to get him/her in, unfortunately. </p>

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<p>^ I beg to differ. DECA and FBLA are fabulous EC’s for anyone interested in business. </p>

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<p>@sirswish7 Yes, fabulous activities. A lot of things are fabulous activities. But if everyone does them, it won’t make a particular individual’s application stand out anymore. Also, business schools don’t necessarily require applicants to have business oriented ECs. Two of my friends who got into Wharton and M&T never did any business competitions or ECs. </p>

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<p>@sgopal2‌

You don’t have to have focused ECs. Colleges want students who are well rounded and intellectually curious, as well as students who have a clear passion. And even still, the OP falls on the side of students who have a clear passion. The OP said she is interested in business and has 4 business related ECs (5 if you count being a historian). What are you talking about?</p>

13

<p>I have not read a word in this thread apart from the title.</p>

<p>You are a REACH at Princeton, Harvard and Stanford – just like everyone else.</p>

<p>Add Yale, Columbia, MIT, Chicago and Penn and be very appreciative to get into even one of them.</p>

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<p>@FuzzyPeaches22 Obviously the OP doesn’t have the time to go out and start her own business or do whatever “special” EC you have mustered up in your head. The OP is low income and probably does not have the means to go out and do participate in elaborate ECs. The fact that the OP works jobs to support their family will be EXTREMELY attractive to colleges. </p>

<p>OP, if might be a little late, but are you applying to QuestBridge?</p>

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<p>@AnnieBeats When we are talking about schools like Princeton, Yale, and Harvard, of course there are going to be higher standards for extracurriculars. We are not saying that OP’s low income status is NOT attractive to colleges – we are merely giving OP advice for further advice on raising her/his chance for Ivy Leagues. </p>

<p>You don’t seem to have read any of the comments carefully. I in fact mentioned EXPLICITLY that one does not need business ECs to get into business schools. OP’s ecs itself are not special enough for a guaranteed “in” at HYP, but maybe family circumstances will be. </p>

<p>Also, please stop saying that colleges want well-rounded kids. They don’t. They want a well-rounded class. </p>

16

<p>Your ASL work really is distinctive and worth emphasizing. Also find out whether any schools you’re choosing will give credit for ASL, probably by exam. You also seem to show a talent for fundraising, so be sure to focus there, too. Many people dislike fundraising, so that’s another way to stand out. And I don’t think you need to take SAT again. Your scores are fine.</p>

17

<p>@prezbucky‌ - Not everyone is a reach at these schools- there are some candidates who are so qualified or desirable that they are likely to be accepted to any given school (this does not mean they are likely to be accepted to all schools they apply to). I know one candidate last year who was accepted everywhere she applied, including HYPS.</p>

<p>There are also candidates who are wasting their time. @CandyPants16‌ is much closer to the former than the later.</p>